It has been well-documented that there is a significant divide between player salaries in Major League Soccer. For a league that's still getting its legs after only thirteen years in existence, it is easy to see why that is -- as the league tries to bolster its image and fanbase with larger signings in the Beckham mold, developmental players are de-emphasized. With time, salaries for lower-tier players should rise as the league finds success. But......

Well, it was almost too appropriate. Closing out one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory, United lost its final match of the season at RFK last night, 4-2, against Honduran side CD Marathon. Marathon booked their place in the knockout stage of the CONCACAF Champions League with the win, while United cemented their status as one of only two sides in the competition's group stages not to muster a single victory. Like so......

When it comes to covering D.C. United, we're unabashed homers; so, we're kind of more-than-hoping that the Black-and-Red are able to deliver in what is, without hyperbole, a must-win match tomorrow night in Columbus. Fellow blogger and Chicago Fire striker Chris Rolfe did United a real solid, notching an impressive hat trick and leading the Fire to a 5-2 thrashing of the New York Juicers Red Bulls on Thursday night. United must defeat the Crew......

D.C. United have made a habit of dropping points this season, especially lately. A 5-2 laugher in Los Angeles was followed by successive pathetic shutouts against Dallas and Chivas USA. All results that somehow made last weekend's goalless draw at Houston look like a major victory while simultaneously dwindling D.C.'s playoff hopes. Those hopes look a touch brighter this morning, as the boys in black overcame a second half Taylor Twellman goal with -- incredible......

It's been quite the season for Major League Soccer, at least in terms of parity. Coming into Saturday's activity, only Columbus had laid claim to one of the eight MLS Cup playoffs spots, and every single team in the league remained mathematically alive in the chase for the playoffs. The glass half full assessment: the fates in command of D.C. United certainly chose a good year to force so many injuries and absences to their......

Poor D.C. United. US Open Cup success aside, it's been about as frustrating a season as a team could have. The first few months were filled with growing pains, trying to find a way to mold the side around new Argentinian signing Marcelo Gallardo. It began to pay off in early summer, with the team finally finding form and playing with the easy-on-the-eyes attacking style in such a marked contrast to some of the league's......

Photo of August's D.C. Jam Session D.C. United is hosting another D.C. Jam Session, the free concert/chowdown/beerfest that complements the RFK match-day experience. Scheduled for October 4 from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m., before United takes on Chivas USA, the Jam Session will feature tons of food, five bands on multiple stages, games and a special party area for kids. Best of all, admission is free. For those of you really planning on making a......

It's certainly been a long and winding road for D.C. United's recent addition Thabiso Khumalo. The South African forward was drafted in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft by Chicago - but never saw the field. The man they call "Boyzzz" has subsequently been on a three year odyssey through a veritable tour of second and third division American soccer - stops in Charleston, Wilmington, and Pittsburgh have resulted in varying levels of success: twenty games per......

One could make the argument that D.C. United is the most decorated outfit in Major League Soccer - after all, the team has won 11 pieces of silverware in just 12 years of existence, and no other squad can come close to matching that rate of success. But for all its triumphs as the flag-bearers of the still-fledgling American first division, the simple fact remains: the last time the Black and Red actually lifted a......

Consistency is of pinnacle importance to a team's success at the highest level of club soccer. Unfortunately for D.C. United, finding consistency and keeping it has been this season's significant challenge. After dropping three points on the road to the New England Revolution midweek, the squad had alternated wins and losses in their previous five matches. On the plus side, their opponents on Saturday night were their Western Conference mirror image - the Colorado Rapids......

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup may not have the allure of its English counterpart, the FA Cup, but it's still one of the oldest competitions in the world, now in it's 94th year (out-dating the main cup competitions in both Germany and Italy by years). But even though it's fun and unpredictable cup football, when one of the notable claims to tradition of the tournament is the triple victories achieved in 1980, 1982, and......

A string of Superliga losses followed by one of D.C. United's worst showings of the year against Houston left the second half of the season somewhat in doubt. Which D.C. United would show up for MLS' crucial home stretch? The confused squad that started the season 2-7 and lacked any form of cohesion, or the offensive dynamos that ran roughshod over their MLS opponent en route to a 5-0-1 record preceding the All Star break?......

A power outage at RFK on July 12 left half the stadium in the dark in the middle of a D.C. United game. Tonight's United game has been postponed due to another outage. At least this time it didn't occur halfway through the match. Due to a power outage surrounding RFK Stadium (yes, that's right, another one), tonight's D.C. United match against the Houston Dynamo has been postponed until tomorrow evening. According to the......

Facing a must win situation against an opponent in preseason form, D.C. United suffered a disappointing 3-2 loss to F.C. Atlante last night. United put forth a solid effort, but was exposed by Atlante F.C.'s efficient counter attack. Atlante's victory relegated United's SuperLiga 2008 hopes to a mere prayer. The SuperLiga pits four MLS teams against four Mexican clubs. The teams are selected based on their performances in domestic league and tournament play during the......

Down 2-1 with Jaime Moreno, the MLS all time scoring leader, coming to the line to take a penalty kick in the 78th minute of their SuperLiga match versus CD Guadalajara, D.C. United had to feel good about their chances of eking out a draw or maybe even a win. Moreno had buried his last 20 PK attempts, a streak lasting over four years, and is about as close to automatic as you can get......

Rising temperatures and high humidity created oppressive conditions during yesterday's match between D.C. United and the L.A. Galaxy. The Galaxy ended up taking the worst of it, with United's attack providing the most unbearable heat. Day games are normally held in the mid-to-late afternoon in order to avoid playing directly under the sun. To maximize exposure, the game was scheduled before the afternoon's European Championship and broadcast nationally on ABC. The game promised two assets......

As if it wasn't enough that key city officials have not been willing to agree to support $225 million in public financing for a new stadium at Poplar Point (they've been holding at $150 million for the last month), City Paper's Mike DeBonis reports that more than a dozen people were laid off from United owner Victor MacFarlane's company last week -- including Linda Mercado Greene, a former top aide to Marion Barry who helped......

D.C. United continued their strong play of late on Saturday night at a rainy RFK Stadium, showing a newfound attacking acumen while dispatching the NY Red Bull 4-1. Luciano Emilio, showing the form of 2007-era Ben Olson, led United's scoring attack with his first MLS hat trick (perhaps he was motivated by the Morelia scouts that were reportedly in attendance?), while Clyde Simms netted a nice long distance strike in the first half. The Red......

Saturday's early game storyline must have seemed awfully familiar to D.C. United. After dominating possession for several stretches in the opening minutes, a momentary lapse of coverage in the defense led to a successful opposing counterattack. To add to the similarities, the protagonist of the counterattack was none other than last Wednesday's lone goal scorer, Danny Dichio. Though United fought back to tie the score, the 6'2" target man added another strike in the closing......

One wonders what DC United Coach Tom Soehn said to his team at halftime. Down 1-0 after dominating possession in the first half, without two banged up star midfielders, but at home against a tough but beatable Chicago Fire team, did he make tactical changes? Did he exhort the players to make the second half a turning point in the season? Did he pull misfiring forward (and reigning MVP) Luciano Emilio aside and give him......

He'd never admit it, but you know that somewhere, sometime before the start of the season, D.C. United coach Tom Soehn looked at his team's busy schedule for the first month of the season, and then said a small bit of thanks for who they were playing. Of their first five MLS games, they were scheduled to play exactly one playoff team from last season. They had home games against perennially struggling Columbus, anemic Toronto,......

In most international soccer competitions, tournament structure calls for a two-game series to decide each round. Sometimes called a home-and-home series, the two games usually occur during consecutive weeks; the week-long break in between games is best considered a seven day halftime separating two 90 minute halves. That D.C. United beat their opponent Pachuca C.F. last night offers scant consolation to their fans. Factoring in Pachuca's 2-0 victory last week, United's 2-1 win last night......

The chilly air last night couldn't have made Jamaican side Harbour View FC comfortable in their boots. After D.C. United's second half scoring outburst, the conditions at RFK Stadium must have seemed downright unforgiving. In light of last Thursday's draw in Kingston, each side entered the match needing a win to reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal. Despite the need to score, Harbour View held their 3-4-3 formation in a defensive posture the entire......

Big story this morning on the longstanding controversy over whether the District wants to help build a new soccer stadium for DC United. The on-again, off-again Poplar Point location for a new stadium appears to be on again in the minds of the Fenty administration. The Mayor is set to announce that he has selected Bethesda-based Clark Realty Capital as the developer of Poplar Point, and the Post reports that Fenty suddenly has in mind......

Howard University's soccer coach was arrested Friday in Louisa County, Va., for attempting to meet with an underage girl for a sexual encounter. The girl turned out to be an undercover police officer posing online as a 13-year-old. NBC4 reports that coach Joseph Okoh, 40, had previously coached at Wakefield, T.C. Williams and other high schools in Northern Virginia and Howard's website adds that he also coached at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Louisa......

DCist's highly subjective and hardly comprehensive guide to the most interesting movies playing around town in the coming week. Indie: War/Dance Sometimes you need an antidote before the poison even arrives. Next week Hollywood releases yet another of those diabetic-shock-inducing films about musically gifted youngsters and how they can be an inspiration to us all, designed to make soccer moms everywhere weep into their hankies. One week prior to that, though, comes a documentary from......

>> Pope Benedict XVI will make his first visit to the United States as pontiff in April next year, with his first mass to be held at the new Nationals stadium here in D.C. [AP via WTOP] >> Four people who were stabbed Sunday afternoon during a soccer game near RFK are expected to be OK. [AP via WJLA] >> The Maryland House of Delegates this week will take up Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan......

For 25 minutes, D.C. United attacked the Chicago Fire unrelentingly. They poured all of their efforts forward, creating chance after chance. In the process, they scored the two goals they needed to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. Unfortunately, United's disjointed play during the preceding 70 minutes allowed Chicago to tally two goals of their own, earning them the 2-2 tie, the 3-2 series victory on aggregate, and a ticket to the next round.......

D.C. United's MLS season is on the line tonight at RFK Stadium (7:30 p.m.). After a dominant regular season that saw United go 10-2-3 at home, they return to RFK for possibly the last time this season. Standing in their way is their playoff nemesis, the Chicago Fire. In 5 total playoff games against the Fire, D.C. has yet to score a goal. United will need to find net if they wish to move on......

Quite a few eyebrows were raised when The Hives announced they would be opening for Maroon 5's arena tour, and with good reason. Most of the teenagers and soccer moms in the Verizon Center last night weren't sure what to make of the Swedish quintet when they hit the stage just after 8 p.m. This was not lost on frontman Howlin' Pelle Almqvist. "Think of this as a first date," he told the crowd.......