Where Gallardo Goes, Expectations Follow

"Marcelo is a guy who will let the ball do most of the work," said defender Bryan Namoff, an eight-year veteran. "His distribution beats players, where Christian was the one beating players. . . . It looks like it might take a while, but we are slowly getting to know him and he is slowly getting to understand all of us."

The goal against Real Salt Lake was Gallardo's finest moment, one that drew reaction from friends in Argentina who had seen the replay on the Internet. "El perro cazó una mosca," one playful text message said. Loosely translated: "The dog caught a fly."

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"In Argentina," Gallardo explained, "even people who don't know how to play soccer, play soccer. Most kids begin from the moment they start to walk."

Gallardo, though, did not start playing until he was 8 or 9. He played in the streets, in neighborhood parks and indoors, where the tight dimensions teach players to quicken their footwork and decision-making. He was small -- these days, he is listed at 5 feet 7 -- and acquired the nickname "El Muñeco" (the Doll).

Gallardo joined River Plate's youth program at age 12 and made his debut with the senior club after he turned 16, the beginning of a seven-year run with Los Millonarios. Every match is vital to the club and its supporters, but nothing compares to the Boca showdown, known as the superclasico.

"Ten days before the match, everyone is talking about it and 10 days after the match, everyone is talking about it," he said. "The people make you feel the magnitude of it. The essence of soccer, the folklore that comes with the game, you live it for weeks."

As his pro career began to take off, Gallardo earned his way on to the national team. The Australia miss did not endear him to the fans, but Argentina Coach Daniel Passarella envisioned him as a future star. The first big test came at the 1995 Copa America in Uruguay, but instead of solidifying his role, Gallardo was blamed in part for the team's failures, which included a shocking 3-0 loss to the United States in group play and a quarterfinal defeat to nemesis Brazil.

At the 1996 Olympics, Gallardo was the second-youngest player on the under-23 squad and helped Argentina claim the silver medal. After a two-year absence from the national team, he earned a spot on the 1998 World Cup squad. With Ariel Ortega wearing the No. 10 jersey, Gallardo made one start and entered as a reserve in two matches as Argentina reached the quarterfinals. Four years later in Japan, he sat on the bench for three matches as the team failed to advance past the first round.

Between 1999 and 2003, Gallardo starred for Monaco, which competes in the French league. In his second season, he was named the player of the year. Life in Monaco was "nice, nice," he said in rare use of English.

Gallardo returned to River Plate and, in 2005-06, scored a career-high 11 goals in 23 appearances. A year later, he returned to France, this time with Paris Saint-Germain. However, just two weeks after recruiting Gallardo, Guy Lacombe was fired as coach. Gallardo's style did not fit into replacement Paul Le Guen's plans and his playing time diminished.

"The last five or six months I was there were probably the most difficult of my career," Gallardo said. Then along came D.C. United, which had failed in its attempt to sign Argentine star Juan Sebastián Verón and was looking for an influential Latin American player.

Impressed with United's salary offer and long-term plans, Gallardo negotiated a deal with PSG to release him from his contract.

"I wanted a new challenge," said Gallardo, who also weighed offers from clubs in Germany, Argentina and Greece. "People around the world don't understand how well the game is played here. They underestimate it. It is very demanding physically. MLS will continue to evolve."

His transition off the field was a challenge as well. "I am feeling more comfortable now, but it was very difficult," said Gallardo, who, after living in a hotel for two months, rented a house in McLean with his wife and three sons. His eldest, Nahuel, is 9 and plays for a local under-12 team.

One problem has followed the family everywhere it has gone: Gallardo's wife, Alejandra, grew up as a Boca supporter. "It is her only defect," he said.

Gallardo now must help solve United's defects.

"The team is still growing," he said. "It is not only my adjustment, but when you have many new players, it is going to take time. The team will come together, I am sure of it."