Sure, D.C. United may not have clinched a playoff spot Saturday but hey, a 99.999997% chance of making it has gotta be good I guess. And 53 points secures a bye? Well OK then, see you Friday. But before that:
Recaps of the shutout (and almost playoff-clinching) win over the Philadelphia Union from us. MLSsoccer.com, The Washington Post, CSN Washington, District Sports Page, Soccer Wire and UnitedMania. On the other side of the field, Brotherly Game has the breakdown.
Thomas Floyd: Davy Arnaud transition key to D.C. United turnaround - Goal.com: Thomas Floyd discusses the soft-spoken Texan, part of the resurrection.
Ben Olsen’s quiet competency rewarded with institutional role at D.C. United — Soccer Wire: Charlie Boehm discusses Ben Olsen's coaching evolution, and drops a nugget of detail in their you may not have known.
Kinnear at a crossroad in MLS coaching career - Houston Chronicle: Olsen is already high on the list of currently tenured coaches in Major League Soccer. Is he about to move up a little more?
Sunderland 0-0 Swansea City: Another draw For The Black Cats - Roker Report: In partner club news, part one, Sunderland goes to another scoreless draw, this time with Swansea City. Their run of goalless play is now 265 minutes in Premier League play.
Postmatch Recap & Analysis: Inter 1-4 Cagliari - The Offside Inter Milan: In partner club news, part two, Inter Milan witnessed a hat trick by Albin Ekdal in fifteen minutes as they lost to Cagliari, prompting Walter Mazzarri to apologize to the fans as a result. Inter stays in fifth, holding the goal difference tiebreaker over AC Milan.
In D.C. United alumni scoring goals news, Andy Najar scored in his second straight game for R.S.C. Anderlecht against Zulte Waregem, part of a 2-0 win and a widening of their league lead to five points early in the season. Oh, and the video:
MLS collective bargaining agreement coming out from shadows again - The Washington Post: Goff reminding us that the real business is coming on the horizon for the Lig.
Sacramento Republic FC capture USL PRO title in first season with 2-0 win over Harrisburg City Islanders | MLSsoccer.com: In its initial year, Sacramento Republic FC clinched the USL PRO title over Harrisburg City. Kudos to former D.C. United ticket guru Fred Matthes for the work across the land.
West Ham’s Enner Valencia: ‘I’m trying to enjoy every minute of being here’ | Football | The Guardian: Enner Valencia learned about West Ham through Green Street Hooligans. Related: Enner Valencia is kind of cool.
The best glitches in FIFA 15 - | FOX Soccer Blog | FOX Soccer on MSN | FOX Sports on MSN: In the spirit of Poonikins the Magic Warrior Driver, some comedic glitches that some folks have been running into on FIFA 15.
Paul Thomas Anderson Films ‘Inherent Vice’ - NYTimes.com: I write about movies periodically and folks ask me what my favorite film is, and I never really have an answer. But I make it a point to see the movies of the guy who directed "Magnolia," "Boogie Nights" and "Hard Eight." Oh, this is from a Thomas Pynchon book? I'm way the hell in on this.
Hope the day treats you well, and keep it between the ditches.