Post by epjr on Nov 26, 2010 17:56:57 GMT -6
2010 in Review: Best & worst of D.C. United
Young star emerges in otherwise forgettable season in Washington
WASHINGTON – D.C. United entered 2010 with cautious optimism. Incoming head coach Curt Onalfo led a parade of new faces as the club looked to infuse the squad with youth while remaining competitive in the MLS playoff race.
But even United’s most modest hopes were horribly crushed over the course of a historically bad season, which kicked off with a 4-0 hammering at the hands of the Kansas City Wizards and rarely improved in the months thereafter.
With his team spiraling towards a last-place finish, Onalfo was dismissed in August and while many young players earned valuable experience, the Black-and-Red must now enter another round of offseason rebuilding. Here is the best and worst of the season.
Best moment of the year
Highlights came few and far between for DC in 2010, but club legend Jaime Moreno’s emotional sendoff in the season finale at RFK Stadium proved to be an unforgettable occasion. A large home crowd paid tribute to perhaps the greatest MLS player of all time, and Moreno duly capped the evening with one last strike to run his career total to a league-leading 133 goals.
Worst moment
United were pushed out of the playoff picture by midsummer, but they took solace in a US Open Cup run that offered one last chance for glory. Yet in early September, that, too, came crashing down as Columbus snatched an injury-time equalizer, then an overtime winner, to vanquish DC in an agonizing cup semifinal at RFK.
www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2010-review-best-worst-dc-united
Young star emerges in otherwise forgettable season in Washington
WASHINGTON – D.C. United entered 2010 with cautious optimism. Incoming head coach Curt Onalfo led a parade of new faces as the club looked to infuse the squad with youth while remaining competitive in the MLS playoff race.
But even United’s most modest hopes were horribly crushed over the course of a historically bad season, which kicked off with a 4-0 hammering at the hands of the Kansas City Wizards and rarely improved in the months thereafter.
With his team spiraling towards a last-place finish, Onalfo was dismissed in August and while many young players earned valuable experience, the Black-and-Red must now enter another round of offseason rebuilding. Here is the best and worst of the season.
Best moment of the year
Highlights came few and far between for DC in 2010, but club legend Jaime Moreno’s emotional sendoff in the season finale at RFK Stadium proved to be an unforgettable occasion. A large home crowd paid tribute to perhaps the greatest MLS player of all time, and Moreno duly capped the evening with one last strike to run his career total to a league-leading 133 goals.
Worst moment
United were pushed out of the playoff picture by midsummer, but they took solace in a US Open Cup run that offered one last chance for glory. Yet in early September, that, too, came crashing down as Columbus snatched an injury-time equalizer, then an overtime winner, to vanquish DC in an agonizing cup semifinal at RFK.
www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2010-review-best-worst-dc-united