Defender among holdovers from 2004 title team
Bryan Namoff has been as quiet and steady a presence as any D.C. United player over the last half decade. The team hopes that in 2009 only the latter portion of that description stays true.
With a freshly signed contract in hand, Namoff begins his ninth season in Major League Soccer with two goals: first, the usual quest for league-wide recognition and respect; and second, more leadership where it is desperately needed along the back line.
“I still try to set goals for myself,” said Namoff. “I’m not one that has become complacent, even though I have been with D.C. or even in a specific position for so long. I want to be not just the best player in that position. I want to try to be the best player in that position in the league.”
One of four remaining holdovers from the United’s 2004 MLS Cup-winning starting eleven — along with Christian Gomez, Jaime Moreno, and Ben Olsen — the 29-year-old from Rockford, Ill., should start 2009 in his usual position on the right side of D.C.’s defense, where he’s logged at least 2,000 regular-season minutes in four of the last five seasons.
For most of that time, he deferred vocal responsibilities to guys like Ryan Nelsen, Bobby Boswell, or even Gonzalo Peralta. With United currently searching for a veteran center back to complement its younger corps of current players, Namoff cannot afford to stay quiet any longer.
“[Namoff has] been able to do a good job when he just focuses on his own thing,” said United head coach Tom Soehn. “What we still want more out of Bryan is to take that leadership role and command more from people around you because when you do that, you make your job easier. It comes easier, maybe, from a central spot, but there’s no reason why you can’t do it from a right back spot.”
Namoff’s most immediate challenger, Ryan Miller, in his second year out of Notre Dame, is a long shot to make United’s final 24-man roster.
