Dwayne De Rosario and Bill Hamid filled out a quintet of international call-ups for D.C. United this week, with Hamid named to the U.S. roster for games at France on Nov. 11 and at Slovenia on Nov. 15, while De Rosario will join Canada for a crucial two-game World Cup qualifying series against St. Kitts & Nevis.
Canada, which will play on the road first on Nov. 11 before a return match Nov. 15 at BMO Field in Toronto, needs only one point from its two remaining fixtures in Group D of CONCACAF Round 2 qualifying to clinch first place in the pool and advance to Round 3 of the qualification process.
United rookies Perry Kitchen and Ethan White are also headed to Germany for the U.S. under-23 camp there while Branko Boskovic will join the Montenegro team for its two-legged series against the Czech Republic, with a berth in the 2012 European Championship at stake. Boskovic is not expected to play but only serve in a moral and leadership capacity.
Meanwhile, back on this side of the border, D.C. United announced that it has rescheduled a pair of reserve matches. It will host New York’s reserves at 11 a.m. on Nov. 10 at the RFK Stadium training field (admission free) and travel to Columbus on Nov. 15 for a game that will also kickoff at 11.
D.C. has also begun planning its 2012 preseason, committing again to the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, S.C. With the MLS season expected to kick off earlier next year than in seasons past, this year’s tournament at the Charleston Battery’s Blackbaud Stadium will run from Feb. 25 – Mar. 3.
On the injury side, Marc Burch underwent surgery on the big toe on his right foot and is out until the start of preseason, Chris Pontius has lost the cast on his right leg and is nearly ready to return to training, and my understanding is that while Clyde Simms was diagnosed with a mild concussion suffered in D.C.’s season finale against Kansas City, he did not suffer any lingering effects.
