By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
After sitting out D.C. United's first seven matches of the season while buried on the depth chart, Stephen King has seen action in 10 of the club's 15 contests since, including five starts, serving as a dependable role player for coach Ben Olsen's squad.
Always an intense feud, the long-running rivalry between D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls was injected with an extra dose of intrigue last week.
The loss of captaincy was the clue.
A large contingent of media members swarmed the RFK Stadium practice fields Thursday as D.C. United tuned up for Saturday's pivotal home match against the Philadelphia Union. Yet reporters took little interest in assessments of the visiting Eastern Conference front-runners.
As the first half of the 2011 MLS season unfolded, it became clear that D.C. United needed to fill voids on their roster if the club wanted to emerge from the middle of the Eastern Conference pack and contend for an MLS Cup.
D.C. United acquired veteran playmaker Dwayne De Rosario from the New York Red Bulls for midfielder Dax McCarty, one of two trades swung by the club on Monday.
D.C. United has acquired veteran playmaker Dwayne De Rosario from the New York Red Bulls in exchange for midfielder Dax McCarty.
Dax McCarty's first three months in a D.C. United uniform haven't exactly gone according to plan.
It's difficult to look at Charlie Davies and not dwell on the deep scar that runs from ear to ear across the top of his skull, a reminder of the night he nearly died.
D.C. United coach Ben Olsen, at 34 years old and just 18 months removed from his playing career, typically provides a sense of levity on the practice field, cracking jokes while bringing his unique comic energy to the proceedings. Despite his prominent title, he often seems just like one of the guys.
Zack Schilawski scored his first goal of the season and Shalrie Joseph converted a penalty kick to lead the New England Revolution to a 2-1 win over D.C. United on Saturday.
Questions abound for D.C. United in 2011. How quickly will the club rebound from its worst season ever? Who will score after the club notched a miserly 21 goals in 30 games in 2010? Who will be United's starting goalie? Some of these questions will be answered when United hosts the Columbus Crew in its season opener Saturday night at RFK Stadium.
Last week, he acknowledged not performing up to his standards while feeling the weight of the club's high expectations for him.
Will D.C. United trades serve as springboard for surge in standings? →
"I like it a lot," McCarty said. "It means I can go back and find the ball a little bit deeper and sometimes dictate play from a deeper position, which is something I'm comfortable with."
