After three games in eight days last week, D.C. United is taking a slow-build approach to its preparation for playing the first game at the Houston Dynamo’s brand-spanking new BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Emiliano Dudar, Danny Cruz, Nick DeLeon, Marcelo Saragosa, Chris Pontius and Maicon Santos didn’t practice – each of whom are carrying some level of injury or simply high mileage – with Santos rolling onto the training field with the training session more than halfway finished. Dejan Jakovic did some ball work but skipped out of the mini-games to work on his fitness. Even Robbie Russell and Perry Kitchen stayed out of the latter portion.
Ethan White, meanwhile, was back at it, and will certainly be hungry for a return. With the limitations of United’s current group, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make the game day roster in Houston.
Another player that will want in, not only on the 18-man active roster but the starting 11, will be Hamdi Salihi, who now has two goals in his last two matches, both off the bench, both that showed his quality and finishing ability.
“This is good for everybody, when you play, you score and especially, you win the match like in Toronto,” Salihi said. “This is what you’re working for, to play, to feel this emotion.”
Salihi also thanked Branko Boskovic, someone who he’s talked to and received advice from every day since his arrival. Given the precarious nature of Boskovic’s contract situation, it will be interesting to see how Salihi responds if Boskovic parts way with the team at the end of June. As for the difficulty of his strikes, Salihi gave proper credit to Dwayne De Rosario for the curling cross at San Jose and to the good fortune of the way the ball fell to him in Toronto.
“To score is never easy,” he said. “It is always difficult, and when you score, it doesn’t matter how you do this. A goal is a goal, and you are happy always.”
Coach Ben Olsen is likely to be less content, once again facing difficult choices for his starting lineup, whether it’s with Salihi, at goalkeeper or even right back, where Andy Najar was effective and offered a strong reminder of his abilities.
“I think we’re seeing now what he’s about,” Olsen said of Salihi. “He doesn’t need many opportunities to score goals. Forwards are streaky, and they go through runs, and they’re human so they go through confidence issues, and he’s done great. He wants more. He wants to plays more, and I don’t blame him, and he’s making me make some tough situations.”
Speaking of goalkeeper, Bill Hamid was evidently happier after making his first start since the season opener, giving a hint of a smile when asked how it felt to be back on the field.
“It felt good,” he said. “Obviously, no one wants to be on the bench. It was a good run of games that we’ve had, and it’s still going. But I want to be on the field, and I want to perform, and I want to be a part of the starting 11 that makes it to the playoffs and goes far and beyond. Whatever I can do on the field and show that I’m capable of performing at a high level, I’m going to do.”
Hamid has never denied he wasn’t in the right frame of mind upon his return from Olympic qualifying, but he said he hasn’t changed a thing about his approach since losing the starting job to Joe Willis.
“I wanted to get back on the field,” he said. “It wasn’t about beating a certain person out. I know how good I am, and what I’m capable of, and I had to get back to that and show D.C. what I can do.”
