The race to the MLS Playoffs hasn’t really begun in earnest at this point in the season, but teams at the top of the pack should be thinking about what they have to do to secure their berths by summer’s end. The Eastern conference picture looks good for the Black and Red, but the risk of even Montreal rising up the ranks from 11 points back in the cellar should be enough for Ben Olsen’s men to churn out their best effort in every match. At this point it is fairly clear that D.C. United should clinch somewhere between a first and third seed if their performances continue get them points from most, if not all matches. United gave conference-leading New England a tough time and really should have stolen at least a point in Foxborough two weeks ago. Still, that was a missed opportunity; one which United cannot afford to give up again during their busy summer schedule.
In addition to league matches, there is the U.S. Open Cup to defend and a friendly match against Fulham in July. United has enough depth to handle the stretch, the benchmark once again being a sub-heavy first half against the Revs when neither side conceded a goal. The question is whether anyone besides Chris Rolfe or Fabian Espindola is going to get the ball in the back of the net. The pair cannot continue to rake in the bulk of United’s goals without additional help from Nick DeLeon, Davy Arnaud, and especially Eddie Johnson. Were all five to be creating chances and consistently putting shots on frame, United would be a favorite to win the MLS Cup. The burden over the next three months of matches falls on them to start producing after admittedly promising moments over the past several weeks. Nick DeLeon especially is on the brink of a breakthrough that could see him become a prolific goalscorer in his own right–the key is to not let the blocked shots and unlucky misses get to him.
Eddie Johnson faces a different set of issues: a little bit more laziness than most forwards should be able to get away with and an ego that rivals Cristiano Ronaldo’s. When he’s at his best, Johnson is outstanding and a world class talent. The problem here is best explained when looking at the game tape from last week at the celebration after Fabian Espindola’s wonder goal in the 28th minute; the whole team celebrates–Eddie Johnson just walks away. It may not been his intent but the body language reeks of CR7’s reaction to Jorge Ramos’s stoppage time equalizer against Atletico Madrid in the Champions’ League Final last week. It was the goal that saved Real Madrid and led to an emphatic 4-1 stoppage time win against their rivals, but Ronaldo couldn’t muster even a high five. Compare that to his reaction to his own PK goal which made the score 4-1 in the dying minutes of the match. Ok, I might be a little bit hyperbolic but is it too much to ask for Johnson to relish and celebrate his team’s success?
Between June and August, United have seven Eastern Conference matchups. All of those matches are against teams below United in the standings, and you can bet the New York Red Bull, Columbus Crew, and Sporting Kansas City will be looking to make up for results against United that weren’t to their liking. United also leads in the Atlantic Cup race this season, but look for the Red Bulls to try and pull some points back when they meet at RFK for the second time this season. The key for United this summer is to keep their competition down and wait for the Revs to slip up at some point. Chances are, if Olsen’s men can execute their game plan, United may be leading the conference after limping across the finish line last season a la Portland Timbers FC 2012.
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