D.C. United 2008 soccer season
The 2008 D.C. United season was the fourteenth year of the club's existence, as well as their thirteenth season in Major League Soccer and their thirteenth consecutive season in the top tier of the American soccer pyramid .
To fans and the media alike, this year marked a downfall for the franchise, as well as end to what was considered a "second golden age" for the club in league play. The justification behind this involved the United failing to defend the Supporters' Shield , an awarded given to the MLS club with the best regular season record, for a third-consecutive year. With a 10th-place overall finish and a 6th-place finish in the Eastern Conference , United finished the lowest in the conference and league tables since 2002 . With the subpar record, United failed to make the playoffs, having qualified since 2003 .
Their performance league play reflected on the continental stage as well. Finishing as the 2007 MLS Supporters' Shield winners, United qualified for the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League . The tournament replaced the obsolete CONCACAF Champions' Cup , and was modeled similarly to its cousin tournament, the UEFA Champions League . In the Champions League, United continued their misfortunes, losing all their Group stage matches at home, and only managing to pick up one draw at Costa Rica's Saprissa . United finished in the bottom of Group C, with a record of 0–1–5 (W-T-L).
In spite of the poorer performance in league and continental play, United excelled in the U.S. Open Cup play, ultimately winning the domestic title against Charleston Battery , 2–1. The domestic cup title was their first since their inaugural season . The U.S. Open Cup, a domestic cup tournament much similar to the FA Cup runs parallel to the regular seasons of all tiers of professional and amateur soccer in the United States . The tournament is open for entry for any soccer club, professional or amateur, that is affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation . For MLS clubs, the top six American MLS clubs overall in the regular season are admitted entry into the third round proper, or round of 16, in the tournament. By finishing 1st overall in the regular season, United booked a third round entry in the tournament proper. The club opened Open Cup play with wins against Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division (second tier) and New England Revolution of MLS (first tier) in the third round and quarterfinals respectively. In the semifinals, United won in extra time to defeat Chicago Fire . In the championship, United defeated Charleston Battery of the USL Second Division (third tier) to win the Open Cup for a second time in club history.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Date
Player
Position
Previous club
Fee/notes
Ref
January 18, 2008
Ryan Cordeiro
MF / FW
University of Connecticut
2008 MLS SuperDraft , Round 3 selection
[ 1]
January 22, 2008
Gonzalo Peralta
DF
Almirante Brown
Free, Discovery Player
January 29, 2008
Marcelo Gallardo
MF
Paris Saint-Germain
Free
[ 2]
March 1, 2008
Pat Carroll
DF
West Virginia University
Free
March 15, 2008
Quavas Kirk
MF
Los Angeles Galaxy
Traded for Greg Vanney
[ 3]
March 27, 2008
James Thorpe
GK
Franklin Pierce College
Developmental contract
[ 4]
April 17, 2008
Mike Zaher
DF
Toronto FC
Traded for undisclosed SuperDraft pick
April 23, 2008
Francis Doe
FW
New York Red Bulls
Waived by New York, free transfer
[ 5]
June 30, 2008
Craig Thompson
MF
Houston Dynamo
Free
[ 6]
July 16, 2008
Joe Vide
MF
San Jose Earthquakes
Free
July 31, 2008
Iván Guerrero
MF
San Jose Earthquakes
Trade for partial allocation
August 7, 2008
Louis Crayton
GK
Basel
Undisclosed
[ 7]
September 15, 2008
Ryan Miller
DF / MF
Cleveland City Stars
Free
[ 8]
September 16, 2008
Greg Janicki
MF
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Loaned, subsequently signed developmental contract
[ 9]
Major League Soccer [ edit ]
Conference Standings
Overall Table
Source:
MLS Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions;
(S) Supporters' Shield
Notes:
CONCACAF Champions League [ edit ]
Group A
D.C. United playing Houston Dynamo in the 2008 SuperLiga.
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
Ref.
March 29, 2008
Kansas City Wizards
A
0–2
10,385
[ 12]
April 5, 2008
Toronto FC
H
4–1
20,161
Emilio , Quaranta , Gallardo , Moreno
[ 13]
April 12, 2008
Real Salt Lake
A
0-4
13,193
[ 14]
April 17, 2008
Columbus Crew
H
1–2
13,329
Namoff
[ 15]
April 26, 2008
Real Salt Lake
H
4-1
23,269
Moreno (2), Quaranta , Gallardo
[ 16]
May 4, 2008
Colorado Rapids
A
0-2
13,115
[ 17]
May 8, 2008
Chicago Fire
H
0–2
18,605
[ 18]
May 17, 2008
Chivas USA
A
1–3
13,113
Gallardo
[ 19]
May 21, 2008
Toronto FC
A
0-1
19,791
[ 20]
May 24, 2008
Toronto FC
H
3–2
18,647
Peralta , Moreno , Emilio
[ 21]
May 29, 2008
New England Revolution
A
2–2
8,159
Emilio , Fred
[ 22]
June 7, 2008
Chicago Fire
A
1–2
19,256
Moreno , Emilio
[ 23]
June 14, 2008
New York Red Bulls
H
4-1
18,622
Emilio (3), Simms
[ 24]
June 22, 2008
San Jose Earthquakes
H
3–1
17,922
Simms , Martínez , Emilio
[ 25]
June 29, 2008
Los Angeles Galaxy
H
4–1
35,979
Moreno , Emilio (2), Gallardo
[ 26]
July 23, 2008
Houston Dynamo
H
0–2
14,460
[ 27]
August 2, 2008
Kansas City Wizards
H
2–0
18,731
Emilio , Moreno
[ 28]
August 10, 2008
New York Red Bulls
A
1-4
15,038
Moreno
[ 29]
August 16, 2008
Chicago Fire
A
0–1
19,560
Fred
[ 30]
August 20, 2008
New England Revolution
A
1-2
14,962
Moreno
[ 31]
August 23, 2008
Colorado Rapids
H
3–0
17,283
Vide , Quaranta , Kirk
[ 32]
August 30, 2008
New York Red Bulls
H
0–0
15,616
[ 33]
September 6, 2008
San Jose Earthquakes
A
1-2
10,121
Quaranta
[ 34]
September 13, 2008
FC Dallas
H
2–2
19,890
Moreno , Quaranta
[ 35]
September 20, 2008
Los Angeles Galaxy
A
2-5
27,000
McTavish , Khumalo
[ 36]
September 28, 2008
FC Dallas
A
0-3
12,138
[ 37]
October 4, 2008
Chivas USA
H
0–3
28,145
[ 38]
October 12, 2008
Houston Dynamo
A
0–0
17,531
[ 39]
October 16, 2008
New England Revolution
H
2–1
16,672
Doe (2)
[ 40]
October 26, 2008
Columbus Crew
A
0-1
19,591
[ 41]
CONCACAF Champions' Cup[ edit ]
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
Ref.
QF
March 12, 2008
Harbour View
A
1–1
6,985
McTavish
[ 42]
QF
March 18, 2008
Harbour View
H
5–0
12,394
McTavish (2), Emilio (2), Fred
[ 43]
SF
April 1, 2008
Pachuca
A
0–2
18,642
[ 44]
SF
April 9, 2008
Pachuca
H
2–1
17,329
Dyachenko , Niell
[ 45]
CONCACAF Champions League [ edit ]
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
Ref.
GS
September 16, 2008
Saprissa
H
0–2
6,105
[ 46]
GS
September 24, 2008
Marathón
A
0-2
8,000
[ 47]
GS
October 1, 2008
Cruz Azul
H
0–1
7,124
[ 48]
GS
October 9, 2008
Saprissa
A
2–2
10,000
Doe , Dyachenko
[ 49]
GS
October 21, 2008
Cruz Azul
A
0-2
4,265
[ 50]
GS
October 29, 2008
Marathón
H
2–4
7,156
Doe , Janicki
[ 51]
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
Ref.
R3
July 1, 2008
Rochester Rhinos
H
2–0
2,752
Burch (2)
QF
July 8, 2008
Chicago Fire
H
2–1 (a.e.t.)
4,118
Doe , Namoff
[ 52]
SF
August 12, 2008
New England Revolution
H
3–1
6,797
Emilio (2), Quaranta
[ 53]
F
September 3, 2008
Charleston Battery
H
2–1
8,212
Emilio , Fred
[ 54]
^ "United trade defender Prideaux to Colorado" . USA Today . December 15, 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2011 .
^ Goff, Steven (April 4, 2008). "Gallardo Is United's Highest-Paid Player Ever" . The Washington Post . Retrieved April 4, 2008 .
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^ Latest News | MLSsoccer.com Archived May 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^ "D.C. United: News: D.C. Can't get goals they need in win" . dcunited.mlsnet.com . Archived from the original on June 30, 2009.
^ "Match Report: D.C. United vs Saprissa" (PDF) . CONCACAF . September 17, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2011 .
^ "Match Report: Marathón vs D.C. United" (PDF) . CONCACAF . September 25, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2011 .[dead link ]
^ http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/matchreport/7169.pdf [dead link ]
^ "MATCH STATISTICS/ESTADISTICAS DEL PARTIDO" (PDF) . www.concacaf.com . Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2009.
^ "CCL 2008–09 Match Report: Cruz Azul vs. D.C. United" (PDF) . Confederation of North, Central American and the Caribbean Association Football.[dead link ]
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^ Leon, Chris (September 3, 2008). "Battery edged by DC United in Cup Final Thriller" . Charleston Battery . Retrieved May 28, 2011 .
History Overview Key personnel Stadium and facilities Reserve facilities Rosters Affiliated clubs Culture Rivalries
MLS Cup (4) Supporters' Shield (4) U.S. Open Cup (3) CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1) Copa Interamericana (1)
International
Club competitions National teams
Team seasons
MLS USL-1 USL-2
Bermuda Hogges
Charlotte Eagles
Cleveland City Stars
Crystal Palace Baltimore
Harrisburg City Islanders
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Real Maryland Monarchs
Richmond Kickers
Western Mass Pioneers
Wilmington Hammerheads