After Lean Seasons, United Is Hungry
Team Enters Opener With Many New Faces
One of D.C. United's newest additions, midfielder Marcelo Gallardo, above, is known throughout the soccer world, but his transition to America and United may go far in determining the team's success this season.
(Toni L. Sandys - TWP)
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 28 -- D.C. United does not consider the past two years outright failures, not after finishing with the most points in those MLS regular seasons and watching its players receive the MVP awards. But the league's most decorated club has towering standards, so when another campaign came and went without a tournament trophy of any kind last fall, the front office concluded that change was essential.
United recognized flaws in certain positions, and moreover, in leadership and durability.
"Obviously we were successful the last two years, but we wanted more," General Manager Dave Kasper said this week. "The goal was to get better and, through the course of getting better, we've gotten more leadership and experience."
While the veteran core is unchanged with the return of team captain Jaime Moreno, 11th-year midfielder Ben Olsen, Brazilians Luciano Emilio and Fred, and three other starters, United took strategic steps to stimulate the roster by acquiring two seasoned central defenders, a spare forward and a playmaker from South America. It obtained a pair of goalkeepers to battle for the starting job and added several role players to bolster depth.
When the dust cleared, only a dozen players from last year's 28-man roster remained.
"Our goal was to make us better and right now we feel like we have accomplished that," said Coach Tom Soehn, who will begin his second MLS campaign Saturday night against the Kansas City Wizards. "But we will have to play a season to see if it actually worked."
There was inherent risk involved. United replaced its playmaker of the past 3 1/2 seasons (Christian G¿mez) with a midfielder known throughout the soccer world (Marcelo Gallardo) but who will need to conform to a new team, new league and new country. Zach Wells and Jos¿ Carvallo have enduring qualities, but their predecessor, Troy Perkins, was one of the top goalkeepers in MLS.
Central backs Gonzalo Mart¿nez and Gonzalo Peralta performed well in their debuts, the Champions' Cup quarterfinal series against Harbour View of Jamaica, and appear to be a notable upgrade over last year's duo of Bobby Boswell and Greg Vanney. Franco Niell's arrival has given United a tested forward to back up Emilio and Moreno.
Soehn has noticed change in both performance and guidance.
"Leadership comes in different forms, through the way someone plays or the way someone directs traffic on the field," he said. "We have more vocal people on the field, and they have been through a lot of soccer in different countries."
Asked if he thought leadership was an issue in recent years, Kasper said, "To some degree, it was."
Midfielder Clyde Simms, in his fourth season, said extended training camps in Florida, California and Texas, not to mention a trip to Jamaica for a meaningful match, have helped a diverse group grow tighter.
