If it feels like it’s been a while since there’s been soccer at RFK Stadium, it’s because it has been. More than a month, in fact, since D.C. United torched Vancouver, 4-0, back on Aug. 13.
Six weeks later, United (8-8-10, 34 points) remains in the same tenuous position, fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot.
D.C.’s opponent tonight, Chivas USA (7-12-10, 31 points), sits in a similar spot, which should make for an intense battle, even if there are few here to witness it. United jumped on the Goats early 11 days ago in Los Angeles, but repeating that performance won’t be easy with the stakes increased.
“I think every game now, they’re real meaningful,” United midfielder Santino Quaranta said on Tuesday. “Some of the guys haven’t been in a playoff game in a while, and as an organization, what Benny [Olsen has] done, and the work we’ve put in all year, it comes down eight 90-minute games that sum up a season. These games at home are critical, we know that. But saying that, if the game doesn’t go our way the first 30-40 minutes, we stay patient as a group. I don’t think there’s anybody panicking, but it’s a realization that this is serious thing. The playoffs, it’s hard to get into, and I know some of the older guys, I want to get back. I haven’t been there in a while.”
The D.C. lineup: Hamid; Kitchen, White, McDonald, Woolard; Najar, Simms, De Rosario, Quaranta; Wolff, Davies. Subs: Ngwenya, Barklage, King, da Luz, Korb, Burch, Willis.
D.C. United’s front five needs to generate offense without Chris Pontius, who is back from the West Coast with his broken right leg and will watch the game in person.
“It’s a big piece [missing],” Quaranta said. “We’re a group of runners. The counterattack was good then in that game. I think everybody felt comfortable that was in that group. But in saying that, you add Wolffy to the mix, and for me, he’s been one of the best American forwards to ever play. He brings a lot to the table… Now with weather, we were joking, dipping down below 80 [degrees], he’ll be back to being good again.”
Charlie Davies gave a good quote in my advance story about the need to produce, and Olsen backed up that assertion.
“I think we’re pretty well versed in what we’re trying to do out there,” he said. “It’s pretty late in the season, and I think everybody has an idea of how we want to play. It’s just plugging guys in and hoping and trusting that they’re going to do their job.”
I’m also looking for a big night from Andy Najar, who was perhaps the only bright spot for D.C. in Seattle last weekend and has shown better since his first experience with the Honduran national team.
“I’ve asked Andy to do more,” Olsen said. “I’ve asked all the guys to do more. But as far as the attacking group, they’ve got to push themselves, and we’ve got to get the most out of them.”
One other note, check out my short item on Chivas defender Michael Lahoud, who I actually covered when he was a senior at W.T. Woodson High in Fairfax.
