There are a few things to ponder before D.C. United suits up today for the final match of the California portion of preseason against Chivas USA on a Home Depot Center training field at 3. It’s been a tiresome trip, considering goalkeeper Bill Hamid’s tweet this morning: “Every inch of my legs is sore… Sore to walk… Thank the Lord preseason Is almost over”:
*United’s goalkeeping crew is back down to four again, with Chase Harrison let go. Pat Onstad and Joe Willis shared duties earlier in the week against UC Santa Barbara. D.C. United will train next week in Washington before it heads to Charleston, which should give a chance to see how far Hamid has progressed. Steve Cronin is on injured reserve so he’s out the first six games of the regular season.
*MLS released its playoff format for the year, expanding the number of teams that get into the postseason to 10. The top three teams in each conference at the end of the regular season qualify, as do the next four teams regardless of conference. That quartet will play a pair of wild card games, with the winners advancing to meet the Supporters Shield winner and other regular-season conference champion.
My biggest problem is that the two-game conference semifinals are remaining intact. It’s simply inconsistent and adds unnecessary length to a knockout competition that now has an extra round and is already hurt by the out of control schedule.
Teams are already playing 34 regular season matches, not mention U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup matches and international friendlies. It’s odd that MLS understands how important moderately-sized stadiums are to its product but can’t seem to figure out how to moderate the overwhelming volume of matches.
*Read Brian Straus’s interview with MLS commissioner Don Garber.
*Speaking of stadiums, D.C. United will have to contend with even more college football at RFK Stadium – this time in the middle of the season – after the Washington Convention and Sports Authority announced this week that Howard and Morehouse will meet at RFK Stadium on Sept. 10. Similar games are also planned for 2012 and 2013.
Football has had a significant impact on the playing surface at RFK since the first EagleBank Bowl in December 2008, both cosmetically with evidence of football lines and numbers lasting well into the MLS season and with the integrity of the surface being compromised the wear and tear that a football causes, in the middle of the field and on the sidelines, since soccer requires a much wider field.
Having seen the pitch myself during a visit to RFK for the recent Charlie Davies press conference, I can confirm that it is currently in rough shape. There are plans to tear it up and replace it, but not until later this spring, perhaps May, when the weather is conducive for new sod to take.
It remains to be seen what might be need after the game on Sept. 10, after which there will be 11 days before D.C. takes the field again. Certainly, the team has concerns, but it wasn’t blindsided by the announcement even if it wasn’t consulted. Dealing with other WCSA events is part of being a tenant – and another reason that the team needs its own building.
