Black And Red United

The Reds are Coming, the Reds are Coming! Toronto FC vs. D.C. United

2012-05-18T14:51:02Z

This is a must win game for D.C. United against Toronto FC. And so is the next one against the New England Revolution. After winning against the Colorado Rapids, the team can bounce back from a somewhat disappointing three game road stretch with a very good shot at the full 9 points. As we talked about the last time that United played Toronto FC, they are not a team to be taken lightly, even with their current point total. They do have talented players, and a desperate team can do things that you do not expect. Maybe its a vestige of the past few seasons, when United did not have much depth, but I do not think you can rest any players in this game just because it is against Toronto.

If United is able to get full points from the next few games, it would put them on 27 points going into the summer slowdown, in which United have five league games in two months and only one of those at home. After the summer slowdown, its a race to the finish with 11 games in August and September. If United can bank points now, they can spend those last few months battling for the top of the league and not battling to make the playoffs.

Branko Boskovic still to me seems to be a situational player, one who can be deployed when the circumstances fit his skillset. Against a crowded Toronto FC central midfield, I do not know if that will be the case and so I do not see him starting. Sure, we keep saying that Dwayne De Rosario needs a rest, but we also know that he is always up for games against his old teams. He will move back into center midfield. Whenever it does happen, I am excited to see how Nick DeLeon and Andy Najar combine as wingers. Danny Cruz does many things well, but whipping in crosses is not his strong suit. Once dangerous crosses are coming from both sides, United's offense could take even another step up.

The combination at striker will depend on who is healthy. I still believe that Maicon Santos and Chris Pontius are the starters, although the continued goal scoring of Hamdi Salihi means that a few bad games will land those players on the bench. One of the key results from the game against Colorado was that United showed they can play without Santos as a target striker, at least in certain situations. Should he get injured or start to tail off, I am still confident that United's other strikers can get the job done.

One of these days, a center back will be healthy enough to start and move Daniel Woolard back out to the left. Although, given his play there and the play of Chris Korb, is there a possibility that Woolard would only be moved by Emiliano Dudar? I doubt it, which is why I have Dejan Jakovic starting; should he not start, that talking point might get some actual traction.

As for the bench, I can see Branko Boskovic, Lewis Neal, Stephen King, Danny Cruz, Hamdi Salihi, Josh Wolff, and Joe Willis. What about you?

UPDATE: Based on info from the illustrious Soccer Insider, it looks like none of Santos, Pontius, or Russell will start. With all of that in mind, we may see something more like this:

Player Ratings: D.C. United Vs. Colorado Rapids

2012-05-17T23:15:06Z

This wasn't supposed to be an easy game. Martin didn't think it would be. I didn't think it would be. At the very least, the Colorado Rapids got last week off - in contrast to our exhausting game in the sauna that is Houston this past weekend - and were also giving arguably their best player in Conor Casey his first start since an achilles tendon tear last season. Oscar Pareja's side was also missing only two starters, a figure Ben Olsen would probably kill for right now.

Instead, a front-to-back show of quality by D.C. United lead to a quite comfortable 2-0 win. The attack created enough chances that Matt Pickens could end up in the Player of the Week running despite giving up two goals; the midfield shut down the Rapids via a higher work rate, smarter positioning, and more judicious use of the ball; and the defense kept Colorado in front of them all night long, leaving Bill Hamid with little to do.

I won't tell you this was a world-class performance; rather, I'd call this the kind of game MLS's elite teams turn in on short rest against decent opposition. You'll see similar results when, say, the Seattle Sounders host a rested, healthy New England Revolution, or when the San Jose Earthquakes have a Wednesday night game against the Montreal Impact.

You know what that means: Lots of 5s beyond the jump!

We will be sticking with the B&RU standard 1 (awful) to 5 (glorious) ratings. Martin isn't here today, but just because I'm a sub doesn't mean you can act up. I can send you all to detention!

Bill Hamid: 4
I can't give Hamid a 5 because he had so little to do, but any team-focused keeper will tell you that this is how things should be. He was alert to snuff out some through balls, and his save from Jaime Castrillon after United's offside appeals weren't answered kept the score 1-0 just minutes before we scored the second.

One little thing to note was that late in the game, Hamid took a kick from Tony Cascio, who was pursuing a fairly dangerous through ball into the box. Hamid reacted with words, but kept his cool and didn't get demonstrative, which could have lead to some sort of scuffle or possibly a booking from the referee. That's a sign of Hamid's growing maturity.

Robbie Russell: 3
On one hand, I thought Russell was caught in some less-than-ideal spots from time to time, and in general I had the sense that if the Rapids were going to create a real chance, it would come from our right side.

On the other hand, Russell repeatedly contributed to our attack with intelligent passes. Najar and De Ro both had chances to attack Luis Zapata thanks to some smart work from Russell, who was also totally robbed of a goal by Pickens following a pinpoint Boskovic corner kick.

Brandon McDonald: 4
This might seem harsh on a night where our back four kept the Rapids from getting in behind for virtually the entire game. However, McDonald made two rushes into the attack following a tackle that required teammates to bail him out. First it was Salihi making a desperate tackle that ended up earning him a yellow card, and in the 80th minute it was Kitchen astutely dropping into McDonald's vacated center back spot. Feel free to disagree, but for me McDonald has to be more disciplined (or at least pick passes that aren't so risky).

That said, McDonald was otherwise solid individually and marshaled an outstanding defensive effort. It's a mark of just how well he played that he still got the 4 with the aforementioned mistakes.

Daniel Woolard: 5
As long as our opponent is providing a somewhat simplistic attack, Woolard has now earned complete trust filling in at center back. He was once again constantly involved in breaking up plays and making clearances; Opta's Chalkboard has him making 26 such plays over 90 minutes (combine the last 6 categories that come up for his individual heatmap).

He has yet to face a more complicated or soccer IQ-focused attack like the Galaxy or RSL, but if we continue to restrict teams to mid- or long-range, predictable passes, it won't matter. Woolard will eat that stuff up.

Chris Korb: 5
I'd argue that this was as good a performance as he's ever had as a pro. Korb's contributions to the attack were better than usual - particularly his service on long balls, which include the pass that eventually became Salihi's goal - and his positional defending was exactly what was needed. Despite facing the experienced, energetic Brian Mullan as well as a drifting Cascio, Korb hardly put a foot wrong.

Perry Kitchen: 5
Remember two days ago, when we were just happy that Kitchen was not going to be out for weeks (or even months, depending on your initial reaction to the awkward landing against the Dynamo)?

Last night we got to see yet another great showing from Kitchen. It wasn't just his work shielding the back four, which was so good that Colorado moved playmaker Martin Rivero to a wide role for the last half hour or so. Kitchen also played a crucial role in helping United up the tempo after the first few minutes (in which both teams were not thinking very quickly).

Kitchen began doing simple stuff like putting more pace onto his passes and making sure they were in space for people to run onto rather than to feet. These little changes to his distribution were contagious, and once we started playing at a higher speed the Rapids were always second best. That's an absolutely crucial, yet often overlooked, part of his job as an anchor midfielder. In spite of some great performances in the attack, you could mount a reasonable argument that Kitchen was man of the match.

Andy Najar: 4
Turned Zapata like a top before drawing another great Pickens save just before halftime, and generally was bright and energetic. Looked good at right back during the last half hour. In my opinion, he's back in front of Cruz if everyone is healthy.

Branko Boskovic: 5
This was not the stuff of legend, but his work in shuttling the ball around kept the Rapids guessing throughout, and his runs into the attack probably deserved a goal. His service from corner kicks was also close to impeccable. His movement without the ball was also very crafty, as he was constantly receiving the ball with plenty of space. That's what happens when you move smartly rather than just running around.

If the Open Cup game against New England was what a half-million-dollar player is capable of at his best, this was what should be expected from such a player on a regular basis. If Boskovic can offer this as a baseline performance, he should be kept around. The next step is obviously to see whether this was a one-off or not.

Lewis Neal: 5
This is what you do when you're a clear backup and you get your chance. Neal provided the assist on our first goal with a lovely slashing through ball that was weighted perfectly, and his cross to Boskovic a) became a goal for Salihi and b) was not an assist only due to Pickens being outstanding.

Neal's energy in defending and his positional work also helped contribute to United's suffocation of the Rapids in central midfield. Colorado's creators never had much time to play dangerous passes, which in turn meant a game where they always had our back four between them and the goal.

Dwayne De Rosario: 5
Like Boskovic, his movement left the Rapids constantly uncomfortable. His goal was well-taken, and the fact that he trusted Salihi to draw defenders away from his own run was important. De Ro also draw a strong save from Pickens moments after the goal, and created some opportunities for Neal and Salihi as well. In other words, this was what we all envisioned in the preseason when it looked like he'd be playing as a withdrawn forward with tons of freedom.

Hamdi Salihi: 5
His goal was a typical poacher's goal, which seems like a knock but is actually precisely the kind of thing we need out of him. More than that, though, his perfect decoy run was crucial in creating the space for Neal to set up De Ro for the opener, and his intelligent pressure was also a big part of the turnover that gave Neal the ball in the first place.

This was a Designated Player-quality performance. Salihi's movement was a constant problem for the Rapids, and the uncertainty it caused meant more time for everyone else when they had the ball. MOTM on a night with a ton of good candidates.

Danny Cruz: 4
Within the context of his role - maintain the work rate through the midfield while contributing to the attack - Cruz did a commendable job. It wasn't exactly pretty, but when is it ever with Cruz? He pinballed around the field, winning tackles and generally being involved with positive play.

Stephen King: 3
More or less did what Cruz did, but to a slightly lesser extent. He did put Cruz into a promising position that was only broken up by a great tackle from Drew Moor.

Josh Wolff: 4
His positioning when we didn't have the ball kept the Rapids from moving the ball forward, and he also created promising moments for Salihi and Cruz.

Bonus rating: Referee Matthew Foerster gets a 5 for a balanced, reasonable showing in his first-ever MLS game in the middle. How in the hell was there a ref like this not getting games while Kevin Stott makes a show of himself or Abbey Okulaja botches another game?

D.C. United 2-0 Colorado Rapids: Dwayne De Rosario & Hamdi Salihi Give United Home Win

2012-05-17T03:34:09Z

We went into the 2012 season thinking that Dwayne De Rosario and Hamdi Salihi were going to score the majority of goals for the club. De Rosario was coming off an MVP season that finally saw him get the paycheck he deserved, and Salihi entered with a goal-scoring record that rivals only Jaime Moreno.

Since then though, we've seen other players step up. We've seen Maicon Santos and Chris Pontius battle for the team lead in goals while being unexpectedly named the top forward pairing by Ben Olsen. We've also seen rookie Nick DeLeon prove to the league that he was taken far too late in the first round of the MLS Draft by adding three goals of his own.

So what happens to D.C. United then when all three of those player go down injured? The stars show us why they're stars. That's what happened against the Colorado Rapids tonight at RFK Stadium. De Rosario and Salihi each secured goals, with United claiming three points in a 2-0 victory.

We also went into the season thinking that Branko Boskovic would be a big part of United's offense. We thought the best chance the team had of competing in the Eastern Conference would be for all three of its designated players, including Boskovic, to deliver major contributions. This was the first match of 2012 in which he really delivered on those expectations. Boskovic was a constant threat on crosses and corner kicks, and really showed a confidence that we hadn't seen from him before this season, even getting into the box to help give Salihi a classic poacher's goal.

If we want to elaborate further on the depth that Olsen was forced to use in this condensed month of May, Lewis Neal was also brilliant for D.C. His crossing was really impressive, and it played a role in both goals for United.

The defense deserves more credit than they're likely to receive tonight though. As does Perry Kitchen, who the team came so close to losing mere days ago. The center back pairing of Brandon McDonald and Daniel Woolard has now given up a grand total of one goal in its three matches together. That's a 0.33 goals against average (which happens to coincide with Bill Hamid's return to the starting lineup, coincidentally or not). Woolard has really enjoyed a career resurgence this year as a bit of a utility defender. (Wait can I use the word "resurgence" when someone had never really "surged" previously? Is "surgence" a more appropriate yet invocabular term?)

After gaining just three points in three straight matches on the road, nine points from our three straight matches at home would be required for United to stay on pace for two points per game over the course of the season. D.C. took a big step towards gaining those nine points tonight, in arguably the toughest matchup of the home stand. Games against Toronto FC and the New England Revolution now loom. Those are winnable games. The team wearing black tonight should be able to win them.

GameThread 13: D.C. United Vs. Colorado Rapids

2012-05-16T21:00:09Z

Okay I'll admit it. I'm totally scared of the Colorado Rapids.

They're a team built to punish unorganized defenses, especially those that have already played an emotionally draining match previously in the week. Its almost as if Conor Casey has spent the last 10 months in his lair plotting his return, and picked this very game. And if that weren't enough, young Argentine playmaker Martin Rivero will roam the space that a healthy Perry Kitchen normally would have been defending.

I'll tell you that I'm scared of the Rapids. I'll also leave it up to you whether or not that implies reverse psychology.

Game time: 7:30 PM

Television: Comcast SportsNet

Projected starting lineup: We should finally see Ethan White get his first start of the year tonight next to Brandon McDonald in central defense. Although Ben Olsen might choose to rest Robbie Russell, I think he'll probably still start on the right, with Daniel Woolard moving from the middle back to the left. The attacking portion of the midfield is likely to remain unchanged, with Andy Najar on the left, Dwayne De Rosario in the middle, and Danny Cruz on the right. In place of Kitchen, I see Olsen sticking with Stephen King over Kurt Morsink, but that decision could easily go either way. Against the mediocre Colorado back line, while managing minutes, I could see Olsen giving his assistant Josh Wolff a start next to Maicon Santos, to still give Hamdi Salihi the chance to come off the bench. Bill Hamid will be in goal.

Prediction: I'm scared of the Rapids. And I think United might be due for a rare resounding defeat. 3-1 Colorado is my prediction. Reverse psychology? You be the judge.

What are you drinking? I'm actually at an unfortunately-timed office teambuilding event tonight, so I doubt I'll be drinking anything much heavier than Miller Lite. I'll join you guys a bit later on.

This is your place for pre-game, in-game, and post-game discussion.

Scouting Report: Colorado Rapids

2012-05-16T13:45:05Z

A young coach who was widely respected in MLS during his playing days. Injury issues at center back. An attack bolstered by sound acquisitions and a quality first-round draft pick. A preference for a possession-minded, diamond 442. A former Houston Dynamo player known for gritty play and high energy at right midfield.

Wait, am I talking about D.C. United? Or am I talking about tonight's opponent, the Colorado Rapids? Oscar Pareja's side has plenty of similarities to United, though they strike me as more of a blend of this year's DC and last year's more erratic edition.

The Rapids are adapting to a more attractive style of play after spending many years playing variously negative and/or boring soccer. The results, however, have been mixed. The Rapids have 5 wins and 5 losses, and they've gone from extreme highs (a 4-0 dismantling of Chivas USA) to extreme lows (a 4-1 loss against the New York Red Bulls). At least to this point, you never quite know what you'll get when tuning in to watch a Colorado match.

Part of that has been a transition within the aforementioned transition to a possession-based approach. Pareja entered the season planning on installing a 433 formation, but unlike some other coaches, he moved to a more familiar 442 when his personnel dictated a move. While the results have stuck to the same "win one, lose one" pattern, one gets the sense that Colorado is a bit less prone to implosion or calamity in their current system.

For the Rapids, a win at RFK would be their biggest result of the season. Thumping Chivas or scratching out a win over a bad Philadelphia side is hardly something for the ol' resume, nor is a 2-0 win at Dallas where the home side played 54+ minutes with just nine men. Colorado also comes to town having had 10 days in between league matches, while United clearly got tired in the Houston heat four days ago.

The Rapids may be a Jekyll-and-Hyde team, but they're going to be well-rested, excited, and they'll probably have Conor Casey available for a start for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon. In other words, this may be the toughest game in our three-game homestand.

Unless Casey's return prompts a return to the 433 - he's a far better fit as a center forward there than Omar Cummings - we should expect to see the diamond again:

		Casey?
	Cascio

	Rivero
Castrillon			Mullan

	Larentowicz

Zapata	Moor	Marshall	Kimura?

	Pickens

If Pareja decides to hold Casey - who surprisingly came on for a full half of work in Dallas, but likely only due to the bizarre circumstances of Dallas being down to nine men for so long - in reserve, I would expect to see versatile attacker Kamani Hill up front instead. Hill has looked pretty good since coming to MLS after years in various European leagues. He's a more speedy, elusive player, but is also a bit more like a target man than Cummings (who will miss out with an ankle sprain).

With the Rapids playing at home on the weekend, I would suspect that Pareja will have to choose one game to start Casey and one game to sit him. As such, a start for Hill is a real possibility.

The only other potential question mark is at right back, where Hunter Freeman briefly displaced the normally reliable Kosuke Kimura. Kimura was back against Dallas, and I expect him to start, but Freeman is no slouch.

We may also see debuts for two intriguing new signings. Versatile Colombian midfielder Harrison Henao is cleared to play after receiving his International Transfer Certificate and his work visa, while Brazilian attacker Edu is in the same boat. Henao is said to be a combative defensive midfielder who can also play wide, while Edu - not the one that played at Arsenal, but rather the one that played Champions League soccer with Celta Vigo and Real Betis - has a resume that says he could be dangerous if he's not too far past his prime. In Spain, Edu played both wide midfield spots as well as a withdrawn forward role; I suspect we won't see him in anything above a substitute's role.

If Casey plays, the Rapids can use him in a traditional target man role, which in turn will strongly benefit their attempts to keep possession. Casey can hold the ball up to allow the midfield to advance, while also giving time for dangerous rookie Tony Cascio to make runs between the channels. It also means that, if the back four is in trouble, they can always go long knowing that Casey is one of the best forwards in MLS when it comes to battling for high balls. It also has to be pointed out that Casey plays the game with an edge, so United's defenders will need to be prepared for a very physical night at the office.

If he doesn't, however, things change quite a bit. The Rapids will likely have to resort to more through balls to use the speed and smart movement from Hill and Cascio, but they will lose the ability to possess the ball for long periods. If this is the case, United would do well to consistently pressure Martin Rivero, the Argentine #10 Colorado signed from Rosario Central (note: Dwayne De Rosario does not own this club). Without Casey as an easy outlet to allow the midfield to get forward, it would be on Rivero to play most of these through balls. Thus, making his life difficult would rob the Rapids of their main mode of attack.

The other player to worry about in terms of service is probably Kimura, who can run forever and as such gets forward on a regular basis. His crossing has improved quite a bit from when he first entered MLS, and he can now hit just about any type of cross with the proper pace and accuracy. While driven crosses following an overlap are probably the most dangerous, Kimura has also shown pinpoint accuracy when choosing an early cross from a deep position. Our left midfielder - not to mention our forwards - need to make sure that Kimura doesn't have time to get his head up and size this kind of cross up, particularly if Casey is on the field.

You might have noticed that Jaime Castrillon is not listed quite as symmetrically as Brian Mullan on the right. That's because the Colombian jack-of-most-trades tends to play more centrally. He's been pretty much everywhere in the Rapids midfield: Attacking midfield left-center midfield, and left forward in the 433, time on both flanks and centrally in the 442, and even some time as a withdrawn forward to boot. I have been impressed with Castrillon, who brings a lot of energy, makes good runs, and generally appears to have a high level of soccer IQ. He's also a useful player on set pieces thanks to having decent size, a dangerously quick burst of acceleration, and a nose for where the space will end up being at the right moment. Forcing him to spend the game defending will probably help quite a bit.

Defensively, the Rapids like to play a high line and press far upfield as a team. Marvell Wynne's injury is a crucial part of this strategy, as he may be the fastest player in MLS. Normally you'd see the Rapids get away from this without Wynne, but Pareja is trying to make an institutional shift. As much as the focus is on Colorado's attempts to keep the ball and actually be worth watching, this pressure/high line side of things is just as vital to what Pareja wants to do. When you're trying to change a club's fundamental way of playing the game, you probably have to stick with those ideas even in the face of injuries.

As such, I'd expect to see the Rapids play that high line despite the fact that Tyrone Marshall and Drew Moor will be in real trouble if they're forced to chase down Chris Pontius (or even Hamdi Salihi if someone spots Der Bomber's run early enough). United has to make them pay if this is the case. Pontius needs to repeatedly get in behind their defense - unlike how he played in Toronto - and we also need to look for plenty of crossfield balls for Andy Najar to run onto. Assuming Najar is at left midfield again, he'll have his chances to get free of Kimura (who will get caught upfield from time to time as his runs forward are important for Colorado) or Freeman (who simply isn't fast enough to keep up with Najar).

It would also be a good idea for United to try to play in the wide areas between the midfield and defense. While Mullan and Castrillon are far from lazy, we'll have an easier time trying to play around Jeff Larentowicz than to try to attack through his central domain. De Ro's ability to drift, along with having wide midfielders that look to combine with others rather than just stay wide and hit crosses should allow this to happen regularly.

Moving on to our defense, we'll need to be very focused on avoiding set pieces again. Colorado is a strong team in the box, with or without Casey. Moor is one of MLS's better goalscoring threats among the league's defenders, and Castrillon tends to get onto balls served to the near post on a regular basis. Marshall is usually a decoy, but is good about either bringing a defender with him or setting a pick for someone else to use. Rivero and Kimura can both provide good service, and if we give up central free kicks, Larentowicz has one of the hardest shots in the league. Unlike some players whose free kick prowess is more of a myth, Larentowicz lead Colorado with 7 goals last season and is a legitimate threat to score within 35 yards.

In general, Colorado has struggled on the road playing teams that are more narrow through the midfield. United's diamond looks a bit tighter than that of the Rapids, who aren't quite getting the defensive work from Rivero that we do from De Ro. There is a slightly lower level of positional discipline to Colorado, and we'll need to take advantage. Between these (slight) edges and the high line without Wynne, we should be able to create plenty of chances throughout. Provided our makeshift back four can hold up, this should be a winnable game.

Behind Enemy Lines With Burgundy Wave

2012-05-16T01:54:11Z

For a deeper preview of D.C. United's upcoming match against the Colorado Rapids, be sure to check out the latest episode of our podcast Filibuster in which UZ from Burgundy Wave appeared for a full segment. But for now, here's a three-question exchange with UZ to get you ready for tomorrow night.

B&RU: After making two appearances off the bench so far, it sounds like Conor Casey is set to get his first start in 10 months on Wednesday. What should we expect from him?

BW: He looked fabulous in his first two cameo appearances with the team, playing 46 minutes over the course of the last two games he appeared in. (He was held out of the Rapids game against New England because they didn't want to risk his return getting ruined on that FieldTurf.) Even though he's coming off a serious Achilles Tear, he's never been a speedster so we're not worried about him losing much. All he does is park himself in front of the near post and wait for the service to come, eating space and defenders as he goes to free up other guys to take more open shots -- he did all that wonderfully in his appearances, so you'll probably be seeing the same old Conor Casey that you're used to seeing on Wednesday. Casey should at least play 45 minutes of the match if he doesn't start - though I don't think Oscar Pareja will want to take the chance of leaving his best striker on the bench for so long - so either way you'll be seeing a hefty dose of him.

For those of us east coasters who haven't seen a lot of the Rapids yet this year, tell us about your two new international midfielders Martin Rivera and Jaime Castrillon.

Rivero has been a breath of fresh air for the team, since we haven't had a true midfield attacking stalwart since Terry Cooke back in 2008. He has played well above his age and looks like a real team leader out there with immaculate passes and a bullet of a shot. Everything you'd expect from a 'True #10' player, Rivero has done. We're excited too because he's only 22 years old and still has room to grow, and if he keeps growing into the player we've seen he can be, we could end up with one of the best attacking players in the league. Not bad for an unknown kid from Argentina.

Castrillon has been a bit streaky, but has played the role of versatile midfielder well. He works best going from box to box, similar to a more attack minded Pablo Mastroeni. He has also been one of the few guys to get in the way on set pieces and put in the headers with Casey out of the line up. The only complaint for Jaime so far is that he has disappeared from a couple of games completely, but that's to be expected from a guy trying to get used to a new league. Both Rivero and Castrillon have played their way into starting positions for sure, and for a team looking to be a far more attack minded group this year, that's a good thing.

All of the talk about the Rapids has revolved around the team's surprising new "sexy" attacking style, but not much has said about the defense. How has Matt Pickens and Colorado back line done so far this year?

They've done a lot better than the statistics would lead you to believe. Pickens in particular has had a great year considering his mediocre 2011 season, controlling the defense well and making saves that you'd usually expect from Nick Rimando and Kevin Hartman types more than Matt Pickens types. The defense has allowed quite a few goals but the majority of them have been from set pieces, which were a very, very big problem early in the season. In the Rapids biggest loss, 4-1 to New York, the midfield was full of injuries so the makeshift group of three in the middle screwed up royally more than the defense which led to the goals. The defense has left us no reasons to worry about it the last couple of seasons since Drew Moor came aboard, and we're still not worried this time around. It helps that the team has finally started to listen to Pickens and figure out how to defend on set pieces recently, of course.

BW: D.C. is a very injured team right now, unfortunately. Of all the guys who are out right now, who would you say is the most key injury for the team's success as a whole?

B&RU: If he was out, then I'd say Perry Kitchen, but D.C. United received some fantastic news today that what we thought was a torn ligament on Saturday turned out to be no severe damage. Kitchen might not wind up playing Wednesday night, but he won't be out nearly as long as we feared. So instead, the answer to your question is Emiliano Dudar, the fearless and savvy 6'-4" Argentine center back that had been a big reason for United's seven-game undefeated streak that ended in San Jose, and his departure was a big reason for that loss to the Earthquakes, and last week to the Dynamo.

Colorado has a rookie of the year candidate in Tony Cascio, but even more impressive than Tony is DC's Nick DeLeon. What's been the key to his early success as a player in his ROY campaign run?

It may sound insignificant or small, but Nick DeLeon's first touch is incredible. Always exactly where he wants it to go. If he's receiving the ball in traffic, he pushes it away from danger to keep possession. If he's got space, he uses it and advances the ball quickly up the field. DeLeon is huge for United in transition. He's quick, a good finisher, and a better crosser. When a rookie is taking your corners and some free kicks on a team that also includes Dwayne De Rosario, you know he's something special. Unfortunately though, DeLeon has missed the last couple matches with a hamstring strain, and could miss Wednesday's match too, although Andy Najar filled in quite well on his left flank against the Houston Dynamo.

We all know the Pontius', the DeRo's, the Santos' etc. but who's a guy we might not have heard of that could hurt the Rapids in the attack on Wednesday?

Ah yes, the man you are describing is Hamdi Salihi. The Albanian Bomber came to MLS with a ridiculous strike rate on his record from Rapid Vienna, but he started the season with nine straight games without a goal. That streak ended in San Jose, and he started a new one, scoring against Toronto FC as well. Salihi isn't the type of player to create his own goal, and his physical strength won't intimidate anyone in the vein of Conor Casey, but he can finish. Oh can he finish. Salihi will take a difficult chance in which most players wouldn't even think about shooting, and he'll score while making it look easy.

Perry Kitchen Injury Update: MRI Results Negative. D.C. United Future Results Positive!

2012-05-15T16:00:14Z

In unexpected but totally welcomed news, D.C. United announced on Twitter today that the results of the MRI on Perry Kitchen's knee came back negative. All of his CL's are just fine, and there is no major damage. He'll be listed as Questionable on the team's injury report.

According to Steven Goff, both Kitchen and Chris Pontius are at RFK Stadium for practice today. They could be available for selection against the Colorado Rapids tomorrow night, depending on training today.

This is a huge bullet evaded by United. The performance of the team with Kitchen on Saturday against the Houston Dynamo was so different from the performance without him. I was honestly very worried that Kitchen's injury would be the turning point of our season. Instead, its just a rude awakening. A warning of how quickly things can change. Kitchen is quickly climbing the chart of the best defensive midfielders in MLS, and is one of United's most important players. With him, we're a championship contender. Without him, we're fighting for a playoff spot.

The only other time that I can think of that I was this happy about D.C. United news in the middle of a random weekday was the signing of Charlie Davies last February. What a relief.

Sailing on the good ship Morsink? D.C. United vs. the Colorado Rapids

2012-05-15T13:35:16Z

First, let us pass around the bottle to everyone who got nervous flashbacks to the season which shall not be named because of the title of this post. But, given the state of D.C. United's injury problems, they may just sail into battle with the infamous Kurt Morsink as the starting defensive midfielder. Out of all of the players returning from injury, only Dejan Jakovic participated fully in practice yesterday; Emiliano Dudar, Nick DeLeon, and Marcelo Saragosa were all limited and did not take part in the mini-games that ended practice.

Obviously, the two bigger injuries are those to Chris Pontius and Perry Kitchen. Pontius has suffered a gluteal muscle injury and was absent from practice; I have not heard anything about a timeline for his return. The team does not believe that Kitchen suffered any ligament damage, which is good, but they do think that they is damage to his meniscus. I would assume that would put him out something similar to the six weeks that Ethan White was out, which is at the very least much better than the 6-9 months a ligament tear would likely entail. It still pains me that Lance Rozeboom got injured in the preseason; this would have been his moment to shine.

So, with all of these injuries, where does this leave United in their midweek match against the Colorado Rapids?

There are two major places where this could change: center back and center midfield. I do not think that we will see Daniel Woolard back in the middle for this game. Dejan Jakovic has been participating fully in practice, as has Ethan White, so I expect one of them to start. If for any reason both of them cannot go, you know the drill: Daniel Woolard into the middle and Chris Korb out wide.

In the center of midfield, the choice is either Kurt Morsink or Stephen King. The Standard is good at many things, especially serving as an outlet and keeping the ball moving, but breaking up play and knowing when to step in is not one of them. On the other hand, we have Kurt Morsink, who is a walking yellow card but also a pitbull on the field. He isn't even the medium term solution, but I would not mind seeing him in this game.

The other possibility of change might be Josh Wolff pairing Maicon Santos instead of Hamdi Salihi. Wolff is a good distributor for a striker, which has led to his somewhat strange stints in midfield, and so I could see him getting the nod especially if Olsen prefers Salihi in that super sub role. As for the subs, I see Joe Willis, Branko Boskovic, Chris Korb, Ethan White, Stephen King, Josh Wolff, and Lewis Neal.

What do you all see this week? Wishing that we had bacta tanks for instant healing?