Well another season is in the books for DC United fans. Unfortunately, there were no playoffs for DC United this year, but there were more positives from this season than negatives. Way more. And if you don’t believe me, let me quickly list the first three that come to mind for you before I dive into the details:
1. DC almost doubled their points total from last year (22 in 2010, 39 in 2011)
2. DC easily doubled their goal total and quadrupled their assists total
3. Front office brought in some big named players to improve the club
Number three was the biggest I believe. It seemed at the beginning of the year, DC United was trying to take the Arsenal approach of bringing in a lot of young talent, developing them into a cohesive unit, and dominating for years to come (or in Arsenal’s case, selling the talent for money and bringing in more youngsters). In the re-entry draft, they acquired Josh Wolff to be the veteran leader at forward, and picked up Dax McCarty to help lead the midfield. In January, the team also began looking at Charlie Davies which provided some excitement throughout the fanbase. Throughout the season, the starting XI changed constantly, but the acquisitions of Dwayne De Rosario and Brandon McDonald helped solidify the team, and suddenly the expectation to make the playoffs was born. Unfortunately, the last six matches of the year killed that chance.
The following is a short review of each unit. It doesn’t include all the players at each position, but I have included the highlights that I felt needed to be addressed from throughout the season.
Forwards
The two best forwards DC had on the team this year in my opinion were Josh Wolff and Charlie Davies. If it were not for the nagging injuries to Davies throughout the season, maybe we would have seen more consistent play from the national team player. Davies also got himself into a bit of trouble with early efforts to draw penalty kicks. Many accused him of diving, which may have not been far off, and it resulted in less calls going his way. He was getting knocked around and fouled without it being awarded, and his reputation in the MLS declined. This also had a negative impact on his play. I always enjoyed Wolff out there because he also knew how to set up goals as well as score them (five goals and seven assists). I would like to have seen a few more goals from Wolff though. Five goals in 30 matches is not exactly the type of numbers you want out of a forward, whose main job is to score. The man of the future is Blake Brettschneider who first shined in reserve matches, and then got the nod up at the first team. The guy was a supplemental draft pick, but worked his way up with hard work and good effort. He logged a goal and two assists in 789 minutes which isn’t bad for a rookie. The last is Joseph Ngwenya who did not have a goal or an assist in 629 minutes, which was slightly surprising. Ngwenya came in as a solid veteran from Houston but didn’t show the goal scoring ability that he did there (especially 2007). In 2011, this was the unit with the most improvement. They were also aided with the occasional instances where De Rosario played up front.
Midfield
Clearly, everyone knows that it was Andy Najar, Chris Pontius, and Dwayne De Rosario that made the headlines in the midfield. All three were instrumental for DC this season. Najar had the creativeness that could cause havoc, Pontius was the all around solid player that got better as the season went on, and De Rosario was the scoring train that would run over any unsuspecting defenses, especially his former teams. All three made a huge difference for the team, especially Pontius and De Rosario. Once Pontius was out due to injury, the season went to shambles, and De Rosario brought the scoring threat that DC hadn’t seen since the days of Eskandarian, Gomez, and Moreno. Some names to watch for next year though are Stephen King and Conor Shanosky. King was a solid player who picked up a contract extension this season, and Shanosky is the newest academy player that was signed this season. Both could have a big role next season, especially if Najar leaves for Europe (which has been rumored to happen very soon). Lastly, the player that everyone forgets about is Branko Boskovic who was out since April due to injury. His status is up in the air, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him let go. However, if DC keeps him, what a midfield they would have next year. Hopefully if he stays, he can play a full season and we can get a good look at what type of player he really is. In 2011, this unit was the strength of DC United, especially after De Rosario was signed. With the perfect mix of veterans and youngsters, this is by far the deepest section of the roster heading into the offseason.
Defense
At the beginning of the season, this was the young squad. With an average age of around 22, it was the big question mark. Perry Kitchen and Ethan White were two of the youngsters that began the season with starting spots, and in my humble opinion actually had a solid season. I really like White because he is another academy product, and Kitchen is solid because he’s a starter already and he’s only 19. Signing Brandon McDonald was a great idea, since Dejan Jakovic went down late in the season with an injury. McDonald supplied a more stable backline and has a good amount of upside for the future. I’m glad he’ll be back next season. One of the biggest strengths for the DC defense is that the oldest players are 27 (that would be Devon McTavish and Marc Burch). In 2011, the defense had its ups and downs, but overall I think its on the up and up. I look forward to what it will be next season.
Goalkeeping
Starting out the season, this was the thinnest unit that DC United had since Bill Hamid and Steve Cronin were out due to injuries and surgery recoveries. Goalkeeping coach Pat Onstad came out of retirement and played the first couple of matches, but it was Hamid that shouldered the load most of the season. Hamid had seven shut-outs in 28 games played, which isn’t amazing but isn’t bad at all for a 21 year old player. Later on in the season, he even had a few call ups with the US National Team, which is an honor. Cronin wasn’t used very much this season, and was replaced as the backup keeper by rookie Joe Willis who impressed everyone in the three matches he played in. I believe Cronin will not be back with DC next season and Willis will be the backup. It would be smart for the team to keep Willis around just in case Hamid begins to get offers abroad. His play has no doubt stirred some attention overseas, so having a solid young backup would be excellent.
Overall, this season was a very solid season, with not a lot to be upset about. A first year coach fresh from the playing field, a substantial amount of new players, and a very young defense makes next year seem even better. Going into the offseason, DC United has to be preparing to make a serious run to the postseason next year, and not just squeaking in at the last second, but to make a run at first place in the Eastern Conference and maybe the Supporters Shield. Hey, it’s not far out there to think it? If they can keep their core players this offseason and capitalize in the draft later this year and be smart, this team can make a great run next year and give fans a reason to make RFK the fortress it once was.
(image courtesy of Chris Leon)
