D.C. backfield pitches first shutout early this time
Marc Burch knew exactly how long it took before D.C. United registered its first shutout last year. Bryan Namoff preferred to stay focused on the current campaign, Devon McTavish wasn’t exactly sure, and Clyde Simms narrowed it down to two games, but the message was the same.
“It was late,” said Simms.
In fact it was 17 games into the 2008 season — a 2-0 win over Kansas City on Aug. 2 — before United (1-0-2) walked away from a match with a victory and the proverbial “clean sheet,” four months and 14 games later than last weekend’s 1-0 win over Houston.
“You really feel it when you get a shutout,” said Burch. “You feel really good, the goalie feels good and the whole team is like one goal can win us a game. You think, ‘As soon as we score, this could be the last goal of the game, and we should be able to win.’”
The fourth-year defender from Maryland — the left side of United’s three-man back line in each of the past two matches — knows how it feels to be on the opposite end of confidence and luck. But so far the combination of his steady presence, Namoff’s vocal leadership from the right, Dejan Jakovic’s athleticism in the middle and timely goalkeeping has fortune in D.C.’s favor.
“I think the most important thing is those guys providing cover and support for each other, and closing down opportunities, and doing a good job with their homework,” said United assistant coach Mark Simpson.
Jakovic, 23, is prone to slow starts but he still effectively shut down U.S. national team forward Brian Ching last weekend.
“Even if he sleeps for a second, he finds a way to win that tackle back,” said Burch, “I feel like his mistakes are going to go to goals because if he makes a mistake, he’s going to make up for it right away, not later in the game.”
Namoff has welcomed the opportunity to lead, and has backed it up with the strongest start of his eight-year career.
“[I’m telling the younger guys] what I’ve seen in the past of what works and what doesn’t work,” said Namoff, “because I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum throughout the years.”
