WASHINGTON, D.C. - This Tuesday, December 5, D.C. United will receive a Resolution from Councilmember Carol Schwartz at City Council Chambers (Wilson Building 1350 Penn. Ave). D.C. United President Kevin Payne, along with a number of players, will be present to accept the Resolution, which will honor the club for its accomplishments both on and off the field during the 2006 season.
During the regular season, D.C. United set the pace for Major League Soccer with a 15-7-10 record for a league-leading 55 points that gave them the Supporters' Shield. As the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference, United advanced to the conference final in the playoffs. United won the Atlantic Cup in the regular season matchup with the rival New York Red Bulls.
On the international level, D.C. United also found success this season. In an international friendly, the Black-and-Red came out firing, as they demolished Scottish League Champion Celtic FC 4-0 on July 12. United again displayed their international clout when they played to an impressive 1-1 draw with Real Madrid on August 9.
D.C. United's success on the field this season has already been recognized with a number of awards. Head Coach Peter Nowak was chosen to coach the MLS All-Star Team against Chelsea FC. The All-Star Team, which featured eight United players (the most in team history), shocked the English Premier League power by a score of 1-0 on August 5. At the end of the season, D.C. United also racked up a number of individual awards. Midfielder Christian Gomez earned League MVP honors for his team-leading 14 goals and 11 assists. Goalkeeper Troy Perkins won the Goalkeeper of the Year award, posting a 1.13 goals-against average and eight shutouts. Defender Bobby Boswell anchored the United defense on his way to Defender of the Year honors. These three players and forward Jaime Moreno were named to the RadioShack Best XI.
The Black-and-Red also enjoyed plenty of highlights off the pitch in 2006 as well, as United for D.C., the charitable arm of D.C. United, saw many of its signature programs continue to grow and prosper. In March, United for D.C. launched United Soccer Club, the first-ever soccer specific league East of the Anacostia River. The after-school program provides basic soccer instruction and friendly scrimmage matches to over 90 children in the Barry Farm community, including Birney Elementary and Howard Road Academy.
United for D.C. also continued to expand its Kicks for Kids program, which supplies free-of-charge tickets to regular season D.C. United home matches and free meal vouchers to area non-profit organizations and other community-based groups that serve at-risk, disadvantaged or inner-city children. Now in its fifth year, Kicks for Kids was able to provide 5,700 tickets to more than 150 different organizations this season.
This year also saw the expansion of United for D.C.'s United Reads program, which encourages and promotes childhood literacy. In 2006, United for D.C. opened its second United Reads Reading Corner at the Children's Health Center on Good Hope Road in Ward 8, where they provided books and other materials to help enhance the waiting room.
