Match Reviews
D.C. United Loses To Toronto FC 3-2, But Jaime Moreno Recaptures The MLS All-Time Goals Record
by Martin Shatzer on Oct 24, 2025 12:25 AM EDT
in Match Reviews
In the 81st minute, Jaime Moreno gave a signal to Ben Olsen that he was ready to come off.
He was ready to join Olsen on the sideline, ending the greatest career in MLS history. And he was ready to join Olsen in D.C. United history, along with so many other excellent players, many of whom were in attendance tonight. Etcheverry, Pope, Eskandarian. The list goes on.
That was just one of the many sentimental moments tonight. How about Moreno handing the captain's armband to Santino Quaranta? This is your team now, Tino. Or how about when Andy Najar was moved to forward to play next to Moreno for the first and last time ever? The 36-year old and the 17-year old. Najar is just 2 years older than Moreno's son James.
This was a magical night for Jaime Moreno and D.C. United. I doubt many of the 18,071 in attendance at RFK Stadium will even be able to remember that their team lost.
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D.C. United Tie Chicago Fire In Brian McBride's Final Home Game
by Martin Shatzer on Oct 16, 2025 8:06 PM EDT
in Match Reviews
This match was billed as two teams in similar situations. DC United and the Chicago Fire are perennial playoff teams. They're two of the most successful clubs in the Eastern Conference. And much more was expected of them this year than their current locations in the standings.
Both teams entered this match without hope of a playoff bid. All that's left to play is their respective retiring superstars: Jaime Moreno and Brian McBride.
Moreno was absent today due to a controversial red card he received last week, and McBride was kept off the scoreboard thanks to solid defensive work by United.
In fact, it was the defense that stood out for both teams. The back four on each side looked like they belonged in MLS, which is more than we can say for the front six. In the end, a 0-0 draw was probably a fair result, as United extended its record number of scoreless matches to 17.
D.C. United Lose To San Jose Earthquakes, Set Record For Most Scoreless Matches
by Martin Shatzer on Oct 10, 2025 12:13 AM EDT
in Match Reviews
If you'd asked me prior to game time where D.C. United's goals would come from tonight, I wouldn't have had an answer for you. Maybe a Jaime Moreno penalty kick after Pablo Hernandez gets taken down in the box? I don't know. A shutout always seemed the likeliest result.
The 11 players who started for United tonight have combined for a total of two goals this season. And none since April. And when Moreno was sent off, that number became one.
It's as if our team was resigned to the fact that we were going to set the record for most scoreless matches in a season. But really, with so many players injured and away, we didn't have much of a choice.
The results were as expected. A solid first half of soccer for D.C. yielded plenty of chances but no goals. (I feel like I've written that before.) And then the Earthquakes, on their first real chance of the night, pound the ball into the net. It must be nice having a striker with a nose for goal like Chris Wondolowski. I miss those days.
D.C. United Beats Rapids On The Road For First Time Since 2000
by Martin Shatzer on Oct 3, 2025 9:12 PM EDT
in Match Reviews
Sometimes when you play a hot team on the road who is on a playoff run, you get destroyed. I think that's what many of us expected would happen last night.
Other times when you play a hot team on the road who is on a playoff run, they don't show up. That's what actually happened last night.
D.C. United shut out a Colorado Rapids team with two of best scorers in the league, and Troy Perkins didn't even have to do that much to make it happen, besides one point-blank save on Pablo Mastroeni. The Rapids could only muster three shots on target. That's something we're used to seeing in United's box score, not our opponents'.
Credit therefore goes to the backline that was missing this season's best defender Julius James due to yellow card accumulation, and last season's defensive MVP Clyde Simms due to injury. Nice job, lads.
D.C. United Lose To Houston Dynamo, Surrender Second Half Lead Again
by Martin Shatzer on Sep 25, 2025 10:54 PM EDT
in Match Reviews
This loss was embarassing. When you're playing the worst team in the Western Conference at your home stadium on the East Cost, it's understandable to expect nothing less than three points.
Rather than sulk in our embarassment or whine about the officials disallowing a goal that was actually onside, how about some optimism?
I saw tonight that D.C. United actually has some very solid pieces to build with, which might be more than we could even say about the victorious Houston Dynamo. As long as our team doesn't get complacent in the offseason (and it's hard to imagine that they would after these results), then the 2011 United can be the 2010 New York Red Bulls.
That might be hard to believe right now, but it's true. Our problem right now is that only three of those solid pieces played tonight.
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D.C. United Loses To L.A. Galaxy, Fails To Preserve Late Lead
by Martin Shatzer on Sep 19, 2025 1:11 PM EDT
in Match Reviews
The game changed last night when David Beckham entered for the LA Galaxy. Not because his crossing skills made much of a difference. Not because D.C. United was starstruck. Not because of his mullet and size XXS jersey had our players confused. But because Beckham's entrance meant that Landon Donovan was moved to forward.
The Galaxy made a good adjustment. United didn't.
Shutting out the first place and highest scoring team in the league on the road for 80 minutes is a decent accomplishment. Shutting them out for the final 10 is apparently more than we can ask from this United team this year.
Our defense has improved. No doubt. But this season was lost before it started. Because the team didn't address the defense in the offseason, despite losing their most important defender before 2009 was even over. Our center backs have the potential to be among the best in MLS, but they're still young. Leadership is lacking.
We miss Bryan Namoff every single week. We especially missed him last night.
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D.C. United Defeats Toronto FC, Accomplishes Their Goals
by Martin Shatzer on Sep 11, 2025 7:35 PM EDT
in Match Reviews
So what if this was DC United's first road victory since June? So what if it's the first time they've scored on the road since July? The team deserved their result tonight against a Toronto FC side that is fighting to remain in playoff contention.
Not that they looked like. TFC didn't look like the better side at any point in this match, despite playing at home. How this is the same team that defeated Cruz Azul less than a month ago I don't understand.
But for once, United took advantage. After failing to capitalize on 80 minutes worth of chances (an entire season's worth of chances really), an unlikely hero cooly pounded the ball into the net.
D.C. United Lose To Columbus Crew, Fail To Record A Shot On Target
by Martin Shatzer on Sep 4, 2025 11:01 PM EDT
in Match Reviews
I'm not a statistical wiz or a tactical genius by any means. But there's a couple things that I've figured out about soccer.
1. You have to score goals to win games.
2. You have to shoot the ball to score goals.
D.C. United didn't do any of that tonight. Not a single shot on goal for the home team tonight.
Crazy things can happen when you shoot the ball. The ball could go in the net. Your team could get a rebound. Or the goalkeeper could even make a gaffe (as we learned tonight).
Gabriel Desjardins, who writes the SB Nation hockey blog Behind The Net, has done some excellent research on soccer statistics in MLS. I don't understand his numbers entirely (I'm sure Dave will elaborate later if necessary), but the basic premise is that the more a team shoots, the more a team scores. Makes sense, right?
The common theme tonight was United gathering possession, moving the ball into the Columbus Crew's third, dribbling towards the box, and turning the ball over. They never got off that final shot.
Obviously the team is flawed, and it doesn't look like Ben Olsen will have much time left to adjust those flaws.
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