The streak that D.C. United (3-2-3, 12 points) owns coming in to Saturday’s clash with the Houston Dynamo (2-1-2, 8 points) is six matches unbeaten, it’s longest since April 17-May 23, 2009.
The streak that matters even more is that D.C. United hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2007, but we’re going to have to wait a while to really dig into that one. For now, we’ll once again remind the general public that United hasn’t won back-to-back league matches since June 2009.
There’s no point in avoiding The-Streak-That-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned, especially when D.C. is winning matches. Through eight matches last year, United had given up 19 goals and was staring down a 2-5-1 record. This year through the same number of matches, goals against have been cut to eight.
No surprises to United’s starting 11, the same as it was against New York last Sunday: Joe Willis, Robbie Russell, Emiliano Dudar, Brandon McDonald, Daniel Woolard, Danny Cruz, Perry Kitchen, Dwayne De Rosario, Nick DeLeon, Chris Pontius, Maicon Santos.
The Dynamo are facing their sixth straight game away from home to start the season while BBVA Compass Stadium is completed in Houston – it’ll be opened against D.C. United in two weeks, on May 12. Among the notables expected to be there, by the way, are NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck, the son of former Dynamo president Oliver Luck. Check his fantastic interview with Jimmy Conrad on Kick TV here – he gives a shoutout to De Rosario, taking note that the former Dynamo man will be a welcome presence back where he helped to bring consecutive MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007.
I mentioned De Rosario and Cruz, who will also face his former team for the first time tonight, in my preview story on Friday. “They’re not much different than a usual Houston team,” United coach Ben Olsen said. “Smashmouth, set pieces, organized. They come to play, and if we’re ready for that, we have a good chance. They always are a physical team, and set pieces are very dangerous.
The Dynamo have 2011 MLS MVP runner-up Brad Davis on the bench for the first time in three matches after missing the last two with a calf strain. Davis was also a glaring absence in last year’s MLS Cup, missing the championship match after suffering a quad tear in the first half of the Eastern Conference final.
“If someone deserved to play in that game, it was Brad,” Cruz said. “I felt for him, and the will that we had to win that game against Kansas City without our best player that early was something that [Dynamo coach] Dom [Kinnear] instills in everyone.
A couple other notables from United’s week leading up to this match:
*Dejan Jakovic was upgraded to questionable with a left ankle sprain but has seen very little action on his sprained left ankle. Ethan White said he practiced on Tuesday, and with how he looked running around the field on Wednesday, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make a return to limited action next week.
*Marcelo Saragosa did some extra work running around the field at the end of training on Thursday, and having him back is a good step after the passing of his father. “It was really nice to see him,” Olsen said. “All of the guys were really pumped to see him walk in [Tuesday]. Everybody knows he has been through a lot. We’re a family. We all struggle a little bit when one of our own has a loss like that, but he seems in good spirits and ready to get back to his job.”
*Players like Saragosa, Najar, Bill Hamid and Branko Boskovic could use the benefit of a reserve match or two to help their rhythm and understanding, but D.C. United has cancelled both that have been scheduled so far. The team’s first reserve match of the season is scheduled for May 20 at New England, but that comes one day after D.C. plays at home against Toronto, and four days after hosting Colorado. Until it happens, don’t bet on it happening. “[Not having reserve matches hurts] a little bit because I’d like to see certain guys get their minutes pushed,” Olsen said. “I want to see some guys in different spots, and it’s a great time to see who can play where. Reserve games would help to get those guys a little bit sharper, for sure.”
*Here’s what De Rosario had to say about Pontius playing forward: “It’s not the position he’s used to, but he’s doing well up top. He’s given us a different dynamic, providing us with pace, getting in behind defenders and most importantly, I’m pleased with his work rate right now. He’s really doing the dirty stuff. You the dirty stuff for the team, you’re going to get your chances.”
*Lewis Neal has come off the bench late in each of D.C.’s past two matches to play left back. His reaction to that assignment: “Honestly, I’ve never played left back in a game in my career so far. It’s good to have a different string to your bow, if you need it. I usually play on the left midfield for most of my career, but I can play anywhere in the midfield, even at left back at the moment. As long as I can get on the pitch, that’s the main thing, help the team out.”
