IT’S FINALLY HERE! I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited to see the MLS season begin. A lot of changes have happened, not only with DC United, but with the entire league. This season looks to be fun and challenging. Fortunately, if you’re a fan of the Black and Red, your team looks to be capable of handling the best competition.
United will begin their season with a familiar foe in Sporting Kansas City. This isn’t the first time DC has faced Sporting Kansas City in the season opener (see 2008 and 2010 season). While the previous times against KC have seen United outscored 6-0, United will look to reverse their fortunes. To help matters, the match will be at RFK Stadium. With the preseason excitement in full blast in Washington, we can expect a great crowd to watch this game so DC United must take advantage of this, just like last year.
One of the big factors heading into the match, and probably for the entire season, is Hamdi Salihi. As a big time striker for the Albanian national team and every club he’s been at, Salihi will look to make an immediate impact. His performance in the Carolina Challenge Cup a week ago was very promising, and fans are optimistic about the strikers future this season. Also, the DC United defense with newcomer Emiliano Dudar out of Argentina will also be a factor this season. Like I wrote in my season preview article, the defense has grown up and is more experienced. Therefore, along with our Olympic keeper Bill Hamid, the defense should perform just as well as the offense this season.
Their first test will come against a Sporting KC attack that finds itself to be full of talent. One of the bigger threats could turn out to be Teal Bunbury, who is a young talent that made headlines last season. Along with the reigning Rookie of the Year C.J. Sapong and veterans like Bobby Convey and Kei Kamara, this team is capable of issuing pain on any defense that doesn’t take them seriously. While I believe DC United has a defense capable of handling them, they will have to avoid the occasional lapses that have plagued past seasons in order for me to feel completely confident.
On the offensive end, DC United could have an advantage. The Sporting KC defense is solid enough, but as KC writer Jay Sparks put it, they could be one of the weakest groups. They lack solid depth. If one goes down, that could make a difference in the match. If DC can jump on them early and take away some confidence, this match will turn out well for them. With that being said, KC outside back Chance Myers is a former number one pick in the 2008 SuperDraft and will probably cause some problems for the outside midfielders of DC.
Overall, this is a good chance for DC United to come busting out of the gate and showing the league that they’re going back to the team they once were. I’ve purchased the MLS Live for a third season in a row so I’m looking forward to watching as many United games as I possibly can. I thought about making a prediction for every match this season, but figured that I’m too biased to make a legit prediction. We all know I’m picking DC United to win every game this season.
For some knowledge on Sporting KC’s team, check out Jay Spark’s article by clicking here.
(image courtesy of G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)
