After spending the past several years in search of the perfect defensive formula to balance their potent strike force, D.C. United's braintrust hopes that pairing recent acquisition Greg Vanney with Bobby Boswell in the center of the back line will provide the final piece of the MLS Cup puzzle.
Boswell recently soaked up a first-rate clinic in top-flight soccer as a member of the USA's winless Copa America team, a talented but unproven group which showed promising glimpses in three games only to fall victim to moments of class from their South American counterparts.
"Every play matters, every play is important," Boswell said of international duty. "That one play could be the play that costs you the game or wins you the game. I saw some of the different guys I've never played with, some of the European[-based] guys, I saw how hard they worked and I have to take that under consideration for where I want to go and what I want to do. I have to work that much harder."
One humbling highlight was a front-row seat for the relentless performance put on by Argentina's star-studded squad in their 4-1 dismantling of the young Yanks in Maracaibo.
"We weren't disillusioned -- we knew what we were going into, especially in that first game. We saw their lineup and you know everybody on the field, it's one of those things where you've watched them [on TV]," said Boswell. "We played well at times. But we talked about it in camp: we know that we have to do better, and we have to move on from that experience but learn a lot from it. It's a great thing to learn from."
In many ways, Vanney has been brought in to augment that education as an MLS original who's logged time in the French Ligue 1 in addition to stints with three other domestic pro clubs.
"[Boswell] didn't play the first two [U.S.] games, but he still learned a lot sitting on the sideline and watching how Argentina addressed the game and how they impacted it, how they were able to adapt throughout the course of the game," said United coach Tom Soehn of his young center back. "Any chance our young guys get to be in an experience like that is very valuable, and they'll share some of those experiences with the guys here and in the meantime, we've got a veteran to play alongside him, which is going to be another experience for Bobby. So far it looks pretty good."
The combination of a well-traveled international veteran like Vanney with an up-and-coming U.S. national team prospect could well be the key to making the November 18 final at RFK Stadium a home match for D.C., but it requires rapid midseason adaptation from both defenders.
"When you trade a younger player for an older player, there's some expectation to win right away, maybe not in the first couple of games but obviously to be playing in the final here at the end of the year," said Vanney, who traded places with 25-year-old Argentinean Facundo Erpen in the deal with the Colorado Rapids last week. "So that expectation, whether it's said to me [or not], it's understood that that's the purpose of bringing me here: to have a championship team this year."
Boswell and Vanney have been racing to form an understanding as United prepares to dive into a frenetic stretch that includes action in two high-profile international tournaments above and beyond league action. The 1-0 loss to Houston Dynamo last Sunday provided another harsh lesson as the new-look backline surrendered few clear opportunities, yet the defending champs only needed one look to notch all three points.
"It was better than the game before," said Vanney. "In Kansas City we were not quite on the same page and we gave up some opportunities, and Troy [Perkins] came up big. Against Houston, they didn't have a lot of good chances, but they're a team that plays for set pieces and they got us on one of the set pieces. So defensively, from an organizational standpoint I thought we were OK."
Boswell learned of the Erpen-Vanney trade from the Rapids' U.S. contingent, and shortly after going 90 minutes in the USA's final match in Venezuela, he traveled directly to Houston with Ben Olsen to participate in his first game alongside a new defensive partner.
"I like Facundo a lot, we got along well and I think we played well together," said Boswell. "But with that said, Greg comes in and he's a veteran, he's got a lot of experience and a lot of leadership abilities. I look forward to working with him and learning what he has to offer. It's going to be a different feel ... maybe that's what I need to take my game to the next level."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
