DC United

Major League Soccer’s D.C. United spent its first 16 years at RFK Stadium, but that will soon change. 

UPDATE: Thursday, July 25, at 11:10 a.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

MLSsoccer.com's Charles Boehm has the latest on DC United's stadium:

The day D.C. United and their fans have been dreaming about for years may finally have arrived.

United and Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray announced on Thursday morning the signing of a $300 million public-private partnership to build a 20-25,000-seat soccer stadium in the Buzzard Point area of Southwest D.C., about a mile and a half south of the US Capitol near the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.

The new home of the four-time MLS Cup champions will be located adjacent to the Fort McNair Army base, bounded by Half Street and Second Street SW between R and T Streets a few blocks west of the Nationals Park baseball stadium, and is anticipated to be completed in time for the 2016 season.

'We are proud to say that D.C. United has achieved a major milestone towards establishing a permanent, state-of-the-art home in Washington, D.C.,' United managing partner Jason Levien said in a club statement. 'This is a significant step forward, and we are going to continue to work diligently and collaboratively with the Mayor’s office and the D.C. Council to expedite this process and make this stadium a reality.'

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Jonathan O’Connell of The Washington Post originally reported, D.C. United and District officials have reached a preliminary agreement to build a new stadium for the team: 

D.C. United executives and District officials have reached a preliminary $300 million deal to build a 20,000-seat stadium for the team on Buzzard Point in Southwest Washington.

The agreement, team and city leaders said, could end a decade-long search by the Major League Soccer franchise for a new venue that would allow it to leave RFK Stadium, where D.C. United has played since its founding in 1996 but where its investors say the team loses money every year.

O’Connell also notes that the new stadium would be part of an “economic development achievement” for Mayor Vincent C. Gray and would add to a string of developments along the waterfront.

The District is said to be willing to put $150 million toward the land and site preparation, while D.C. United will be responsible for the rest of the expenses in building the stadium. According to O’Connell, the team would have the land on a 25- to 35-year lease with the option of adding additional revenue-building businesses to the area.   

Steven Goff of The Washington Post expanded on the financial impact of moving from RFK and into a new stadium, and quoted D.C. United managing partner Jason Levien as being “laser-focused” on securing a new venue.

According to Goff, the move from RFK would be about more than moving into a new, more modern home. With few sources of revenue in the current stadium, D.C. United has reportedly lost “several million dollars annually.”

With the complicated deal still in the early stages, Goff also notes the team isn’t likely to begin playing in the new stadium until 2016.

Per both reports, the stadium proposal is for a stadium of at least 20,000 seats, though O’Connell indicates D.C. United has yet to decide if it will boost the seating to 25,000 from the onset or leave room for future expansion.

The rumors of D.C. United interest in Luis Fabiano sound fantastic, with transfer fees far above what the MLS team can afford, yet there are ways in which the Brazilian striker could find himself wearing United's Black and Red next year.

Fabiano currently plays for Sao Paulo. That club reportedly would want seven million euros for his transfer, which at current exchange rates would be just over $9 million.

D.C. United is sending representatives to South America, but little has been made public about the aims of the trip.

Here’s what we know: Fabiano has been an explosive scoring threat everywhere he's played. Also, Sao Paulo has him on contract through 2015.

Beyond that, and the knowledge of D.C. United personnel headed to the South American continent, it is all rumor and speculation. Neither club has announced formal talks, nor even acknowledged that the United trip will include a stop in Sao Paulo.

Let’s assume D.C. is interested in Fabiano, and the 32-year-old Brazilian international is at least one of the targets of this trip. Why would the MLS club even knock on that door, knowing in advance they can’t afford the transfer?

Sao Paulo isn’t likely to cut anyone a break on the price. Fabiano has scored 23 goals in 32 games for the Brazilian club since his transfer from Sevilla.

Here’s where creative negotiating comes into play. Negotiating is the art of two or more sides figuring out each party's needs and concerns and finding a way to meet everyone’s terms.

If this is a simple conversation about cash between just two clubs, more than likely nothing will come of it. D.C. United probably would need to find a way to expand the conversation.

For the deal to work, D.C. would probably have to offer something other than cash to Sao Paulo and/or find additional parties to subsidize the transfer fee.

The MLS club does have the one thing seemingly craved by football clubs everywhere: American fans.

The mostly untapped potential of the American fanbase is what draws European clubs to risk preseason injuries during the MLS All-Star break. It is what inspires Manchester United to organize fan parties in New York.

There currently is a global war raging, but the objective isn't putting flags on some hill. The objective is putting jerseys on the backs of Americans.

Club kits are a huge business. Club kits with the right name can be even bigger.

When Chelsea paid an exorbitant transfer fee for Fernando Torres, it may not, on balance, have been such a huge expense, considering the way Torres jerseys fly off Chelsea shelves.

In late November of this year, BBC business news ran a story on one Brazilian sports official who wants to make jersey exports a two-way flight path. This official has observed his country import jerseys from European clubs and wants to find new avenues for exporting Brazilian club jerseys to Europe and the States.

What D.C. may be able to offer is a foothold from which Sao Paulo or even a larger collection of Brazilian clubs could market their merchandise in the U.S.

Imagine how many jerseys Sao Paulo could sell, not to mention how many television dollars it could secure, if Fabiano were to play for D.C. United against the Brazilian club during the next All-Star break.

Think about how many of Fabiano’s Sao Paulo jerseys D.C. United fans may want. Or how many of Fabiano's replica national jerseys, with their globally recognized gold and green colors.

With 28 goals in 44 caps, Fabiano would be the most successful Brazilian international playing for an American club since Pele.

Fabiano isn’t Pele, of course, and most likely wouldn’t create David Beckham levels of "hypesteria" by signing with an MLS team. But he would offer American fans an opportunity to have their own piece of Brazilian football.

For another possible angle, imagine if RFK Stadium offered AmBev beer brands next season and beyond. Advertising talent would have a field day coming up with slogans for enjoying Brazilian talent and taste all in the same outing.

AmBev, the Brazilian arm of Anheuser-Busch and a global company in its own right, already is a major football sponsor in Brazil, with some current Sao Paulo involvement. AmBev seemingly understands the business return for that kind of sponsorship and potentially could be a partner in subsidizing this transfer.

Semp Toshiba is another possible partner, as any deal to market Sao Paulo jerseys is a deal to market their name as well. That company, which focuses on Brazilian domestic markets, may not see any advantage. However, the Toshiba parent company in Japan might be willing to take a larger view.

The above examples are speculative. There may well exist legal or business reasons that would prevent each from occurring. This article is not suggesting that AmBev or Toshiba have agreed to discuss the matter or even that they have been approached.

But with the World Cup coming to Brazil in a year and a half, this article is suggesting that creative possibilities do exist.

Brazil and Brazilian clubs do have an interest in Fabiano playing stateside. The question would be whether D.C. United could make a compelling pitch to the right collection of people.

MLS teams, as well as the league itself, can be creative in putting these deals together. The original deal that brought Beckham to MLS, for instance, included an ownership rights option to a future expansion franchise.

Fabiano playing for D.C. next year may not be likely. But we shouldn't assume it is impossible.

BBVA Compass Stadium, Nov. 11, Houston Dynamo 3, D.C. United 1

Even before D.C. United had fully secured its improbable ticket to Houston and the Eastern Conference Finals, the soft whispers of destiny started to circulate.

They had dodged so many bullets in their series with the New York Red Bulls, how could it not? Never mind that D.C. launched its share of those bullets in circular firing-squad fashion. Still, Ben Olsen’s roaming band of Black and Red youngsters survived.

The Houston Dynamo came into these conference finals also hinting at a little destiny of their own. They were not supposed to beat Chicago or Kansas City.

Suddenly, they were hosting a battered and depleted side in the first leg of a series that would determine which team goes on to the MLS Cup. The Dynamo has yet to lose at BBVA Compass Stadium. D.C. had never won in the state of Texas. Also, there were questions of United fatigue from drama, travel and a short turnaround from Thursday night’s game in New York.

Still, D.C. seemed to have that destiny thing working for it.

Early in the first half, United Coach Ben Olsen could be forgiven for finally giving in to that chatter. His side already was without Andy Najar and Bill Hamid, not to mention last year’s league MVP, Dwayne de Rosario. Adding to the woes, at just 12 minutes into the game, Chris Pontius had to be substituted out for an injury.

Despite all those headwinds, United did what Sporting Kansas City could not. They scored in Houston.

Nick DeLeon, the rookie lone goal scorer in the recent second leg against New York, caught a deflection off the Houston woodwork and touched the ball home.

That wheel of fortune keeps turning, however. It was about to turn against D.C. for the harsh remainder of this match.

Injuries continued to stack up against United. Olsen used all three subs for injuries to Pontius, Marcelo Saragosa and Brandon McDonald. The last came with more than a half hour still to play.

A referee non-decision also played its role. In first half stoppage time, Raphael Augusto was brought down by Andrew Hainault with what appeared to be an arm hold straight out of professional wrestling. Augusto, who came on as one of the subs and who was playing in his first MLS game, had the ball and a half-step on Hainault just outside the 18.

No call was made.

The referee was behind the play, and from that angle the arm takedown may not have been visible, nor the fact that Augusto was ahead of Hainault. The television camera caught the action, though. It was a clear scoring opportunity and an equally clear red card offense.

Even more so than the injuries, this non-call was the turning point.

In the second half, Houston began finding the D.C. net, manned by backup keeper Joe Willis. Willis played a credible game, especially considering the exhausted legs in front of him. The Dynamo attackers were better, though. When the dust cleared from their 19 shots, they had put three second-half goals past Willis.

Minutes after the intermission, Hainault found the equalizer after a quickly taken set piece. While Hainault arguably should not have still been on the field, it was an easy tap courtesy of Oscar Boniek-Garcia’s assist.

Midway through the second, Will Bruin hit a left-footed strike into the bottom left corner, set up by Willis’ save on a Giles Barnes strike. In the scramble following the save, it was Bruin who won the footrace over two D.C. defenders, and his chopping kick sent the ball tumbling through the frame.

Late in the game, Kofi Sarkodie found the net for a third Dynamo goal after a poor D.C. clearance on a Houston corner.

As they had against Kansas City, Dynamo used their charmed home field to build a two-goal lead in the home-and-home aggregate series. Now the “destiny” talk will focus instead on Houston.

Olsen will have a week to regroup. He will have Hamid back for the second leg, and there is an outside possibility de Rosario could return from the knee injury that sidelined him earlier in the season. As for the other walking wounded, the following days will provide those answers.

United's Nick DeLeon scored the game's only goal on a through ball in the 88th minute of the MLS Eastern Conference semifinals between D.C. United and New York Red Bulls.

With the win at New York's Red Bull Arena, D.C. United will go on to face Houston in the conference finals.

The thing about that goal is D.C. had been trying to work through balls all night. However, the Red Bulls had their offsides trap working to perfection. New York had caught United runners six times prior to the 88th minute.

For Ben Olsen's Black and Red, the seventh was a charm, as Robbie Russell found DeLeon unshackled from the tyranny of line judges.

This was a playoff series for the books. It featured pretty much everything imaginable, and that was just the first leg. The second picked up where the first left off, especially considering it was supposed to be played Wednesday night.

After toggling the schedule because of Hurricane Sandy, MLS made a last-minute decision to postpone the second leg 24 hours because of Nor'Easter Athena. That second storm was dumping snow on the field faster than grounds crews could shovel it off. 

MLS Commissoner Don Garber issued a written apology for the turn of events.

The series resumed tonight instead. After an initial threat by United's Lionard Pajoy in the opening minutes of play, New York controlled play for much of the game. The Red Bulls pressured the D.C. goal throughout the evening.

New York impressed in every statistical category. The Red Bulls had the advantage in time of possession. They had 10 more shots. They had more shots on target, including a penalty in the second half. 

That penalty was saved by United's backup keeper, Joe Willis. Willis came on to face it because it was Bill Hamid's red-cardable foul that conceded the penalty.

Willis walked on the field, stared down Kenny Cooper, and watched the New York leading scorer bury the kick.

Referee Mark Geiger waved it off, as Thierry Henry had entered the box early.

On Cooper's second try, Willis made the biggest save in both teams' respective seasons.

Much like the own-goal fiasco in the first leg, this game featured back-to-back red cards. Only six minutes after Hamid was sent off, New York's Rafael Marquez picked up his second yellow.

Both benches rode a roller coaster of emotion, albeit in different directions.

New York's Hans Backe was snake bit, watching his side squander the chance at a penalty for the lead in the tied aggregate score (as D.C. had done in the first leg), and then squander the man advantage.

United's Ben Olsen made the opposite trip from despair to thoughts of destiny. The remainder of the game followed script, and DeLeon fulfilled that promise a short time later.

Maybe we should have known this one would be dramatic. But who could have known it would be this odd?

Saturday's first leg of the Eastern Conference playoff series between heated MLS rivals New York and D.C. saw both teams score once—on their own goal. 

The Red Bulls struck first. Roy Miller, brought on at halftime, drove a Chris Pontius cross into the top corner of his own net in the 61st minute. In Miller's defense, he had to make a play on the ball as United's Nick DeLeon was coming after the same cross.

It only took four minutes for D.C. to return the favor. With this one, I am struggling to find a comparable defense for the lapse.

Thierry Henry played a corner kick too far beyond the back post, and Heath Pearce tried to head the ball back into that zone of danger just in front of the goal and keeper. It was not an easy task, and Pearce missed. The header was in along the goal line, floating instead toward the grasp of United's Bill Hamid.

Hamid jumped and caught the ball. He had trouble holding it, because for some odd reason he did not go up with both hands. He then fell in the goal. There was some traffic in the goal mouth, as one might expect during a corner, but he seemingly was not pushed into the goal. It looked more like he just fell backwards.

Then things got weird. 

Andy Najar, who has performed wonderfully for United since moving into the defensive four, was en route to another stellar game Saturday. One play in particular could even have won the label "heady."

In the 71st minute, the Red Bulls regained possession and seemed to have numbers for a dangerous counter. Najar tracked behind New York's Joel Lindpere. Their legs seemed to tangle before Najar reached out to grab at Lindpere's back. Lindpere went down. 

It seemed more tactical than malicious on Najar's part. But tactical fouls can be carded, and this one was. 

Najar had picked up the ball after the whistle. When the yellow appeared, he did what any player would have done—he threw the ball at the referee.

No, he did not just throw the ball at the referee. A back-pedaling Najar led the walking referee perfectly and hit him in stride from about 15 yards away. 

Needless to say, the yellow quickly turned red.

Ben Olsen's squad survived for 20 minutes a player down, so maybe United will find inspiration from just having the opportunity to head into the second leg on Tuesday still even. However, Olsen will have a few long days and maybe sleepless nights knowing United let opportunities pass in this game.

The biggest and most noteworthy was the penalty called for Connor Lade's handball a half hour into the contest. Unfortunately for United, Luis Robles (and everyone else in RFK Stadium) could see Pontius was taking the penalty kick to his left).

A gum-chewing Robles easily stopped the shot.

The comedy of errors overshadowed some pretty good soccer, which is a shame. Robles in particular turned in a very strong performance. Pontius, other than the PK, was sharp and creative for D.C. The miscues will get more attention, though (and I have probably contributed my share to that damage with this article).

D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid recorded a career-high eight saves on Saturday to help United secure a tie at Chicago's Toyota Park and second place in the final Eastern Conference standings.

This was one for the books. Combined with a couple strong diving stops by Chicago's Sean Johnson, this game was an absolute jewel for advocates of those who provide soccer's last line of defense.

Hamid and Johnson are two young and promising keepers in Major League Soccer. Both are incredibly athletic, and this season both added significant degrees of poise and presence for their respective clubs.

But on this day, Hamid's star shone brighter, out of necessity. Chicago thoroughly outplayed D.C. on the rest of the pitch in a game that had playoff significance for both.

United needed a tie to hold second place. Chicago was looking for a win to avoid dropping to fourth and having to host a play-in game. 

Chicago struck first. The Fire's Patrick Nyarko fired a blast that beat a diving Hamid and struck net just inside the right post.

Hamid quickly regained his feet, batted an arm at the invisible gods of soccer misfortune and then took on an expression of stony resilience. It was an expression that seemed to communicate a simple message to teammates: "Do your part and level this score, and they won't beat me again."

Then the show began. 

Hamid's primary victim was Chicago's Sherjill MacDonald. The 21-year-old product of D.C. United's Academy twice denied MacDonald from point-blank ranges.

The first time occurred near the end of the half, with United desperately hoping to avoid carrying a two-goal deficit into the break. On a Chicago counter, Chris Rolfe played a beautiful feed to MacDonald, catching him in stride and space. Hamid shuffled with the pass, chose his position and, when the shot came, made a cat-like swipe at the ball with a strong left arm.

This was a weighted shot from a full-paced attacker. Hamid was only seven or eight yards away. Just making contact with the ball and hopefully deflecting it off target would have been impressive. The young keeper stopped the shot's momentum cold and sent it deflecting 15 yards back over MacDonald, where it was picked up by a trailing D.C. defender.

United did equalize early in the second half, and Hamid's second "grand theft goal" against MacDonald occurred in the In the 62nd minute. After a Chicago corner failed to produce, United also failed to regain possession or at least clear the ball. A shot came in through the box but was blocked up and toward Chicago’s Gonzalo Segares.

Segares lifted a nifty outside-foot flick toward MacDonald in front of the left post. The attacker made solid contact with his right foot. Hamid made solid contact as well, this time with both hands.

In real time, it looked like an act of self defense on Hamid's part. In video replay, the shot could be seen headed to the high corner inside the far post. Hamid proactively moved his hands up and to his left for a beauty of a reaction save.

Ten minutes later, Hamid faced a deceptive right-footed shot from Dominic Oduro.

The Ghana native pushed into space to the left of the goalmouth, with a D.C. defender just trailing him to the inside. Oduro appeared to be setting himself up for a strike or more likely a cross in front of Hamid with his left foot.

A step earlier, Oduro caught the ball with a right-footed poke. Despite the awkward physics involved, the shot had some juice. With a save reminiscent of his second on MacDonald, Hamid was able to get both hands behind the ball and deflect it away.

Hamid, only 21 years old, already is on the radar for Coach Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. men's national team. The United keeper from the nearby Virginia suburb of Annandale has trained with both national youth and senior teams. Hamid got his first senior team cap earlier this year.

If Klinsmann was tuned in for this particular United game, Hamid’s radar blip may just have brightened substantially.

Coach Ben Olsen's mostly unnoticed campaign to return D.C. United to its former Major League Soccer glory reached an important milestone last night. United clinched a spot in the 2012 playoffs with a 3-2, come-twice-from-behind win over the Columbus Crew.

Lewis Neal scored the winner in stoppage time. The dramatic goal bought United three priceless points that leap United to second in the Eastern Conference standings. The loss also eliminated the Crew from contention.

D.C. now sits just three points below Sporting Kansas City. It can finish on top of the conference with a win over Chicago in the last regular-season game on October 27 (coupled with a Sporting loss to Philadelphia three days earlier).

Is anyone outside the Washington Beltway noticing?

Though United has won the league cup four times, D.C. has not appeared in the playoffs since 2007, when Olsen was playing for, rather than coaching, the side.

Most observers noted the improved talent. The D.C. roster includes reigning MVP Dwayne De Rosario, a healthy Chris Pontius back from a broken leg and Honduran national Andy Najar. Before the start of this season, United added Nick DeLeon, Danny Cruz, Emiliano Dudar and Hamdi Salihi.

The touted newcomers would add depth up and down the field, most acknowledged, but talk of a United return to glory felt premature.

That may prove correct. For fans of the black and red, though, making the playoffs beats the alternative. The dry spell has been long enough to erase elite expectations. Now, just being there is enough.

Bill Hamid is, in many ways, a glimpse into American soccer’s future.

As a 21-year-old goalkeeper playing in MLS, he plays a position which the United States has made its own in the past decades.

Continuing the tradition of talented American keepers, Hamid became the youngest goalie in MLS history to win a league game as a 19-year-old in 2010, beating the previous record holder (some guy named Tim Howard).

Hamid’s fast ascent towards success is rooted in his unique position as a player. He was the first D.C. United player to sign with the main team from their academy.

Opting not to go the college route, he went professional early (enrolling at United’s academy in January of 2007) and it has paid off.

“It depends on what you want,” noted Hamid. “Certain players want to get their education under their belt, but other guys just want to jump in the game and start learning as fast as possible, and I decided to take that route. It’s on another level from college, because it’s year-round and the training is fast.”

At a more broad level, Hamid seemed to agree that the academies are another step in building American soccer, saying that “it’s an important step. No knock on the college game, but academies are definitely something that’s going to help the league down the road, the national team as well.”

United’s academy, in particular, has yielded good development (with players like Hamid and Andy Najar).

United Rebuilt

This has aided a resurgent D.C. team, which has gone from not qualifying for the playoffs last season to being very much in the hunt in 2012 (United currently have 10 wins to seven losses, with three ties. They also have the second-best goal difference in the Eastern Conference).

“I just feel like we’re all on the same page this year,” said a clearly more confident Hamid. “You know, from players to staff to training staff, everyone is just on the same page, knowing the game plans.

Everything is more focused and professional. And that’s worked out so far this season and we’ve gotten some nice results.”

Indeed, Hamid is the top goalie in the Castrol Index (which tracks and ranks MLS players).

He acknowledged this (and an apparent liking for the ranking system) by saying about Castrol that “It’s important, you want to know how well you stack up against other goalkeepers in the league.

And to have a statistic above the Dan Kennedys and Joe Cannons is pretty cool.”

The National Team and Dealing with Being “Next”

One thing Hamid has already had to deal with is the label of being the so-called “next great American goalie.”

It’s obviously no secret to even the most casual soccer fan that American goalies have always been a source of pride and strength for American soccer. Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel and Tim Howard (plus many, many others) have all succeeded at the very highest levels.

So, obviously, Hamid, as an extremely gifted 21-year-old keeper, has faced scrutiny and pressure.

He tries to keep it in perspective though.

“I’m thankful for those words and compliments,” says Hamid, “but I don’t really pay attention to it because it’s just talk. It’s kind of like the Jeremy Lin thing, you know? With the whole Linsanity and attention, it gets you off-focus and off-track and I don’t want that to happen.”

He also added that “It’s the hard work that really matters, coming in and grinding and doing your job the right way.”

And on that note, he discussed his time with the U.S. National Team (Hamid first made the senior roster a year ago against Mexico, and made his debut earlier in January against Venezuela).

“I’m very thankful for that opportunity because those guys are top notch. Being among guys like Carlos Bocanegra, and Landon as well, they’re a little bit older than me so just to see how they practice and how they interact with each other off the field. They’re all cool guys to be around and they look out for the young guys as well, so I’m grateful to train with them.”

Dealing with Olympic Disappointment

Yet his time with the U.S. team hasn’t been all good news. With the Olympics kicking off in London, there’s a decidedly empty spot in Team USA: the men’s soccer team, which failed to qualify.

Hamid, a part of the U.S. team which didn’t make it, tries to find the silver lining in his obvious disappointment.

“I’m more of a guy that uses disappointment as motivation, you know I’ll do a couple extra sets in the gym or a couple extra drills on the field, because you just don’t want that feeling of disappointment anymore. And you learn from it. It makes you work harder and it makes you a better person.”

And while he may not be playing against Olympic opponents in England, Hamid will certainly have his hands full when United take on Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, July 28.

“It’s pretty cool to play against guys like that,” said Hamid. “And for us to be playing against PSG, they have all the money in the world now and it’s going to be a good experience.”

Future Ambitions?

And with star-studded European squads in the U.S. for their preseason tours, it’s not lost on Hamid that eventually that’s where he might want to end up.

“I have my dream of playing in Europe one day and following the top American keepers,” said the D.C. keeper, “but I’m just going to leave that to fate.”

“I’m going to work hard every day and if that’s where I’m meant to be than that’s where I’ll go.”

As Major League Soccer enters yet another full week of action in the 2012 season, it makes way for the Atlantic Cup, whose origins go back all the way to the inaugural 1996 season.

The Atlantic Cup is the name given to the D.C. United and New York Red Bulls' bitter rivalry as well as the trophy the winning team receives.

This year's edition kicks off this Sunday, when New York travels to the nation's capital for its first of three matches. Due to the proximity of both clubs, and maybe even some jealousy between them, year after year this rivalry has given fans the opportunity to see amazing soccer. 

If this Sunday's match reaches tradition's expectations and becomes another MLS classic, these will be six reasons why.

1. Winning Team Will Take Advantage of the Opposition's Setbacks

Coming into this Sunday's match, NYRB will be without the services of center-back Wilman Conde, who will be out for a month due to a groin injury. Without his presence in the back line, the Red Bulls have been very vulnerable.

New York has also lost Rafael Marquez after MLS suspended him for three games due to his foul on San Jose's Shea Salinas, who suffered a broken clavicle. 

On the other hand, D.C. United will already be tired from its mid-week against the Montreal Impact, which it tied 1-1. D.C. didn't have to travel, hosting the match at RFK Stadium, but the come-from-behind draw took a lot of energy out of the squad. 

Watch for D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen to make some lineup changes and start fresh legs against a well-rested New York squad. 

2. Both Teams Will Vent out Frustrations

Like I mentioned earlier, part of Conde's being absent from NYRB's defense is that it makes it susceptible to attacks. The most recent example was its 2-2 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes.

This was a very anticipated game last week because it boasted the second-place teams of each conference. But the Red Bulls must have believed that they deserved the three points after going on top in the scoring sheet twice, and at home, only to allow the lead slip away due to defensive mistakes. 

Now for D.C., their 2-1 victory at New England was a huge confidence booster, but the team's draw against visiting expansion side Montreal may have dampened that a bit.

So both these teams will approach Sunday with frustration on their minds, which only three points will relieve.  

3. The Dwayne De Rosario Factor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yBnAaBoN9Y

These two squads exchanged wins last season. NYRB defeated D.C. at RFK with a 4-0 spanking, while United returned the favor at Red Bull Arena later in the season, winning 1-0.

The twist is that United's goalscorer for the win against New York was Dwayne De Rosario, who had just weeks prior, joined D.C. from the Red Bulls after he wasn't able to perform for the club. 

Of course, New York got the last laugh as it barely made the playoffs while D.C. once again looked in from the outside. But the loss to United and the goal by the former Red Bulls player, at New York's house no less, has left a sour note within the Red Bulls franchise.

Also, De Rosario went on to win league MVP and the Golden Boot from the numbers he put up with D.C.—numbers that New York could have used in the playoffs before it crashed out against eventual champions LA Galaxy.

The Red Bulls will want to seek some type of revenge, and with De Rosario currently a bit out of form, the perfect time to strike would be this weekend.

4. Most of the League's Heavy Hitters Will Be on the Field

In theory, both of these squads boast some of the best offensive players in the league. In practice, only one team has been able to display it.

D.C. United has the aforementioned reigning MVP De Rosario, as well as Albanian Designated Player Hamdi Salihi. However, neither have been able to find the back of the net. The team's other forward, Maicon Santos, has been the relief, scoring four goals this season. 

Now the Red Bulls are a different story. Thierry Henry has killed, scoring seven goals and five assists. And his current partner in crime, Kenny Cooper, has also scored seven goals. This tandem has become the most lethal in Major League Soccer.

That doesn't mean that we can disregard United's attacking players. They have shown the league what they are capable of with a 4-1 whooping of FC Dallas and the recent 2-1 come-from-behind victory against the New England Revolution.

With all this talent on the field, and after you sprinkle in some Chris Pontius, Nick De Leon, Danny Cruz, Dane Richards, Joel Lindpere and Jan Gunnar Solli, something explosive will happen.

5. D.C. United Leads the Rivalry

Since 1996, D.C. has led New York 44-25-8 in all competitions. But since the Red Bulls era, that margin has been kept to 8-4-5 in favor of United.

It's not a terrible record for the Red Bulls, but with the talent now at the team's disposal, and with three Atlantic Cup games to be played this season, New York will want to close that gap in the rivalry.

Also, D.C. United is currently in third place in the Eastern Conference, only one point behind New York. A win on Sunday will leapfrog the Red Bulls to second place, which will definitely be on the mind of some of United's players.

It's guaranteed the game will not be very friendly, and the referee will have a tough time setting the tone to keep all 22 players in check.

6. National Broadcast

This match will have an additional feel of importance, especially for fans, since it will be aired nationally on ESPN2. 

In addition, with D.C. hosting it will be played in the confines of RFK Stadium, which can be a fortress for United. Last year's game at RFK brought in over 18,000 fans, so expect a great atmosphere as the bleachers will be bouncing once again.  

As of late, RFK hasn't been the bunker it used to be in the 1990s and early 2000s. Nevertheless, if the fans show up—which they will, and from both sides—the environment in that stadium will erupt like it hasn't in a long time.

D.C. United/New York Red Bulls will kick off at 6:00 pm EDT on ESPN2.