With only one week remaining before opening the 2011 regular season, D.C. United get one last crack at MLS opposition in the club’s final preseason game against Toronto FC on Saturday night (streamed at dcunited.com and torontofc.ca at 5 pm ET).
The match also serves as an opportunity for some silverware. After wins in their first two matches in Charleston, S.C., another victory or a draw against TFC clinches the Carolina Challenge Cup for D.C. United.
For assistant coach Chad Ashton and the rest of United’s coaching staff, the positive performances have been a good step, but they are by no means reading into them too much.
“It’s good to get results, it’s good to pick up some confidence,” Ashton told MLSsoccer.com by phone. “But at the same time, look at it face value: It’s preseason, people are experimenting and the results really don’t get you anything other than a little bit of confidence heading into the season.”
[inline_node:330329]Confidence is surely a good thing for DC, which is in the final stages of rebuilding its squad after an offseason roster overhaul.
A 7-0-1 preseason record is a good sign, but all but two of those games were against lower level opposition. D.C. United know how much preseason results can be deceiving. Last year United went unblemished in the 2010 preseason before experiencing a very difficult regular season.
The biggest priority for Saturday’s match against Toronto is to get through the final game without picking up any major injuries to significant players. The club emerged unscathed from Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Chicago as far as injuries are concerned.
However, players will be closely monitored and held back, if necessary, with the regular season looming so closely. Ashton indicated that four to five players have experienced tightness and suffered “little knocks” during the tournament and the technical staff will play it safe with them.
“For the most part, everybody who was available both from the first game and [Wednesday’s] game we will consider for this final game and we’ll try and manage minutes and accomplish a few things,” Ashton said. “But I think we just want to get out of it injury-free and really ready to go into the first week of the season healthy with as many options as possible with regards to our roster.”
<a href="//www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mls-matchday-2011-app-ipad-released-iphone-app-updated"><img src="//league-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/ipad-banner.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="100" /></a>
