The Houston Dynamo's first trip to the nation's capital started with all eyes on D.C. United as the team went in search of their first-ever regular season win at RFK Stadium.
But thanks to a Wednesday night deluge and field conditions that were literally washed away with each passing shower, the Dynamo will have to wait a bit longer for their first league road win in Washington, D.C.
And while the game is yet to be re-scheduled, the team's trip to Washington was not a total washout. They did visit the White House Thursday, becoming the first MLS team to do so twice, on what was a much nicer day in the Northeast.
Dynamo midfielder Craig Waibel got a chance to chat with President George W. Bush last season and had been eagerly waiting for a second visit. There is no question Waibel is one of the more outspoken players on the team, but even he was humbled by the visit to the White House.
"It is the coolest honor I can think of to be honored by the President of the free world," Waibel said. "I love the United States, obviously, and I am a big patriot and a proud American. I never thought I would get the honor to meet the President on his grounds, and to now go there twice in two years is just amazing. It is awfully generous of him to have us back."
After a morning tour of the White House, the team got to meet with President Bush and posed for a picture in the Rose Garden. After that, each player went into the Oval Office to take individual pictures with the President.
That part of the day was a bit different than the year before.
"Last year I had the chance to go in there with him and present him with a gift," Waibel said. "There was a group of maybe four or five of us. We got to go inside and chat with him for maybe five or 10 minutes, but that was absolutely mind-blowing to spend some time with the President of the U.S."
Head coach Dominic Kinnear, never one to look past the task at hand, was happy for the chance to go back after becoming just the second team ever to win back-to-back titles.
"I think the reason that you are going is the special part, and that is because we won the title last year and ironically, it was in Washington, D.C.," Kinnear said. "That made it kind of nice and last year was definitely a unique experience. But we're definitely not getting comfortable going there. Any time you get the opportunity and the invitation, you accept the invitation because it really is a great experience."
Dynamo forward Brian Ching said the trip to the White House is special for several reasons, and that the experience for those that are going the first time is one that will never be forgotten.
He even hinted that the experience might be quite the motivational tool.
"It's always a very special honor to meet the President," Ching said. "I can't wait to get up there and shake his hand again."
For that to happen, the Dynamo will have to conquer the MLS record book again as no team has ever won three in a row. There's always a first time for everything.
Andrew J. Ferraro is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
