By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jul 19, 2018) US Soccer Players - It was a pleasant Saturday night by DC summer standards, with relatively mild temperatures and low humidity. The home team was debuting their pricey, richly-anticipated new stadium. The buzz around it compounded by a marquee global superstar, Wayne Rooney, making his first appearance in town. It was an occasion many of the area’s . . .
DC United moves forward
DC United held their ribbon-cutting event to officially let everybody know that Audi Field is ready for its first MLS game. United's nice new home opens on Saturday when they host Vancouver, and with it the club sets new expectations. Those start immediately, with DC United needing to turn their back-loaded home schedule into points. Once again, the unbalanced schedule creates a slight opening . . .
Rooney’s DC debut
The soccer news starts with Wayne Rooney making new friends in the District of Columbia. DC United officially introduced their new Designated Player and star of the show at the Newseum on Monday. Rooney got the expected questions, including what might end up being a recurring theme... the weather. "Obviously, it’s hot" Rooney said. "But the one thing which I was concerned about was whether it . . .
Wayne Rooney at DC United
The soccer news starts with Wayne Rooney tweeting from the plane on his way to DC to join United. The safe assumption was that Rooney wasn't traveling to enjoy the National Mall or revisit some of his favorite places from the last time he was in the nation's capital. DC United made the move official on Thursday, signing him through the 2021 MLS season. Rooney turns 33 on October 24. "It is . . .
No more coach/GMs: Complexity and specialization in MLS technical staffs
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (May 24, 2018) US Soccer Players - One of American soccer’s quietly enjoyable traditions is Washington Post reporter Steve Goff’s annual sit down interview with Bruce Arena. An on-record meeting of two of the sport’s savviest and most grizzled old heads, it invariably features witty and instructive interchanges that reflect a decades-long relationship spanning . . .
DC’s latest turnaround
It's easy to look at DC United on the field and ask questions, but it's also easy to overlook where this club was prior to last season. Eastern Conference champions in 2014 and conference semifinalists a year later, they exited the 2016 playoffs in the knockout round. It's a solid point in MLS that losing in the knockout round isn't enough to salvage a season. It's also worth pointing out that . . .
How do you solve a problem like DC United?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (May 11, 2018) US Soccer Players - How do you solve a problem like suffering from a lack of mainstream attention in your home market despite being one of the most successful clubs in MLS history? How do you solve a problem like catching up to your competition quickly when you’ve spent the better part of the last decade spending as little money on your product as . . .
Trying to make a run in the East
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Apr 18, 2018) US Soccer Players - Let’s start this discussion about the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer by putting aside three teams: NYCFC, Atlanta United, and Toronto FC. That's the elite of both the Eastern Conference and MLS. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagrees that those teams belong at the top. Two other teams might deserve inclusion . . .
What is the MLS business model?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Apr 11, 2018) US Soccer Players - MLS is adding at least one new name to its group of investor/operators. Per reports from Bloomberg and Steven Goff of the Washington Post, new investors are stepping in to take over a majority share of original franchise DC United. Minority owner Jason Levien will increase his holding and remain the managing owner of the club, while . . .
Supporters groups in modern MLS
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 2, 2018) US Soccer Players - DC United's 2018 MLS season is about building. One of the league’s founding clubs, United have influenced MLS mightily over the decades, winning a roomful of trophies and setting its first standard for “supporter culture.” While the suburban minivan demographic held sway in most MLS venues in the early years, DC’s passionate, . . .
