MLS 2009 Team Preview: DC United

By Steven Streff

Last Season: 2008 represented a tough year for United. There were some positives, as the team won just their second-ever US Open Cup, after defeating the Charleston Battery 2-1 in the final. But the season brought its fair share of disappointments as well. United failed to make it to Major League Soccer's playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season. DC had one final crack at qualifying for the playoffs in the final game of the season, but an unfortunate 1-0 defeat away at Columbus sealed its fate.

United participated in two international tournaments as well, but those experiences could never be construed as successful. In the 2008 version of the SuperLiga, United lost all three games, ending up last in their group. In the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League, DC United managed just a single point in 6 games, with the final defeat to Marathon of Honduras capping off a disappointing 2008 for United.

Missing the MLS playoffs,and failing to qualify for the knockout stages of two international tournaments does not cut it at a club like United,  widely considered the most successful MLS club in history.

Dearly Departed: With the poor performance of this past season, changes were made throughout the team. The biggest departure of the offseason was Argentinean playmaker, Marcello Gallardo. Gallardo was largely disappointing in his only season at the club. As the best paid player in DC's history, much was expected of him, but injuries derailed his season. He only managed to appear in half of the team’s league games. Gallardo made it clear at the end of the season that he wanted out, and United granted him the opportunity to depart to his home country.

Gallardo was not the only player to leave. Another player who underwhelmed was defender Gonzalo Peralta, also an Argentine. The defender was caught out several times during the season, and ended up heading back to Argentina at the end of the MLS season. Gonzalo Martinez, another defender, came from Millonarios in Columbia. He turned out to be a let down for United fans, and he is rumored to be leaving the club. There's been no official word yet, but don’t expect him to suit up for United this season.

Joe Vide, proficient as a hardworking defensive midfielder, was let go, most likely due to the arrival of Andrew Jacobsen. Ivan Guerrero was traded to Colorado, as part of the deal to bring Christian Gomez back to DC. That leaves a void on the left side of the field, one most likely be filled by Fred.

The final major departure of the offseason was the retirement of goalkeeper Zach Wells. He was brought in to replace the departed Troy Perkins, but United fans found Wells lacking in comparison. Wells never seemed to fit in at United, and his performances left most of the fans wishing for more. Eventually, Louis Crayton was brought in, and that basically ended the year for Wells. With United drafting a young keeper in the Super Draft, Wells’ chances for starts looked even more grim. The 27-year-old therefore made the decision to hang up his boots.

New Faces: One important new face is someone who is actually not new to United. With the departure of Gallardo, United filled the void in the playmaking position by adding Christian Gomez. Gomez was one of the main linchpins of the attack during his previous stint with the club. He could  fit right back in with this version of DC United. Gomez might be a bit older than last time, but could still have that quality to create chances.

Andrew Jacobsen also has a bit of DC history, even if he has never actually played a game for United. He was selected in the second round of the 2008 Super Draft by United, but decided to sign with Lorient in France instead. But after an unsuccessful stint in France, Jacobsen returned to MLS, with United retaining his rights.

United also recently added striker Ange N’Silu after a short trial with the club. He joined from Switzerland, where he scored 25 goals in 31 games last season for FC Le Mont. He may be a good addition to the club, who need more minutes from a second striker, considering the age and fitness of veteran Jamie Moreno.

DC United also acquired a few players through the draft: Christ Pontius (MID/FWD), Rodney Wallace (MID/DEF), and Milos Kocic (GK) the notable additions.

Season Storylines: Can this team improve over the performance from last year? There is one less tournament to deal with this time (no SuperLiga, as per new MLS rules), but expectations will be high again. Coach Tom Soehn could be in the hot seat after the end of last season, though management stuck with him. There will be pressure on him to deliver this year. The thing that has plagued the team the past two seasons has been a slow start. In 2007, the team was able to recover. In 2008, the team never really bounced back. For 2009 to be a successful year, United need to get off to a decent start to the league, and use that as a springboard for the rest of the season. Another slow start might just doom the team.

Have United made the right moves to turn things around? Central defense was a bit of a problem last season, but the club might not have fully addressed that issue. Look for this to come up at some point during the season – whether the team is succeeding or not. United leaked too many goals last season, and it was from this area of the field that most of the trouble came. If United are doing well, expect the two in this position to have succeeded in improving over last year.

Predicted Placement: Where to place the team for this season? I don’t think the team made enough improvements to the squad to become MLS champs again. They should fare better than last year, most likely, but I don’t see them finishing above third in the East. Chicago, Columbus, and New England are the teams that they have to try to take down, and they must contend with New York's resurgence as well. Look for United to just sneak into the playoffs, but don’t expect much more from the team this year.

Steven Streff is a contributor to Goal.com