Is a 'hate' crime worse than a 'goodwill' crime?
Professional women's soccer is making another comeback, and the nation's capital once again is in the fold.
One by one, the players dropped to the turf, physically and emotionally spent. For D.C. United this season, there will be no getting up.
Branko Boskovic's first goal of the season lifted D.C. United to a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA on Sunday night.
For the vast majority of Branko Boskovic's tenure with D.C. United, the highly paid veteran's fitness has lingered as a concern.
As Dwayne De Rosario hobbled onto the RFK Stadium pitch, attired in street clothes during a pregame ceremony honoring his 100th MLS goal, reality sunk in. If D.C. United are going to emerge from the stretch run with a playoff bid, they’ll have to do it without their captain and catalyst.
D.C. United's road to ending their four-year playoff drought has been burdened with the most disruptive roadblock imaginable.
Dwayne De Rosario had his moment, and it was sweet. But then the script was spoiled by a most unlikely source.
If the intensity of D.C. United's push for the playoffs wasn't evident before their 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, it sure is now.
For a moment Sunday, all was right in D.C. United's world. Then, as coach Ben Olsen put it, the "Geiger show" took over — as in referee Mark Geiger.
If there was a caveat to Dwayne De Rosario's historically prolific half-season with D.C. United last year, it was that he set the bar impossibly high.
Since D.C. United kicked off its 2012 campaign with a revamped roster, one key personnel question has lingered over the club: Is Branko Boskovic in for the long haul or will the pricey midfielder be making an early exit?
D.C. United had just taken a pair of punches to the gut. Up 2-0 at halftime against the New England Revolution, they watched that lead evaporate in the opening minutes of the second stanza. But they had an answer.
Despite their prolific resumes, Dwayne De Rosario and Hamdi Salihi experienced some notable struggles finding the back of the net in this season's early stages. But in recent weeks, they sure have made up for lost time.
D.C. United coach Ben Olsen noted this week how he was impressed with the effort of speedy midfielder Lewis Neal and wanted the newcomer from England to make more crosses from the left flank.
It's safe to say the duo of Chris Pontius and Maicon Santos wasn't D.C. United's first-choice forward partnership to start this season. Nor was it the club's second option. Or third, in fact.
"Maybe I look like this, like I'm tired, I'm not ready," said Boskovic, who has made 20 appearances this season.
Branko Boskovic perturbed about being pulled from United's last game →
After kicking some water bottles Saturday en route to the bench, Boskovic on Tuesday vented about his playing time this season, during which he has made it past the 75th minute in just one of his 10 starts.
Branko Boskovic perturbed about being pulled from United's last game →
