With a 13-1-6 record, a 20-point lead in the Eastern Conference standings and Major League Soccer's top attacking and defensive statistics, D.C. United have moved within reach of several all-time league marks -- while inviting comparison to the club's late-1990s dynasty.
With Saturday's 1-1 draw in Chicago having extended its unbeaten streak to 14 games, D.C.'s consistent excellence has many observers wondering if Peter Nowak's charges could eventually rank among the best teams in MLS history. The former Polish international, like everyone in the United locker room, insisted that they are an unfinished product but offered high praise for his close-knit squad.
"It's not yet there. I think there's still work to do," said Nowak after United's recent 4-0 demolition of Scottish champions Celtic F.C., before confessing that "the mentality and the approach from my players in practice, how they feel and how we communicate, the whole picture is very good. I have a very special group of players. All 27, right now they just want to succeed."
That group has benefited from the stability and success of the past three seasons under the master plan of Nowak, President and CEO Kevin Payne and Technical Director Dave Kasper. The trio have kept the faith despite of the harsh sting of last year's humiliating playoff capitulation to the Chicago Fire, and the resultant chemistry is helping this hard-driven team form an addiction to winning.
"We had a meeting last year with Kevin Payne, and he told us he wasn't happy with our performance," said center back Bobby Boswell, who has blossomed into an All-Star defender in his second year as a pro. "This year we came out with a chip on our shoulder and I think you're seeing that in the way we're playing now. Hopefully we're going to keep winning these games, but the intensity is going to be there every game. It's not going to slow down. That's just the way Peter and the coaches have us working, and that's the kind of team we are."
Ben Olsen was the MLS Rookie of the Year on the 1998 United side that is widely considered the best in league history, in spite of a 2-0 MLS Cup loss to the Fire side that Nowak himself captained. Olsen is optimistic, but quick to point out the relative insignificance of their 2006 results so far.
"It's up there with one of the better teams in D.C. United history, that's for sure," said the veteran midfielder. "I'm not going to rank them out now, but there was some serious heat on those teams in the late '90s. It is still only halfway through the season. This league is about the playoffs, not about what you do in the regular season. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Nowak's United are known for their explosive attack -- D.C. does lead the league in scoring -- but this year's dominance has been founded on an incredibly stingy defense that has surrendered only 17 goals. With 12 matches to play, United holds a realistic chance of beating the all-time league record for fewest goals allowed (29), jointly held by the 1999 Los Angeles Galaxy, the 2000 Kansas City Wizards and the 2001 San Jose Earthquakes.
All-Star goalkeeper Troy Perkins traced that success to the strong spirit forged in the snowy suburbs of Madrid last winter, where the Black-and-Red trained hard through bitter weather in the early days of preseason.
"It's a team effort," said Perkins. "We gelled pretty well while we were in Spain as a team. Being away up in the mountains was good. I think we're out fighting for each other this year. That's a big difference -- last year we lacked that chemistry. We're starting to find it."
The squad is also within striking distance of the all-time MLS record for victories (24), a mark shared by the Galaxy and United sides of 1998. Though it's a tall task, Nowak's men have shown an ability to get results in a variety of circumstances, whether it be high-scoring shootouts or 1-0 grinders, which also bodes well for their postseason prospects.
"It was kind of a knock on us [in the past] -- if you're physical or don't let them play with their flair, that you can get the best of D.C. United, but that's not the case at all this year," said striker Alecko Eskandarian. "We've proven already that we can win ugly games, and we don't mind playing those ugly games because we're scoring goals and defending all together as a unit very well."
In only his third year as a head coach, Nowak has won plaudits for smoothing his relationship with teenage star Freddy Adu and tweaking D.C.'s formation to get the optimal combination of players on the field. For his part, Nowak applauded his team for fully embracing his tactics and hard-nosed mentality.
"I think they believe, and strongly believe, that this team can have a great season," Nowak said. "There were a lot of obstacles before the season. We tried to find the best way to accommodate the talent we have, the system we play, and we just stuck together. As soon as we started winning, the team saw this -- they know it works. And if you have this kind of confidence in the coaching staff and in themselves as a team, together, then you will have these kind of results."
Nowak's ambition and work ethic has clearly rubbed off on this diverse blend of youth, experience and raw talent.
"I don't see it getting any slower for us," said Boswell. "We're really pushing and we want to win Supporters' Shield, and we want to win the Open Cup, and we want to win the playoffs, the MLS Cup. And we want to be in the [international] tournaments next year -- CONCACAF [Champions' Cup] and [Copa] Sudamerica. Those are goals that we have."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
