This was meant to be the moment for D.C. United — the final push to the playoffs in the comfort of RFK Stadium.
After battling through a tough summer with a crowded schedule and some disappointment, United always knew it could fall back on a stretch of five games at home at the end of the season.
That rosy scenario has been blurred suddenly by injuries to two of United’s mainstay defenders. Marc Burch will be sidelined at least two weeks following surgery on his left ankle to remove bone spurs, joining central defender Dejan Jakovic, who is out for three weeks following sports hernia surgery.
Burch’s absence is yet another blow to a defense that has been inconsistent for much of the season.
“Someone else has to step up and take on the role,” United coach Tom Soehn said.
Defender Avery John and midfielder Rodney Wallace both can play in the left-back position.
Despite his injury, Burch would have missed Wednesday night’s home match against the Kansas City Wizards because of yellow-card accumulation. Now he will sit out Saturday’s match against Seattle Sounders FC as well.
Without Jakovic in the lineup, United earned a 2-2 tie at FC Dallas on Saturday with Burch scoring his first goal of the season.
Burch’s ankle recently became infected after he aggravated an injury initially suffered during his college career at Maryland.
“With Marc, it was a tolerance thing,” Soehn said. “It got to the point where [the ankle] got pretty bad and we had to take care of it.”
Soehn has had to tinker with his back line all season. In a rare move, he used defensive midfielder Clyde Simms as central defender against Dallas.
Veteran Bryan Namoff is now the only senior starting defender left in the unit.
“It just adds craziness, especially coming at this critical time now,” Namoff said. “We were waiting for this buildup - five games at home - but to be down on some of our starters definitely hurts.”
Still, United has shown some solid form of late. The club is undefeated in three straight league games (1-0-2).
“It’s exciting for us with five games at home,” forward Santino Quaranta said. “It’s a rarity especially at this time of the year.”
United will be on guard against the struggling Wizards. Kansas City (6-10-6, 24 points) is coming off a 4-2 road win against New England.
United (7-5-12) is currently tied with three other clubs with 33 points but sits outside the wild-card cutoff on goal differential. A win against Kansas City would put them back in the playoff picture.
“In all honesty, we are not far behind at 33 [points],” Quaranta added. “We are in a great spot. The difference between this year and last year is that we understand we can win games. It’s just unfortunate we are missing two guys at the back now. I thought Burch was doing well lately, and Dejan too.”
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