By Steven Goff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

For the second consecutive morning, D.C. United Coach Tom Soehn conducted the majority of his training session behind a closed gate, presumably to keep the progress of MLS scoring champion Luciano Emilio and his recuperating ankle under wraps.

But when the doors swung open for the final stage of practice yesterday, Emilio offered a glimpse of his progress and reasons to believe he will be back in the starting lineup tomorrow night when United faces the Chicago Fire in the finale of their two-game, first-round playoff series at RFK Stadium.

During a shooting drill, Emilio thumped the ball with the precision and power that brought him 20 goals during the regular season. One attempt streaked into the upper left corner, another fractionally wide of the top right spot.

He jogged with his teammates at a routine pace, the ankle ailment that limited him to 12 minutes in the opener last Thursday barely evident.

"For Thursday, I won't have a problem," the Brazilian striker said. "It's much better."

Emilio was injured during the second half of the regular season finale against Columbus on Oct. 20. Although he usually relies on his right foot to shoot, his left leg is vital for stability and balance -- not to mention 90 minutes of running and badgering defenders.

Jaime Moreno, United's other starting forward who played only one half last Thursday because of a foot-ankle injury, also is on course to start.

"We've managed it well," Soehn said. "We've built it up this week to where I think Thursday they are both going to be where we need them to be to play."

United, MLS's top goal producer during the regular season, needs all the offensive options it can muster. The club has never scored against Chicago in six all-time playoff meetings and has just three goals during a current five-game winless streak that began with a 1-0 Copa Sudamericana loss at Chivas Guadalajara on Oct. 2.

In the opener against Chicago, while rookie Guy-Roland Kpene started in Emilio's slot, Soehn added a second defensive midfielder (Brian Carroll) to replace Moreno instead of using another player from his unproductive reserve ranks. Playmaker Christian Gomez played a hybrid role between Kpene and the midfield, but United rarely tested goalkeeper Matt Pickens.

"The qualities [Moreno and Emilio] bring and the talents they bring make us a better team," Soehn said. "We're excited to get them back on the field."

The 1-0 loss to the Fire at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., left United in need of a one-goal victory tomorrow to force a 30-minute overtime and, if necessary, penalty kicks in the total-goals series. A victory in regulation by two goals or more would send United to next week's conference final against the New England Revolution or New York Red Bulls.

"After last week, he is really fired up and ready to go," goalie Troy Perkins said of Emilio.

Besides the scoring prowess, the presence of Emilio and Moreno are vital to "our rhythm and the way we like to play," Perkins added. "They understand the style we want to play and they are big, strong guys who hold the ball up for us very well. They've done the job all year, so we are glad to have them back."

United has had to address its inability to break down the Fire within 30 yards of the net. Moreno's entrance at halftime last week allowed United to control possession, but without many quality scoring chances to go with it, the attack ultimately failed. Chicago has outscored United 11-0 while building a 5-0-1 record in the postseason history between the teams.

With his dangerous forwards available and his team playing in the comforts of RFK, Soehn foresees an enhanced performance.

"We're excited to be back home," he said. "I wouldn't want to play us in our building. Our guys are excited to get after them. We've got some unfinished business."

United Notes: Emilio is among the three finalists for both the MLS most valuable player and newcomer of the year awards. He is joined in both categories by Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco and New York's Juan Pablo Angel. The winner will be announced Nov. 15 at a ceremony in Washington.

Soehn joined Preki of Chivas USA and Dominic Kinnear of Houston as coach of the year finalists. That announcement will take place Nov. 7.