Thirteen years after Jaime Moreno's appearance as the youngest member of Bolivia's 1994 World Cup team, the D.C. United captain helped his Bolivian national team hold Ireland to a tie in an international friendly last week at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Moreno fed teammate Juan Carlos Arce inside the box, but Arce's ensuing shot was pushed by Ireland goalkeeper Nick Colgan onto the post, causing a goal-mouth struggle. The ball found its way to Miguel Hoyos, who fired in the equalizer.
Moreno finished the half before being substituted. Moreno earned his last cap in 2000 when he played four qualifying matches in Bolivia's 2002 World Cup qualifying run. Now in his 12th season in MLS, he is currently tied for the all-time goals scored record with 108.
Chinese connection
D.C. United's Will Chang will be on the sidelines in San Jose, Calif., this weekend for the friendly between the U.S. and China, the team's final tune-up before the Gold Cup. Chang, who is also part owner of the San Francisco Giants, was instrumental in bringing the friendly to the Bay Area, due to his ties with the Chinese national team.
The U.S.-China game will be shown live on ESPN2 and Galavision at 8 p.m. ET this Saturday. Fans can also follow live via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.
Roster spot open
Midfielder Kiki Willis has been suspended from D.C. United, after he left the team for personal reasons, returning to his family in Youngstown, Ohio.
His suspension means that D.C. now has an open roster spot. United originally signed Willis to a development contract in March, following his impressive showing at the club's pre-draft combine in January.
Autographed jerseys
Moreno, the Man of the Match from last week's game in Toronto, has signed his game-worn jersey to be auctioned online, with proceeds going to United for D.C., D.C. United's charitable arm. The jersey is an historic one, as Moreno took a brilliant penalty tying him for the most goals in MLS at 108. Bidding for Moreno's jersey ends Thursday. Visit the auction page for more information.
This past Saturday's Man of the Match went to the deserving Christian Gomez. The 2006 MLS MVP helped United notch a 2-1 win in their game Saturday against Dynamo with his brilliant goal off a free kick at 25 yards just four minutes into the game. Bidding for Gomez's jersey will begin Thursday end June 7.
