After the generally disappointing showing in the US Open Cup (Congrats to Seattle), United needs to find the intensity they played with in Chicago. At this point, they also need to punt CONCACAF. As much as I have been a fan of the CL, and I’m one of its stronger proponents, this team can’t handle international play. They can barely handle MLS. This teams needs to be blown up and rebuilt, and after this season, I think we can count on that happening. What needs to happen is a hot run like NYRB experienced last year, and just hope we luck our way into the playoffs.

A bit of bad news to add to the misery…Dejan Jakovic is out with a potential hernia situation (just like Simms and Gallardo). 2-3 weeks is the diagnosis, but you never know. A defense that was already in flux just got a lot less solid.

Potential Lineup
—–Wicks (I think they keep him in here, we’ll see)
–Namoff—–James——McTavish——-Burch or Habarugira
–Olsen——-Simms——-Gomez——-Wallace
Quaranta——Pontius

Do I think that’s what Tommy puts out there? No. But that’s my pick.

Official Predictions
I think DC United takes care of business against an inferior team. 2-1.

Houston is not considered to be a contender this year, with losing DeRo, and not many more additions. The team is getting older, and not any faster. DC needs to get on them early, and then close the game down. Wicks should be out with a hip flexor, so either we will see the return of the great Louis Crayton, or we see the debut of Milos Kocic and the exploding head of Louis Crayton on the bench. According to Goff, Crayton said he was 150%, but Soehn had his doubts.

In case you’re curious, we’re 2-3-1 all time against Houston, and 2-0-1 at home.

MLS Net preview.

This preview recounts the rainy horrors of last year’s attempts to play Houston at RFK.

OFFICIAL DC UNITED THE OFFSIDE PREDICTION:
Last week, I called the draw and got the score way wrong. For accounting purposes, we’re going to just count the result, and I’ll keep a goal differential between what I thought we’d score, and what we did.
Since thats the case, I’m 1-1 for the season, with a -3 goal differential.
THIS WEEK: Houston 1- DC 2. Let’s go United.

What do you think?

This Sunday, United travels to the Home Depot Center to visit one of the sadder cases in MLS in the last 2 years, the Galaxy. LA, who have been reorganized and retooled an extent by former USA and DC United head coach Bruce Arena, are moving forward this year with a more “experienced” team than last year, with an average age around 30. This never bodes well for a long season, but its better than playing Josh Tudela every game.

LA strengthened its backline through the draft, picking Omar Gonzalez, and thru the transfer market, picking up Donovan Ricketts, the Jamaican National Team keeper.

Goldenballs is set to return in July, and until then, LA is free of the obligation of his salary. However, they’ve yet to spend that money. So, it’s just a gap in their team.

Landon Donovan, fresh off of his German adventure, brings the only constantly threatening force to a team that will be lacking in attacking bite.

Dema Kovalenko has been added, most likely for his oftsited “grit” in the defensive midfield. But enough about LA.

DC travels across the country, already with its usual complement of injuries. Not making the trip, Santino Quaranta and Fred are already sporting hamstring injuries that will keep them out at least until the home opener, in Fred’s case, and the Houston game, in Santino’s case.

Louis Crayton and Bryan Namoff, who suffered leg and rib injuries respectively, will be fit and in the starting lineup on Sunday.

All week, Tom Soehn has said that he expects that DC will come out in a 3-5-2, at least until their attacking width is healthy. Below would be my expected lineup…

Crayton
Namoff———Jankovic———–Burch
Simms—McTavish
Khumalo—Gomez—Wallace
Emilio—-Moreno
I’d like to see Moreno as a withdrawn Forward, in sort of a dual playmaker roll with Gomez, but we’ll see how it rolls forward.

Links and OPO:
Sports Illustrated says that DC will finish in last. I will eat a soccer ball if that happens. The text for those who don’t want to boost SI’s ad revenue..

• D.C. United will finish in last place. Christian Gómez is back, but he lost his form a while back. Gómez and Luciano Emilio formed a strong partnership in ‘07, but two years later, the two players are fighting to recover from poor seasons. D.C. had a terrible regular season but managed to win the U.S. Open Cup. That triumph set United up for failure this year, as it once again will compete in the CONCACAF Champions League, a tournament that sunk D.C.’s regular-season hopes in ‘08.

Soccer America thinks DC loses to LA this weekend.

The Examiner offers all you need to know about the game, including injury updates for both squads (Ricketts, Buddle questionable, Lewis probable, Todd Dunivant and Leonard Griffin (who?) are out. )

MLSNet’s Charles Boehm has a nice piece about the young defense, and the decision to go with the 3-5-2. Here’s Benny,

“The 4-4-2, sometimes with a young back line, it’s confusing,” acknowledged Olsen, moments after his tongue-in-cheek attempt “to duck what formation we’re going to play this weekend” drew laughter from the media in attendance.

“Sometimes three in the back makes it a little bit more concrete for them as far as their decisions,” he continued. “But we’re working on that stuff this week and the coaching staff will take care of that.”

Steve Goff’s paper preview.

Donovan is still sleeping over at DCenters. I’m sure he’ll having something up soon.

Ok, that’s it. It’s game time, huahh!

Official Prediction!!!

The Official DC United Offside Prediction: 3-2 DC.
Your thoughts?