D.C. United takes on Red Bull New York tonight in a match crucial to league standings and regional pride. United has taken advantage of a torrid August (3-0-0 in league play) to move into second place in the eastern conference. In NYRB they face an opponent that is fresh off of a high octane 5-4 victory over David Beckham and the LA Galaxy. The winner will retain sole possession of second place and assert themselves......

D.C. United fans have gotten their share of David Beckham firsts, and after last night’s exit from the SuperLiga – almost single-handedly due to Beckham’s right foot – we’ve had our fill. After playing his first MLS game in a 1-0 D.C. win last Thursday at a sold-out RFK, he started his first match for the Galaxy last night in the SuperLiga semifinals against visiting D.C. Then he proceeded to register his first goal and......

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt,......

>> Bobby Boswell sounds off with a strongly worded criticism against ESPN's refusal to acknowlege a fantastic game of soccer in favor of nonstop coverage from the "Beckham Cam." [D.C. Sports Bog] >> Fare thee well, Rock Creek Rambler. >> Late Wednesday afternoon, a portion of the ceiling on the underside of the outdoor overhang in the “lower plaza” area of the State Department's Columbia Plaza complex fell down, damaging several cars parked underneath.......

The 46,686 spectators that packed into RFK stadium got their money's worth last night. The United faithful saw a dominating performance that vaulted their team into second place in the Eastern Conference of MLS. Those hoping to see soccer star and global icon David Beckham also left pleased: LA's five million dollar man played the final 20 minutes, making his Major League Soccer debut. Though United's finishing was spotty, they enjoyed the great majority......

David Beckham made his long-awaited MLS debut last night at RFK stadium, entering the game in the 72nd minute but unable to help his Los Angeles Galaxy overcome a 1-0 defeat to D.C. United. We will have a full post on the game later this morning, but in the meantime, how was your evening commute affected by the 46,686 soccer match attendees crowding into Metro? Police Move Not Really Canceled?: So says the Washington......

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Beckham Circus has arrived. Forty five thousand spectators will pack into RFK this evening to witness the production. All eyes will be on English mega-star David Beckham, but his performance will likely be relegated to a side show, as an ankle injury will limit him to sub minutes (if any). Even so, the main event of the night is sure to be exciting enough to keep the third-biggest......

>> Three Stars alumni Greenland take the Black Cat's backstage tonight, with Mikal Evans Band and A Northern Chorus. $8, 9 p.m. >> Best Cellars co-founder Joshua Wesson hosts The European Tour of Wine tonight at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Wesson promises to illuminate the art of pairing wine with cheese, with eight wines and cheeses served throughout the evening as examples. 7 p.m., $60 ($50 for Corcoran members). >> D.C. United opens SuperLiga!......

Banner week for SFist as the site's new editor introduced himself -- hooray for Brock! While the NY Times weighed in on SF's mayoral race, only SFist had the (insert tongue firmly into cheek) hard-hitting latest on candidate/activist Josh Wolf. Coverage of a protest vs. gentrification spawned a fantastic debate amongst SFist's readers. Finally, from the sublime to the ridiculous: video of a man that confused a Board of Supes meeting with "open mic......

>> Ben's Chili Bowl is set to expand. [Examiner] >> Tickets to see David Beckham play with the L.A. Galaxy versus D.C. United go on sale Monday. [SoccerInsider] >> Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso was robbed of his briefcase, cellphone and wallet at gunpoint last night in Takoma. Reinoso was uninjured and his briefcase was later recovered, but he had a hard time gaining access to the Wilson Building this morning without ID.......

D.C. United announced its MLS schedule yesterday, and we'll cut to the chase: you have exactly 183 days before David Beckham comes to Washington. He'll be here on August 9 for a Thursday night game, but unless you're planning to buy a full season ticket package, tickets won't be available until July 2. And that goes for half-season and flex plans too -- the August 9 match against Beckham's LA Galaxy (formerly known as......

God, we're so sick of Snakes on a Plane that we want to kill anyone and everyone that makes a "something on a something" joke. But then we realized that there was no way we could ever win this fight, and, hell, if you can't beat them, we might as well join them. And with that, you have the theme of this weeks' Gothamist network post. Austinist makes it easy for us, with Candidate on......

After soundly thrashing Celtic FC in a friendly two weeks ago, MLS-leading DC United will take on another international power, only this time it's the mighty Real Madrid. Due to scheduling conflicts at the local stadiums and Real's already booked West Coast tour, this friendly will be played in Seattle at Qwest Field on August 9th at 11 p.m. ET. We here at DCist are bummed that we won't be able to watch this......