United: D.C. United & Soccer News, Schedules, Standings, Scores, and More - The Washington Post

Weekend TV and online listings: UEFA Champions League, 41 other matches

Steven Goff — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:42:28 GMT

Before we turn to the formal listings, here are Fox's plans for UEFA Champions League final coverage Saturday ..

Pregame programming: 1 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer.

Pregame show: 2 p.m. on Fox's main network.

Match: 2:45 p.m. on Fox's main network, Fox Deportes, www.foxsoccer2go.com

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Flores at Wembley to watch future club

Steven Goff — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:04:12 GMT

Virginia teenager Junior Flores is in London to witness the UEFA Champions League final Saturday between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

He is not, by any means, an impartial observer.

The U.S. under-17 national team midfielder signed a pre-contract with Dortmund last fall, and after Flores made two appearances for the German club's under-19 squad at a recent tournament, agent Steve Kelly arranged for him to attend the European spectacle at Wembley Stadium.

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Why you should care about U.S. Open Cup

Steven Goff — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:25:10 GMT

You should care about the U.S. Open Cup because, although it remains far from perfect ..

*On a day when Manchester City and the New York Yankees committed to spend hundreds of millions on MLS, fourth-tier, low-budget, largely amateur and mostly anonymous Reading United, Des Moines Menace, Ocean City Nor'easters and FC Tucson upset pro sides on Tuesday night.

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2013 U.S. summer soccer schedule

Steven Goff — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:02:23 GMT

The annual summer influx of friendlies and tournaments involving foreign teams has begun. We will update the list as additional matches are finalized. If we have missed any, please post them in the comments section and we'll add 'em!

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D.C. United news and notes

Steven Goff — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:08:21 GMT

Another Cruyff in Washington?

Some 30 years since Dutch legend Johan Cruyff played for the NASL's Diplomats, his grandson Jesjua has begun a tryout with D.C. United.

Jesjua, 20, arrived from Wigan Athletic's under-21 squad in England after spending his youth in FC Barcelona's academy. He plays wide in midfield and on the backline.

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U.S. national team ticket sales update

Steven Goff — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:52:18 GMT

With 38,500 tickets sold, the U.S. men's national team friendly against Germany on June 2 at Washington's RFK Stadium is the biggest seller among the four approaching home matches.

Seattle is second with 32,000 for the World Cup qualifier against Panama on June 11. Cleveland has sold about 18,500 for the May 29 friendly against Belgium. With 20,000 seats, Rio Tinto Stadium outside Salt Lake City sold out quickly for the June 18 qualifier against Honduras.

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D.C. United news and notes

Steven Goff — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:26:22 GMT

*Goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra and forward Michael Seaton will play for Richmond in the U.S. Open Cup, while the other three D.C. United players on loan with the third-division Kickers will sit out in order to remain tournament-eligible for the MLS club, United Coach Ben Olsen said Monday.

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Americans abroad weekend roundup

Steven Goff — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:35:17 GMT

Weekend goal scorers: In Russia, forward Eugene Starikov, on loan to Rostov from Zenit St. Petersburg, scored for the first time in two years. Forward Bobby Wood scored his third league goal for 1860 Munich and German-American defender John Anthony Brooks had his first for Hertha Berlin. Conor O'Brien scored his first goal of the Danish season.

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D.C. United 1, Sporting Kansas City 1

Steven Goff — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:03:14 GMT

My match report from D.C. United's 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City at RFK Stadium is available here.

A look at where everyone was positioned on Sporting's disallowed goal: (that's goal scorer Ike Opara at the edge of the six-yard box)

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D.C. United ends losing streak with 1-1 draw against Sporting Kansas City

Steven Goff — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:13:42 GMT

D.C. United was heading down a familiar and ruinous path Sunday, falling behind early in the second half when a ball bonked off a defender’s head and into the net. But in a season that has gone so terribly wrong, United had a refreshing response.

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D.C. United vs. Sporting Kansas City

Steven Goff — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:04:14 GMT

D.C. United carries a club-record seven-game losing streak into Sunday's MLS match against Sporting Kansas City at RFK Stadium.

United has not won in 70 days after going 0-for-April.

Will the fortunes change today? Chris Pontius should return in some capacity and Nick DeLeon is nearing full fitness. Meantime, Sporting is without two suspended starters: center back Aurelien Collin and central midfielder Oriol Rosell.

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Sunday kickaround

Steven Goff — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:40:19 GMT

*Today's D.C. United preview focuses on goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who has shown greater maturity amid the club's terrible season and is headed to U.S. national team training camp later this month.

*Today is defender Robbie Russell's farewell to pro soccer after 12 seasons. Medical school awaits. I would expect to see him in the 18 against visiting Sporting Kansas City but playing time will depend on the course of the match. In addition to praising Russell's longevity and leadership, Brandon McDonald said about his brainy teammate:

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Bill Hamid shows maturity as D.C. United struggles in MLS

Steven Goff — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:17:00 GMT

D.C. United’s rotten season has been rough on everyone in the organization. Defeats have mounted at a troubling pace. Anguish has deepened with each lost weekend. Under the strain, some players have coped better than others.

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D.C. United news and notes

Steven Goff — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:24:26 GMT

*D.C. United will not offer contracts to American defender Frankie Simek and English forward Akpo Sodje, Coach Ben Olsen said Friday. Both had been on trial this week.

With the European seasons ending, several trialists will pass through Washington in the coming weeks.

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Spirit defeats Reign for first victory, 4-2

Steven Goff — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:10:24 GMT

Tiffany McCarty scored the tiebreaking goal in the 56th minute Thursday night as the visiting Washington Spirit defeated the Seattle Reign, 4-2, for to its first victory of the inaugural National Women's Soccer League season.

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Weekend TV and online listings: 68 matches

Steven Goff — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:52:21 GMT

What are you going to watch?

All times are Eastern

Of note: Most MLS matches are also available on TV in team's local market.

FRIDAY

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David Beckham made huge impact on soccer, on and off the field

Steven Goff — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:22:00 GMT

David Beckham was not the best soccer player of his generation. In fact, years from now when historians of the sport appraise his splendid career, they will be hard-pressed to find a place for him on a contemporary top 10 list.

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Donovan left off U.S. national team roster

Steven Goff — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:53:35 GMT

Landon Donovan has returned to competitive soccer but apparently is not ready to return to the U.S. national team.

Coach Juergen Klinsmann left the program's career scoring leader off the roster for two friendlies, including a June 2 match against Germany at RFK Stadium, and three World Cup qualifiers next month.

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D.C. United news and notes

Steven Goff — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:02:12 GMT

*Multiple sources tell me D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid has been selected for U.S. national team duty ahead of friendlies against Belgium on May 29 in Cleveland and Germany on June 2 in Washington.

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D.C. United’s Robbie Russell ‘following up on a second dream’: medical school

Steven Goff — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:33:31 GMT

Robbie Russell’s greatest fear, as he departs pro soccer after a dozen years and opens life’s next chapter, is remembering what it’s like to be a student.

“I’ve got to take notes on a laptop,” D.C. United’s veteran defender said. “I’m used to a three-ring notebook. Everything’s changed. I’ve got to relearn how to go to school.”

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DC United getting a team beer from DC Brau

Sarah Kogod — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:25:16 GMT

At 1-8-1 and four points, D.C. United is off to the worst start in the team's history. There hasn't been much to cheer about, but perhaps this news might give DCU fans a little something to get behind.

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Seattle man killed dribbling soccer ball to Brazil for World Cup 2014

Cindy Boren — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:22:09 GMT

A Seattle man who was attempting to dribble a soccer ball 10,000 miles to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup was struck by a pickup truck and died Tuesday as he walked along the Oregon Coast.

Two weeks into the journey, Richard Swanson, 42, was hit as he walked south along U.S. Highway 101. He was declared dead at a local hospital and the driver has not been charged, police in Lincoln City, Ore., told the Associated Press.

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Russell to retire, pursue medical career

Steven Goff — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:21:21 GMT

Robbie Russell was born in Ghana and lived in Sri Lanka. He has played professional soccer in Scandinavia and Salt Lake City. He can write Norwegian and read Icelandic. His father speaks on behalf of political cartoonists. He can trace his family roots to the founders of the Mormon Church. He has a sociology degree from Duke, with a minor in statistical analysis. He married an attorney, with whom he had a long-distance relationship for years, and lives on Capitol Hill. He became a dad last fall.

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Soccer Outsider: United-FC Dallas match diary, player ratings

Jeff Maurer — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:42 GMT

United wasn't as good as its season-ending run last year suggested; everyone seemed to know that except for United GM Dave Kasper. But in fairness, United isn't as bad as its start to the season suggests. But in fairness to the concept of saying "in fairness," almost nothing on earth is as bad as United's start. Gangrene? Not at bad as United's start. Russian prisons? A barrel of monkeys compared to United's start. On the list of "horrible things," United's start is between Metro escalator repair times and the KFC Double Down.

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U.S. national team news and notes

Steven Goff — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:48:23 GMT

*Juergen Klinsmann will unveil his U.S. national team roster for the May-June matches this Thursday afternoon with as many as 27 players. He will trim the list to 23 after the friendlies against Belgium and Germany and before the three World Cup qualifiers.

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