Like billions of other soccer buffsacross the globe, D.C. United players and coaches are catching World Cup fever this summer as the planet’s biggest sporting event takes place in 12 cities across Germany from June 9 to July 9.
Unlike most other countries pro soccer leagues, Major League Soccer’s seven-month season doesn’t pause for the Cup. But with the help of the big-screen television in their locker room, United’s players and coaches are ready to catch every moment of the action before, after and perhaps even during their daily training sessions at RFK Stadium.
“Hopefully they can bring a TV out to the practice field,” said forward Alecko Eskandarian with a laugh. “I’m assuming and hoping that we’ll try to work our practice schedule around it.”
With 32 countries playing 64 games to determine the planet’s best team, it’s enough to turn even the most experienced professional into just another adoring fan.
“As far as World Cups go, ever since you were a little kid, if you were a soccer player, you watched,” said Eskandarian. “That’s where you learn, and watch your heroes. This is the sport at its highest level, a place that we all yearn to get to one day. Also, with Ben (Olsen) over there, we have an extra motivation to watch and cheer for someone.”
Certainly, everyone will be rooting for Olsen, the D.C. midfielder taking part in Germany 2006 as a member of the U.S. national squad led by former D.C. coach Bruce Arena.
But with a Polish coach, a Ghanaian-born teen prodigy and three Argentinean stars on the roster, the Black-and-Red already have ample reason to watch the Cup, most of which will be televised live at either 9 a.m., noon or 3 p.m. Eastern time.
United head coach Peter Nowak once captained his home country’s national side, and doesn’t hesitate to assert Poland’s superiority during United practices.
“If we’re playing bad, he’s like ‘Come on, you guys can’t even beat Polish metropolitan league players,’” said defensive midfielder Brian Carroll, who made two appearances for the U.S. earlier this year. “If something goes wrong with the Poland team, Peter’s going to catch a lot of flak.”
Poland has been drawn into Group A along with Ecuador, Costa Rica and host nation Germany. The U.S. faces daunting world powers Italy and the Czech Republic, plus first-time African qualifiers Ghana, birthplace of 16-year-old D.C. star Freddy Adu.
Adu was offered a spot on the Ghanaian World Cup squad. But he chose to commit himself to his adopted county, having lived in Potomac, Md. since age seven. He missed out this time around, but should star in 2010.
“When I was growing up over there, there was always talk about how we never made it to the World Cup, and everybody wanted to be the guy to change it,” he said. “(But) I’m with the U.S. team now.”
Few nations on earth are as passionate about the game as two-time World Cup winners Argentina, home to United’s Facundo Erpen, Lucio Filomeno and Christian Gomez.
“The Argentineans will be coming in with jerseys on every time Argentina is playing,” said Carroll. “If they’re playing during practice, they’re going to have to be dragged out-they’re not going to want to miss those games.”
Filomeno agrees, noting that the sport has been a source of comfort for the South American nation amid its recent political and economic struggles.
“Soccer in Argentina is like the NBA or baseball here,” he said. “We love the soccer, we feel it … The World Cup is everything.”
