As the temperature in the nation's capital plummeted last week, D.C. United found a respite from the cold by spending a week at the Las Palmas Hotel & Suites on Florida's East Coast.
The trip was no fun-in-the-sun vacation, but rather a tough training period designed to prepare United for one of the biggest challenges in the club's history, the two-leg semifinal in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup against Mexican powerhouse CD Guadalajara (Chivas). The first match is set for Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m. at RFK Stadium (FSC/FSE).
With the team still in its preseason as the date with Chivas rapidly approaches, United head coach Tom Soehn put his charges through two intense practice sessions a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, to bring the team closer to full match fitness.
"We had a set plan of what we needed to accomplish, and early in the week we hit them hard with doubles to push the fitness bar a little higher," Soehn said.
"The two-a-days were pretty taxing," said defender Bryan Namoff. "But it was something we needed to do. We need to pick up our fitness level and adjust ourselves to get ready for this type of competition."
While in Florida, United participated in two friendlies, a 5-3 victory against Florida International University, which served mainly as an opportunity to give the reserves a run-out, and a 4-2 victory against Honduran club Motagua at Tropical Park in Miami.
But the week wasn't without its lighter moments. Toward the end of the week, an afternoon session was conducted on the beach, which gave the players the opportunity to clear their heads and refocus in time for the Motgua friendly.
The veterans on the team haven't forgotten their previous experience in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. In 2005, following their victory in MLS Cup 2004, United dispensed of Jamaica's Harbour View FC in the quarterfinals by an aggregate score of 4-2.
But the semifinals against Mexican club Pumas UNAM were a different story. After a respectable 1-1 draw in the home leg, United were blown out 5-0 in the Estadio Olimpico Universitario. The scenario two years ago is the same as now, playing a tough Mexican club, first at home, then on the road.
Then, Bobby Boswell was an undrafted rookie who had made his MLS debut just four days before the first match against Pumas, replacing former team captain Ryan Nelsen in central defense. Now, he is the reigning MLS Defender Of The Year and thinks the current squad is better equipped to deal with the pressure of this game.
"Back then we had a couple of new guys in and it was a new situation for some guys, especially me," Boswell said. "But now we're used to playing with each other. The only new guy in the system is Luciano Emilio and he's scoring goals."
Namoff, a seven-year pro playing in his third CONCACAF Champions' Cup, and the other veterans have taken it upon themselves to impart their knowledge of these competitions to the younger players.
"The level of competition has stepped up a notch in this game, and us older guys have been trying to show them this week in training that it's going to be tough," Namoff said.
Soehn, who was United's assistant coach in 2005, believes that the team has learned from that experience.
"The one thing you have to realize is that the home leg is very important, and you have to establish a little advantage, which we didn't do against Pumas," he said. "It's not easy playing [in Mexico]. Fortunately we're a little more experienced, and if we need to get a lead down there, I think we've got a group of guys who can do that."
David Lifton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
