Victory over Revolution would put it in first place
D.C. United has a chance to claim sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with a victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday. It’s a place United hasn’t been in this deep into a season since June 2009 and one the team hopes to relish during a three-week break between league matches afterward.
“I’ve never been a part of that since I signed,” United goalkeeper Bill Hamid said. “Being able to say we’re at the top of the conference — and if we stay focused, we can definitely find a playoff spot — is something exciting and something you want to continue working hard for.”
By the time Hamid turned pro in September 2009, D.C. United was waging a losing battle to reach the postseason, another place it hasn’t been since 2007.
| Up next |
| Revolution at D.C. United |
| When » Saturday, 7:30 p.m. |
| Where » RFK Stadium |
This season United has battled injuries and a busy schedule, having played more matches so far than all but one other team in MLS. Through 14 games, coach Ben Olsen has utilized 11 different starting lineups because of injuries, preferences and national team call-ups.
In spite of the adversity, D.C. United (7-4-3) has won five of its last seven games, a stretch that includes its first two-game winning streaks since 2009. The franchise’s last three-game winning streak was in 2008, a season that peaked far too early, a trap United players intend to avoid.
“Yeah, we’ve won a couple games,” forward Chris Pontius said. “You look at the standings, we’re sitting pretty nice. But you don’t get complacent. … It’s going to be the second half of the season [that] is really going to determine who is going to be a playoff team and who is going into the playoffs hot.”
Since a season-opening 1-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City, United is 5-0-2 at RFK Stadium, where it has finished the last two seasons with a losing record. This season’s victory total is already higher than last year, when D.C. United won just four times at home.
“That’s been a huge thing Ben’s been preaching about,” United rookie midfielder Nick DeLeon said. “We have to build that fear into the league where when you come here, it’s going to be a tough, hard environment to play in.”
Olsen’s squad has also scored 25 goals, third most in MLS. While 12 teams have at least one player with four goals or more, United has four, including Maicon Santos (six goals), Dwayne De Rosario (five goals) and Pontius (five goals), all of whom are among the league’s top nine scorers.
“I feel like we have more depth and more talent and a little bit more hunger in filling in voids,” Olsen said. “I’ve been proud of the guys the way they’ve responded. But it means nothing. … We have to make sure that we keep getting better and make sure our mentality is still one of hunger and aggression and a chip on our shoulder because it’s been a long time since we’ve had any success at this club.”
