D.C. UNITED
LAST YEAR: 3-24-7 (Last place overall, last place Eastern Conference).
WHO’S BACK: G Bill Hamid, M Perry Kitchen, M Chris Pontius, M Nick DeLeon.
WHO’S GONE: D James Riley, D Daniel Woolard, D Ethan White, D Dejan Jakovic, M John Thorrington, M Dwayne De Rosario, M Marcelo Saragosa, F Lionard Pajoy, F Carlos Ruiz, F Casey Townsend.
WHO’S NEW: D Jeff Parke, D Bobby Boswell, D Sean Franklin, D Cristian Fernandez, D Steve Birnbaum, M Davy Arnaud, F Eddie Johnson, F Fabian Espindola.
WHAT’S AHEAD: DC United last year set the MLS record for fewest wins in a season. Bizarrely, they also won the U.S. Open Cup, when puts them in elite company as a participant in this year’s CONCACAF Champions League. Only four starters return from a team that scored just 22 goals in league play. There’s talent among the new names, but coach Ben Olsen is essentially starting from scratch in terms of team chemistry. Johnson (64 career MLS goals) and Espindola (44) can score, but can they mesh? Same goes for the entire new back line of Fernandez, Parke, Boswell and Franklin. At least United’s long-running stadium woes have a hope for resolution, with plans progressing to move out of antiquated RFK and into a new facility tentatively scheduled to open in 2016.
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