After a turbulent fall finally put paid to its exhausting 2005 campaign, D.C. United recuperated via a quiet, methodical offseason that has propelled the club into 2006 with a well-established core of leading lights, hungry youngsters with much to prove and a quiet confidence reminiscent of dynasties past.
Head coach Peter Nowak and his staff have prepared the Black-and-Red with a unique, extended road trip from Bradenton, Fla., to central Spain and finally to Charleston, S.C., before their home opener with the New York Red Bulls at RFK Stadium on Sunday.
"You know, we still have a couple of weeks to work on some things, but we've found a good way right now," said Nowak from the squad's Carolina home base on Daniel Island. "The third camp is almost easy, because everyone is anxious about the season and the players are fighting for their positions, so it's been good."
As they look to regain the heights of their 2004 MLS Cup glory, United will rely on their exemplary set of veteran leaders to leaven a mostly youthful roster which has been molded by several months' worth of shared experiences, like long hours of fitness at Bradenton and snow-bound training grounds in Madrid.
"It's good to have the guys together for quite some time," acknowledged Nowak. "In Spain we had a perfect location, without any distractions. We had great friendlies with very good competition ... and now we've pushed the guys a little bit further.
"I think it was important to see how the group came together. Not only the young guys and the rookies, but also the veterans -- they really pushed the young kids and we just want to make sure that the next time is going to be even better."
Add in the fact that several key players began the year under the watchful eye of Bruce Arena at U.S. national team camp, and it's easy to envision United getting off to the fast start that has eluded them in recent seasons.
Freddy Adu, Bobby Boswell, Brian Carroll, Santino Quaranta and Ben Olsen were called in to participate in the USA's World Cup preparations, and while the experienced Olsen currently seems to have the most realistic shot at a roster spot for Germany, all five have clearly benefited from the focused environment of the international game.
"Guys were fighting for spots, trying to make the '06 World Cup team," said second-year defender Boswell. "It was a good experience, it was a lot of fun and it was a high level of competition. Practices were pretty intense, so my fitness level was decent coming in (to United camp), and my speed of play was a little faster when I came in."
Those lessons have prepared Boswell for what could be his breakout year in the D.C. backline. The undrafted rookie did surprisingly well in filling the crucial center back role last year, but lost his starting position to Argentinian signing Facundo Erpen in midseason.
Now the United coaching staff is seeking out ways to get both players on the field, which may include tweaks to Nowak's preferred 3-5-2 setup -- though all parties take pains to play down the significance of the shuffling.
"With the formation we play, the style we play, people move around a lot," said Boswell. "But the intentions are to have us both in the back, and we both kind of bounce around a lot. As far as that goes, we're trying different formations to see who fits in where, how it works ... I think it's more about seeing situations on the field and reacting to them in the proper fashion."
Regardless of how it all comes together on paper, the defense's top priority is to improve its concentration in high-pressure situations. Last year's squad set a club record for lowest goals-against average, but poorly-timed mistakes led to failure in all four of the competitions United entered.
"Our goal is to shut teams out and not give up soft goals," said Boswell. "But we also want to win games. Last year we were No. 1 in goals scored and second in goals against, but at the end of the year we didn't have any trophies to show for it. So I think this year we'll take trophies -- we won't really worry about stats."
Nowak is quick to note that collective defensive responsibilities fuel his team's high-pressure style, and has focused on improving the understanding among his fullbacks.
"Our game is to be prepared to defend from our forwards (back), and then for our defenders, our 'keeper, it's going to be easy," he said. "This part needs to be better, because we lost a couple of games where we didn't do a good enough job to prevent the goals, and the understanding, the communication between the lines must be better. So we are working on that right now, and when the season starts, we're going to be ready, tactically and mentally."
With accomplished central midfielders Carroll, Olsen and Clyde Simms joined by Brian's younger sibling Jeff, United's fourth-round SuperDraft pick, the Black-and-Red's engine room looks as sturdy as ever, even if Olsen winds up punching a ticket to Germany.
The real fireworks are stocked up front, where United's ageless captain Jaime Moreno headlines an attacking corps that could easily be the deadliest in MLS for a second year in a row. D.C. possesses genuine quality in Christian Gomez, Freddy Adu and Santino Quaranta - while there's equal parts excitement and uncertainty surrounding strikers Alecko Eskandarian and Lucio Filomeno.
Both are natural finishers returning from injury troubles: former MLS Cup MVP Eskandarian has battled concussion after-effects and recently, a sports hernia, while Filomeno arrived in the nation's capital last September with a cultured pedigree, but a nagging knee problem as well. "Esky" looks unlikely to be fully fit by opening day, but Filomeno has started 2006 brightly, developing a promising partnership with fellow South Americans Moreno and Gomez.
Having found the net several times in preseason games, Filomeno looks set to continue United's string of savvy signings from Argentina, where a troubled economy has made footballers a prime export.
"Last season, of course, I just played one hour in two matches," said Filomeno, whose career has also included stints with Inter Milan, Mexican side Chiapas and Korean outfit Busan. "I can't say if I know the MLS. It will be hard, like all over the world. Nowadays, football is similar everywhere, so it's not a big difference. The situation in my country is so difficult ... But Washington is perfect for me, because I feel quite comfortable."
Adu was the topic of much offseason transfer gossip after his well-publicized complaints about playing time on the eve of the playoffs last year. But after a candid sitdown with his hard-nosed manager, the 16-year-old phenom has returned to the fold with renewed focus and dedication.
"His mentality has been good," said Nowak. "I think the national team camp helped him a lot, to see where those guys are, what they're doing and how they're doing things. Since then he has been different. He's impressed all of us, but we're just at the beginning. So as a coaching staff we're going to do anything we can to make sure that he is consistent the whole year."
Adu has mainly appeared as a frontrunner or central playmaker during his first two seasons, but this preseason he has spent more time on the left wing, where his guile and flair could provide a devastating balance opposite the resourceful Josh Gros -- though Nowak seems less concerned with his players' positions than with their overall tactical acumen.
"Our game is just so fluid right now, and we exchange positions on the field," said Nowak. "It really doesn't matter where the players play -- it's how they're going to communicate and cover for each other. I make it very clear from the beginning that it's going to be a team effort and not one player."
While their Eastern Conference rivals New England Revolution grabbed the upper hand in 2005, United is clearly bowing to no one as they gear up for year 11 -- and Moreno's words snuff out any doubts about the extent of the squad's ambitions.
"Our goal is definitely to win the championship," said the D.C. skipper and MLS original. "We know it's not going to be easy, but we have an established team ... and that's what we're working for. For now we've just got to concentrate on getting the right preparations and try to maintain that level that we've had for the last three years."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
