Holy crap. That was my first thought. For those select few who don’t know yet, DC United traded away midfielder Dax McCarty for Dwayne De Rosario from the New York Red Bulls on Monday night. The move was a complete surprise for everyone who follows the MLS except for the two teams involved. DC’s front office revealed shortly after the trade that the two sides had been talking for a month about the move, and that DCU general manager Kevin Payne had even approached New York before the season started about De Rosario. You could have fooled me!
This trade will bode well for DC I think. Since Boskovic’s injury, coach Ben Olsen has been experimenting with different attacking midfield options, none of which has worked out. Luckily, DC has a generous pool of defensive midfielders, and when New York wanted McCarty, I guess DC was comfortable in letting him go. With De Rosario, DC United now becomes one of the most feared attacking teams in the MLS along with Chris Pontius, Andy Najar, Charlie Davies, and the surging Blake Brettschneider.
However, along with the added firepower comes the added expectations. After trading youth for experience, it could be said that DC United is no longer a team that is rebuilding. Instead, they are a team that ought to finish in the top 3 in the Eastern Conference. It’s playoffs or bust for this team, and anything short would be considered a disappointment. I’m excited to see De Rosario in a DC uniform this season, and I hope to see many goals come from him in the next few years.
In other news, DC aquired San Jose defender Brandon McDonald who appeared in 58 matches over a span of three years for the Earthquakes. The move is the latest to help improve the young defense.
