Already mindful of playoff positioning as the regular season dwindles away, D.C. United hope to continue their three-game league winning streak and keep climbing up the standings as they play host to the New York Red Bulls in a Wednesday night match at RFK Stadium rife with postseason implications.
The contest will also decide the winner of this year's Atlantic Cup trophy, with the bitter rivals having split their two previous 2007 meetings thus far, and the return of Bruce Arena to RFK Stadium could prompt some nostalgia among long-time United fans. But on this occasion those storylines have taken a back seat to the overriding imperative of the crowded Eastern Conference race, where New York and D.C. are presently knotted in second place with 33 points each.
"I think that you can take away all that -- it's about points at this point," said United midfielder Ben Olsen. "It's about us being tied in a tight Eastern Conference and everybody needs points to make the playoffs. I like the new playoff system -- I think the fight to get in the playoffs now is harder, and these games get more meaningful as we wind down the year a little bit. Everybody's looking to assure themselves of a playoff spot, and the only way to do that is to get points and in particular get points against Eastern Conference foes."
The Red Bulls are riding high after Saturday's explosive 5-4 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy, but United have rolled up three consecutive shutouts in league play and are determined to prevent any such fireworks from erupting on their home field.
"Both of those teams like to get into a wide-open, end-to-end game," said defender Greg Vanney. "I think it was the perfect game for a lot of goals. We're not going to play like that. We're going to stay compact, we're going to stay organized. I'm going to try to keep the back line up high, so our midfielders don't have a lot of space they have to cover and we can also get pressure on guys."
Red Bulls strikers Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel comprise one of the most dangerous attacking tandems in the league and each will present their own set of challenges for the D.C. defense.
"He's athletic, skillful, fast, everything -- you name it, he's got it," said Devon McTavish of Altidore, who was named MLS Player of the Week for his two well-taken goals against the Galaxy. "We're going to have to keep a close eye on him and support each other whenever possible. That's about all you can do against him."
Colombian international Angel -- whose 12 goals place him just behind United's Luciano Emilio in the MLS Golden Boot standings -- provides a classy foil to Altidore's athletic presence, possessing a sense of movement and timing that demands constant vigilance.
"Any time he gets around the box, you have to know where he is. You have to have one eye on the ball and one eye on him. He's crafty at getting away from you and finding space to finish chances," said Vanney. "We just want to make life difficult for him and if he happens to get a goal, it's got to be one he's really earned, not just a simple tap-in or something like that."
United's injury situation has improved in recent weeks, but the Black-and-Red will definitely have to do without Josh Gros on Wednesday, and likely for some time to come. The energetic Gros has been a mainstay in the D.C. lineup for the past three years, but he's been sidelined indefinitely by a concussion sustained in Columbus last week.
It was 15th such head trauma he's experienced -- a startling statistic that may yet require him to take an extended respite from competition. In the coming days, Gros will travel to Pittsburgh to see a specialist for further guidance.
"Josh is always on the field, in one position or another, and he's going to be sorely missed," said McTavish. "He gets after every loose ball, he gets goals like the one he got in New England [on August 5] to spark us. He's just a great teammate to have, a great player, so he's going to be missed and everyone's thinking about him."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
