Fighting Talker

Saturday, 8 pm

Needless to say, I am excited. Finally we get to see the new rebuilt DC United against MLS opposition. A big win here would be a nice change considering United has not won an opening league match in the last two years and with the retooled team, the time has come to put away an opening day opponent. Is Pope John Paul cursing us to opening day defeats after daring to play on after the Vatican announced his death?

If like me, you don’t believe in curses bestowed by dead pontiffs, you should be pretty confident that DC can beat a Wizards team yet to play a meaningful match this season and surely still adjusting to the surreal arrival of Claudio Lopez. But other than a potentially dangerous frontline of Lopez and Columbian arrival Ivan Trujillo there isn’t much to fear. The defense that surrounds Jimmy Conrad appears young and inexperienced. While Michael Harrington showed that he can attack last season, it’s still not clear he can defend and the jury is defintiely still out of Tyson Wahl and #1 draft pick Chance Myers. I’ve heard good things about Myers but he’ll be adjusting to MLS early on this season and expect DC to try and “pick on him.”

All of this uncertainty is piled on a team forced to play in an independent league baseball stadium. It’s a nice little park, but minor league in the extreme. We all remember how much Dallas struggled playing an a high school stadium. Will that happen to KC? How bad will the field be? Will Lopez take one look at the place and call his agent screaming, “Este lugar es una broma!”

Meanwhile, DC is riding the momentum of a blowout win over Harbour View and seems well positioned to open the season on a high note. Even with Moreno injured, with the apparent emergence of Quaranta as quality depth, I am not too worried. Obviously KC will present more of a challenge than HVFC did, but this result shouldn’t be in question.

Prediction: 3-1, DC