Still Early: For United, It's About Timing

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D.C. UNITED IS IN LAST PLACE. The club is 1-3-0 in the month-old MLS regular season, sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and even trails Western cellar-dweller Houston on goal difference.

But, especially inside United locker room, few think that will last. The fact that last year's MLS Cup (Houston) and Supporters Shield (United) winners are propping up their respective divisions likely is more related to their participation in the CONCACAF Champions Cup than a lack of talent. D.C. has plenty of time to get its act together.

"This league is pretty forgiving in terms of slow starts and slow middles and everything else. All that matters is how you finish," said goalie Zach Wells, who was with Houston in 2006 and 2007 when the Dynamo got hot late and won consecutive championships. "We've got a lot of soccer ahead of us, and, each game, we learn something about ourselves and we learn how to tinker with the team."

D.C. will have had eight days to tinker ahead of Saturday's home game against Real Salt Lake (1-2-1), who thrashed United, 4-0, two weeks ago in Utah. Based on their performance in the past couple of games, United's problems appear numerous. The striking partnership of Jaime Moreno and 2007 league MVP Luciano Emilio (one goal each) has been ponderous, predictable and ineffective, which in turn has limited the impact of playmaker Marcelo Gallardo. This week, United signed Liberian forward Francis Doe, who played with New York last year, to provide some speed up top.

Meantime, the back four have been in disarray at times, looking either stretched or confused. With two new central defenders and a new goalkeeper, time together may be the only remedy.

"There is no frustration here. We know the potential we have," Emilio said last weekend. "We've lost two games in a row, but we know we can go on. We don't have to get frustrated or cry over it. Next game, we must look for the result we want."

Written by Express contributor Brian Straus
Photo by Preston Keres/The Washington Post