Photo by Jose L. Argueta/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
For D.C. United fans anxious over the club's four-year playoff absence, this past offseason was an exercise in patience.
While United came back from the worst campaign in club history in 2010 to compete for a postseason berth until last season's final week, a lack of experience in the back, consistency up top and depth all around derailed their chances. When the team gathered for preseason in mid-January, however, little progress had been made on the player-movement front.
But any fears were promptly quelled by a flurry of movies, including the additions of Argentine centerback Emiliano Dudar and Albanian striker Hamdi Salihi. When it comes to coach Ben Olsen and Co. ending United''s playoff drought, it would appear to be now or never.
"It was a very busy offseason," Olsen said. "It was a product of having a lot of needs. Fortunately, once the New Year came, things started falling that we had worked on to get. I felt we were very patient and not pulling the trigger on certain guys that were there. I’ve been guilty of that in the past. So we waited, and I think we ended up being in a very good spot."
Here is a closer look at United ahead of the 2012 MLS season:
D.C. UNITED SEASON PREVIEW
2011 FINISH: 9-13-12, 39 points (seventh in Eastern Conference)
KEY ACQUISITIONS: F Hamdi Salihi, D Emiliano Dudar, D Robbie Russell, M Danny Cruz, M Nick DeLeon, F Maicon Santos, M Marcelo Saragosa
KEY LOSSES: F Charlie Davies, M Clyde Simms, M Santino Quaranta, D Marc Burch, F Blake Brettschneider, M Austin da Luz, D Jed Zayner
After the acquisition of midfielder-forward Dwayne De Rosario halfway through last season, United's attack leaned heavily on the Canada international. In just 18 games, De Rosario answered the bell and then some, notching 13 goals and seven assists while riding his prolific production to MLS Most Valuable Player honors.
In 2012, United will look to ease the burden on the 33-year-old's shoulders. Montenegro national team captain Branko Boskovic, back from a torn ACL, will hope to offer the kind of classy distribution out of central midfield that was missing when De Rosario played as a withdrawn forward last year.
After receiving mixed results from striker Charlie Davies during his stint on loan from French club Sochaux, United have replaced him with Salihi, a prolific poacher signed as a Designated Player during the winter transfer window. Playing the past three years for Austrian side Rapid Vienna, where he was Boskovic's teammate, the 28-year-old scored 53 goals in 90 matches.
"He's deadly," midfielder Chris Pontius said of Salihi. "Obviously his strike rate speaks for itself. So anywhere around the 18, teams are going to have to make sure they know where he is or he's going to punish them, and I think that's something that obviously will free up more space for the players underneath him."
In the back, United have added Dudar, 30, and right back Robbie Russell, 32, to a defense that struggled last season and at times featured three rookies in front of goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Russell's presence will allow Olsen to shift second-year player Perry Kitchen to a full-time holding midfield role, while Dudar will compete with incumbents Dejan Jakovic and Brandon McDonald for time in central defense.
In fact, competition for minutes should be fierce all around. Young wingers Nick DeLeon and Danny Cruz were brought in as insurance for starters Pontius and Andy Najar, and veteran forwards Josh Wolff and Maicon Santos ensure Olsen has plenty of options to choose from up top as well.
"We have a lot of depth," De Rosario said. "We have a lot of guys fighting for the positions, and it creates a great competitive environment."
From a pure talent standpoint, this is easily the most gifted United squad put together since D.C. won back-to-back Supporters' Shields in 2006 and 2007. And that means raised expectations for Olsen, who has now firmly put his stamp on this team since taking the permanent coaching job in November 2010.
"We're starting to get a little more experienced crew here mixed with good youth, so I think the mix is right," Olsen said. "But this is all on paper."
You think this means Mcdonald is out of starting line up? I guess so… but he was a revelation last year. Ethan White is a great back up as well, seems we are stacked at center back. Is woolard any good though? Better than Korb? And I expect Russell to not make it the entire season, so perry may have to come back to cover or is there a better option? Very excited about this team!
Woohoo! Don’t be bad D.C. You are too good to be bad!
DCU was only a few points out of the playoffs last year. That was with only a half year of DeRo, and Boskovic on the injured list. This year they have a happy DeRo and a healthy Bosko for the full year – and a very dangerous Hamdi in to boot.
So that’s 1/2 a DP in 2011 and 3 DP’s in 2012. Even if the defense doesn’t improve (it should), that’s got to be enough to swing a few points.
Barring catastrophe, this is a clear playoff team in the East and a dark horse for a top tier finish. DCU should be a fun team to watch in 2012.
Re: Santino: Value per $…
After he was released by DC, he “retired”. However, he unretired to play in the Indian League.
Soon-to-be five year playoff absence.
“Hamid, Kitchen and Najar are young players with some promise.”
Some is an understatement. A very big understatement.
Salihi and DeRo will light up the scoreboards, I predict. Could see either finishing as top scorer.
In my opinion the biggest question mark is Ben Olsen (especially when you compare with the other coach they were interested in- Lucien Favre, who now has gone on to have success at Borussia Mönchengladbach.)
Didn’t Quaranta retire? I don’t think “getting rid of” is an accurate description.
Still doubting Olsen? Even after you said the sky was falling in the off season and that DCU wouldn’t be able to sign anyone.
DeLeon and Cruz are talented and I can see Pontius being challenged coming off of another injury from last season. Najar is also prone to losing focus at times, the beginning of last season being an example. These new players will have them looking over their shoulders the whole season.
I think we could use some more depth at left and right back but bringing in guys who can’t get it done is not the answer. Olsen is patient and knows what the team needs and he isnt going to panic and bring players that are wrong for the team’s philosophy. He was very effective in the off season when he let some vets go and waited patiently to bring in his targets.
Remember its a process and its a vision for the long term not the short term.
Kitchen did play Def Mid last year down the stretch and he did a good job. They brought in Saragosa to back up Kitchen. Boskovic was brought in to help keep possession and make the final pass to put guys through. Olsen has put together the roster in order to keep possesion and play positive futball.
They should make the playoffs…
Crash Davies is great…
Biggest obstacle we face is the downright certainty that 1) Both Hamid and Kitchen will be big parts of both qualifying and the London games and 2) That the US surely will make it to London, and play there for a long time. Thankfully, Joe Willis has impressed.
He’s got a bone bruise, and should be ready for match selection vs. KC. His presence in the lineup makes me feel a lot better about missing Najar, as well as my reluctance to believe Honduras will advance very far in qualifying.
Every team is a world series contender in spring training.
On the bright side, DCU purged some players who were not contributing and filled many of the vacant roster slots. Hamid, Kitchen and Najar are young players with some promise. DeRosario has had success in the past. Pontius had a good half season last year. Dudar and Salihi have had success overseas. a more talented team than any since 2007 (but what does that really buy ya!)
On the dark side, DeRosario is 33 and unlikely to repeat last year’s successes. Kitchen has never played defensive midfielder in MLS and DCU has no convincing backup. Many foreigners don’t adapt well to MLS. Boskovic is an expensive player who plays no defense. Despite the addition of Kitchen, the midfield could readily be the sieve that it was most of last year. Beyond the starters, most of the roster comprises warm bodies unlikely to contribute much. Many key players will miss games because of international call-ups. Team has so many new players it will probably not jell until mid-season.
Bottom line? Who knows? Could make the playoffs or could plunge back to the embarrassing level of two season ago. Stay tuned
while the team is refortified, the real question is will RFK stadium last into the final games of year…jk im sure its safe enough still…
More likely Brasesco. They brought Davies in for a trial last year, so I don’t think he was referring to Chuck with that one.
We generally do well against western conference teams, it’s losses to NE, Houston, Chicago, etc that have really hurt us in the past 3-4 seasons.
I am most excited about Kitchen this season. He is finally back in his favorite position after playing everywhere but holding mid last year. I expect Najar to step it up this year, and *fingers-crossed* Pontius gets a very productive, healthy season under his belt again.
The key, as always, will be if the squad gels. According to Goff and some of the players, they all ready have during their extensive preseason. We’ll see Saturday night.
This line-up looks pretty strong:
———-Salihi———-
—–DeRosario———–
Pontius—Boskovic—-Najar
———-Kitchen——–
Woolard-Dudar-Jakovic-Russell
———-Hamid———
Nobody misses Crash Davies @ DC United.
I think this team is the biggest question mark coming into the 2012 season. It’s good for them that they’re in the Eastern Conference because it would be a long season if they were competing for a playoff spot with the likes of Seattle, LA, and RSL.
Do we know how long Cruz is going to be out?
mos def
Olsen: “I felt we were very patient and not pulling the trigger on certain guys that were there. I’ve been guilty of that in the past.”
Thinly veiled shot at Charlie Davies?
Everyone around DC loves Tino, but honestly he was given every opportunity to step up and never did and he was never going to get any better…he is a journeyman MLS player who dribbles too much and can’t shoot straight. From time to time he hits a good diagonal cross field pass. But that’s about it.
That said, once his adventures in India are over, and if DCU decide they need to fill some gaps come mid-summer, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tino re-signed with the team.
That is a good point about all the guys getting called up for int’l duty. Crap.
We shouldn’t make too much of the whole position competition thing. With the exception of centerback, there’s little question as to who will be starting for DC United, when available. The attack should be pretty fearsome with DeRo, Salihi, Pontius, Najar, and with Boskovic fit and healthy to direct it. The depth will definitely help, as United will face losing every one of those guys, except maybe Pontius, for international duty at some point, along with Kitchen, Jakovic and Hamid. Having quality replacements should allow the team to still compete with other sides, even when some of the starters are away. Hopefully that can be managed.
Except for centerback, though, none of the reserves could seriously be considered to start in league matches in place of the main starters, so that’s a bit overblown. The team actually is a little thin in a couple of spots, most notably on the wing where Cruz and DeLeopn are the only options off the bench, and at wingback, where Chris Korb is really the only reserve for both left and right back. That’s something the team will definitely need to address by the close of the summer transfer window, if not sooner.
It would be interesting to know who the team looked at but failed to pull the trigger on. I hope there weren’t any wingbacks .
Quaranta was a puzzle last year. Like him and his story as a player, but his quality wasn’t there anymore. Case in point , when Pontius went down, Quaranta wasn’t there to fill the void.
The continued success of Rosario will be contingent on the Albanian, Najar and Pontius.
I think they look good, but I really don’t understand getting rid of Quaranta. Moreover, the odds of D-Ro (who I think maybe been be a top-3 player in league history) having another season like last year must be low given that he is now 33. At some point, performances will become erratic. At least he’s a vegan and takes care of himself. Najar could be a big bump this year as he matures.