D.C. United has compiled more points, scored more goals and allowed fewer than any other team in Major League Soccer in 2006, having lost only one match all season en route to an astounding 41 points from 18 matches. In light of such domestic domination, Wednesday's international friendly with Scottish powerhouse Celtic FC arrives at an ideal time, offering the four-time MLS champions an opportunity to once again test themselves against Europe's best.
"This club definitely has the most tradition as far as MLS goes, and this year we've definitely proved our worth in the league," said striker Alecko Eskandarian. "Just being a soccer fan, Celtic has so much history and tradition ... they're obviously a quality team, and I'm looking forward to it."
The legendary Glasgow side can claim a truly global fan base and its distinctive green-and-white hooped jersey should be well-represented at RFK Stadium, the first stop on a three-city U.S. tour for the 2006 Scottish Premier League champs.
Celtic's preseason preparations have already taken them on a two-game trip to Poland, and the Hoops will also travel to Japan and England for further friendlies next month as manager Gordon Strachan runs the rule over summer signings like Jiri Jarosik and Derek Riordan and welcomes stars Artur Boruc, Maciej Zurawski and Shunsuke Nakamura back from the World Cup in Germany.
"To have a chance to play a storied franchise like Celtic is something I'm certainly excited about," said veteran midfielder Ben Olsen, himself recently returned from World Cup duty with the United States. "This team has some great players on it -- it's one of the better teams in Europe, consistently winning championships."
A year ago, United hosted English Premier League champions Chelsea FC at FedEx Field and performed admirably, taking a 1-0 lead on a Bobby Boswell header before succumbing to top-class goals from Damien Duff and Hernan Crespo. In fact, United has largely prospered in international competition over their 11-year existence, boasting an all-time record of 21-9-5 against foreign opposition.
It will be difficult for Wednesday's contest to live up to last year's "Clash of Champions," but the Black-and-Red are nonetheless focused on maintaining the strength and consistency that has powered their 12-game unbeaten streak.
"When we were playing Chelsea, that was a pretty big deal as far as star factor," admits Olsen. "I don't think the result [against Celtic] is a big issue. It's important to stay on form and get guys who haven't played many games some action. It's also a great opportunity for some of these younger guys who don't play international games."
As conference contests with Columbus and Chicago loom on the horizon, Olsen expects D.C. coach Peter Nowak to limit playing time for his starters on Wednesday. But thanks to his red card against the Crew on Saturday, Eskandarian is suspended for at least one league match and thus could be put through his paces against the Hoops.
The always-passionate Eskandarian is working his way back to full fitness after missing almost a month of action with a knee sprain. While praising the resiliency that has helped the team rack up results week after week, he insists that United have yet to fulfill their potential.
"I say it every week, we still aren't doing our best," said the fourth-year striker. "That being said, we've put a lot of hard work into this. This is our third year with this coaching staff, so we've been working on this stuff for three years now. We're happy to be getting these wins, even if we're not playing our best right now."
A solid performance against Celtic would put the rest of MLS -- and the world -- on notice, and Eskandarian and his teammates clearly recognize the importance of representing the U.S. and its young league with pride.
"Obviously, any chance we get, we want to show that American soccer has come a long way and we can compete with teams around the world," said Eskandarian. "Since I've been here, I think the only international game we've lost was Chelsea, and even that was such a great game, it put us on the map."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
