Despite an ongoing 12-game unbeaten streak in MLS play, D.C. United needs victories in both of its final regular-season matches to be assured of holding off Chivas USA for the Supporters' Shield trophy. But the Black-and-Red will have to do without the inspirational presence of Jaime Moreno for at least one of those games.
The United captain has once again traveled south to join the Bolivian national team, this time for the opening of the Andean nation's World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign.
"It's great for me to see him back on that team. There was an absence there in his career for a while, when he wasn't with them, for whatever reason that was," said Ben Olsen, who will likely take over the club's captaincy while Moreno is away. "It's nice that they brought him back and he's given them a lot of great games so far."
Bolivia's gain is United's loss, however. Though Moreno's 2007 statistics (six goals, seven assists) have been understated in comparison to the gaudy numbers of previous years, his latest departure underlines his pivotal importance to the league-leading side and presents a challenge to the reserve strikers who will be asked to perform in his absence.
"We have to be prepared for whatever the defenses are showing us," said his prolific strike partner Luciano Emilio, who is usually forced to endure added attention from opposing defenders when Moreno is gone. "Without Jaime, obviously someone else is going to have to step in and fill that role."
Moreno departed on Sunday and with Bolivia traveling to play in Uruguay on Saturday, then returning to La Paz for Wednesday's home match with Colombia, he will certainly miss D.C.'s clash with Chicago this weekend. On Tuesday, Soehn even declined to confirm that his most experienced veteran will be back in uniform for the season finale against Columbus on Oct. 20, wryly offering reporters "a lot of P words -- possibly, probably."
Part of Soehn's conservatism can be linked to Moreno's sore ankle, which restricted him to a 17-minute substitute role in Kansas City last Friday. The D.C. boss has been in limited contact with Bolivian coach Erwin Sanchez and his training staff, but shared his outlook with Moreno himself and hopes that the injury is handled with caution.
"We would have to manage his minutes right now and I hope they respect that because he's hurting a little bit," said Soehn. "He's still effective when he comes into games, but you have to look over the course of a season and make sure you are taking care of the guy ... all I could do is recommend what I thought to Jaime."
Soehn and his players tend to focus on the team as a whole and downplay the negative impact of individual absences, and in Moreno's case they can point to several periods this season in which they've coped without his services due to injury or international duty. But even in those situations his influence is evident, as United have often played with a less fluid, more direct style. The squad has a 13-3-4 record with Moreno in the lineup and is 5-3 without him.
"Jaime composes us, more than probably any player on the team," said Olsen. "He allows us to all play at a slower pace, which is nice. His ability to hold the ball up and to get out of situations helps all the people around him. It's not so much him doing everything, it's him allowing us to do certain things."
Speedy rookie Guy-Roland Kpene has started seven games for United this season, most of them in Moreno's position, but has struggled to regain his form since a series of injuries in midseason. Second-year pro Rod Dyachenko has also spelled the Bolivian at times and offers size and vision. But replacing an 11-year veteran with a league-record 112 career goals poses a heavy responsibility for any player.
"When Jaime's not on the field, I think it affects the whole team," said Emilio. "He's a symbol of the club. He's our leader, he has a lot of experience and he holds the ball well, he's very technical. But overall, we just have to find other ways to compensate for his absence and stick to our game plan."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
