With the final completion of Christian Gomez's trade to Colorado, D.C. United has swapped the longtime centerpiece of their attack for designated player Marcelo Gallardo and in the process, turned the page on a memorable era in the club's history.
"It's always very, very difficult to see one of your family members leave," said Will Chang, United's co-managing partner. "But what's important is that we're committed to our fanbase and we're committed to our community to have a championship team, and when we have to make the move, we have to make the move -- particularly in a salary cap environment."
United had sought to re-sign the 2006 league MVP and three-time MLS Best XI nominee in a series of on-again, off-again contract negotiations over the past year. But United's front office, eyeing what would be a busy period of international signings ahead, set an end-of-December deadline and when both parties were unable to reach a deal in that time, the club moved on -- with Gallardo's capture the eventual result. In exchange for Gomez, United will receive the Rapids' first-round pick in the 2009 SuperDraft and future considerations.
Gomez was an unheralded signing from second-division Argentinean side Arsenal de Sarandi when he first arrived at RFK Stadium to boost United's late-season push in August 2004. Three and a half years later, he leaves the capital city with a host of individual honors, a long list of memorable moments and the lasting appreciation of supporters who will always remember his pivotal role in bringing the MLS Cup back to Washington in 2004 after a five-year drought.
He was only the second player in club history to wear the revered No. 10 playmaker's jersey, following club legend Marco Etcheverry, and while he was not handed that honor until his first full season with the club, he proved he was up to the task with a sustained period of excellence that helped propel United back among the league's elite. The No. 10 jersey and maestro's role now passes to Gallardo, who comes to D.C. with a bigger reputation and, correspondingly, more expectations than Gomez.
"Obviously Marco Etcheverry set a standard that has been unsurpassed in our league," said club president and CEO Kevin Payne. "And Christian brought honor to that number as well with our team. But Marcelo has worn that jersey for Argentina, and he's worn that jersey for River Plate, and he's worn that jersey for Paris Saint-Germain, and he's worn it for Monaco. So it seemed appropriate to put him in that jersey. And we also want him to understand exactly what his responsibilities are here, and I think he does."
Gallardo is a two-time World Cup veteran with Argentina's national team and has earned top honors with one of the nation's dominant clubs, River Plate, as well as French Ligue 1 side AC Monaco. But he now faces the not-inconsiderable challenge of acclimating to a new country and unfamiliar league in a short amount of time, with the added burden of being a designated player signing whose larger salary will make him the center of attention both on the field and off it.
"It's tough for him to get into the team," said United defender Marc Burch of Gallardo. "He's never played this style of play and I think that's something Christian did well -- he learned how to play in MLS, because it's a real different style of play, and I think Gallardo, he'll do the same thing. He's definitely technically gifted and he works hard, so I think he's going to be a huge part of our attack this year."
He'll not only be called upon to replace -- and eclipse -- Gomez's vision and imagination, but his passion and commitment as well. Those who've seen him throughout the early stages of D.C.'s preseason say that "El Muneco" has already shown signs of fulfilling that charge.
"Obviously they're different people, but a lot of aspects of their game are the same," said head coach Tom Soehn of his past and present playmakers. "In a lot of respects, Gallardo's got a bit of a different dimension. ... I'm constantly opening my eyes to things he just does incredibly well."
With its willingness to invest in a designated player, United's ownership group has also signaled its ambitions for the coming seasons: The club is eager for international glory as well as domestic success.
"What we've told the team management is, we'll provide you with financial backing, but we don't want to hire a DP if our overall team is not of a quality at which it can win championships," explained co-managing partner Victor MacFarlane.
"Hiring a DP to make us a playoff-level team wouldn't be something we would do. It's not financially prudent, it doesn't really do anything. But to help us make that next step so we can start winning not just the Supporters' Shield, but the [MLS] Cup and international tournaments, then absolutely, we'd be supportive of that. And that's what we've done."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
