D6 SOCCER
United finds hope in U.S. Open Cup
Struggling team can still secure a title to salvage forgettable season
BY STEVEN GOFF Soccer is a forgiving sport.
Falter in one competition, and another offers redemption. By most measures, D.C. United has been a downright disaster this year, heading toward the worst regular season record in its 14- year history and threatening to set dubious MLS marks for scor- ing futility. Amid the ruin, however, Unit-
ed has found solace in the U.S. Open Cup, a 96-year-old tourna- ment involving clubs from all levels of American soccer. The event lacks the substance of the league campaign and doesn’t have the honor of international play, which serves as another outlet forMLSclubs sputtering in the regular season. But the Open Cup does dangle
a trophy, bonus money and a ticket to the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League. And in a year that has gone terribly wrong in so many ways, United hopes to con- tinue drawing comfort from the Open Cup on Wednesday night with a semifinal against the Co- lumbus Crewat RFK Stadium. “It’s a tough year; we’ve all
struggled,” interim coach Ben Ol- sen said. “It has not been fun, and here is a chance to get into a final and raise a trophy, something that this club has always prided itself on. It’s huge, the biggest game of the season.” With a victory, United would
advance to the final for the third consecutive year and set up a meeting next month with the defending champion Seattle Sounders or Chivas USA. If Unit- ed and the Sounders win, Seattle would host the championship game Oct. 5. A D.C.-Chivas final would take place Oct. 6 at RFK. United’s situation is similar to
the 2009-10 Portsmouth squad in England. Amid a last-place finish in the Premier League, Pompey surgedto the final of theFACup, a competition that inspired the Open Cup, before losing to Chel- sea, 1-0. Domestic cup competitions
run concurrent to league sched- ules, with clubs alternating be- tween the two in any given week. To qualify for the tournament, United needed to dispatch MLS
rivals FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake. The club then defeated the Richmond Kickers and Harris- burg City Islanders, from the third tier of the pro pyramid, to reach the semifinals. “Obviously, the [MLS] playoffs
are out of the question, and this Open Cup, we’ve done well the last few years,” forward-midfield- er Chris Pontius said. “Anything short of lifting up the trophy will be a disappointment for us, given the circumstances of the year.” In league play, United is 4-15-3
with eight matches remaining. It will miss the playoffs for the third straight year and, having been shut out 14 times and scored just 14 goals, D.C. is on the verge of MLS infamy. Conversely, in the Open Cup, United has scored 10 goals in four matches. Olsen has had to balance the demands of league matches with the approaching Open Cup semi- final. He used several reserves in a 1-0 loss at Chivas USA on Sunday night and will have most of his top-line players available against the Crew. Absences include starting mid-
fielder Branko Boskovic, who has joined the Montenegro national team for 2012 European Champi- onship qualifiers against Wales and Bulgaria; and defender Jed Zayner, who is ineligible because he played for Columbus in the Open Cup this year. (Such players are considered “cup-tied.”) Forward Danny Allsopp, who
has a team-high four goals in league play, is expected to return to the starting lineup after over- coming stomach flu. “It’s been difficult [this year],
and this could be a real good thing for us,” Allsopp said. “This would give us a chance, if we can get past this game, to get some silverware out of the season.” United note: Rookie defender
Barry Rice, who made his first career league start against Chivas USA, received eight stitches on his left eyebrow and will not be available Wednesday. He was in- jured on an aerial challenge late in the first half and did not return.
goffs@washpost.com
With Bradley back, U.S. eager to take next step
BY STEVEN GOFF Before deciding to offer Bob
Bradley a contract extension to continue as the national team coach, U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati had to rec- oncile one particular nagging is- sue: the fearof aprogramgrowing stale under the same leader. Bradley had maintained har-
mony for four years, guiding the Americans to considerable achievement and earning respect fromplayers and colleagues alike. But what would the climate be in two years or on the eve of the 2014 WorldCup inBrazil? “We have had a lot of discus-
sions on the positives and some of the potential freshness issues,” Gulati said Tuesday. “We think all the positives greatly outweighany of our concerns.” In reaching that conclusion,
Gulati renewed his belief in Brad- ley, whose contract was to expire Dec.31.Termsof thenewfour-year deal were not revealed. The USSF lists his current salary at around $600,000, not including bonuses. Bradley’s reappointment Mon-
day evening abruptly put to rest lingering questions about his fu- ture, questions that first surfaced in the hours after the U.S. team’s round-of-16 loss to Ghana at the World Cup in South Africa this summer. While Gulati and the USSF as-
sessed Bradley’s performance, the coach explored overseas opportu- nities, most notably with Fulham and Aston Villa in England’s Pre- mierLeague.Gulatialsoreported- ly initiated talks with Juergen Klinsmann, the former German manager who nearly became the U.S. coach four years ago. Over the weekend, just when it
seemed Bradley and the USSF would go their separate ways, talks intensified. On Tuesday, during a telecon-
ference with reporters, Gulati de- clined to address questions about Klinsmann. “I’mnot going to talk about any conversations that we
may ormaynothavehadwithany other candidate,” he said. A source familiar with the
coachingsituationsaidGulatidid, in fact, speak with Klinsmann. However, the seriousness of the talks remains unclear. IndecidingtoretainBradleyfor
another four-year cycle, a rarity in international soccer, Gulati said that the coach’s “experience and the record, the work over the last four years, overcame any issues about staleness. We could over- come that. Bob and I talked about that a lot andwe’re in agreement.” The way to avoid stagnation,
Bradley said, is through a coach’s ability to “challenge your players the right way, to know how in some moments to re-energize yourselves, refocus yourself, and insomeways, re-invent yourself.” Bradleydrewpraise for guiding
the U.S. team to the Confedera- tions Cup final, to first place in regional qualifying for the World Cup and first place in group play in South Africa. Over four years, he integrated several emerging players into the program while maintaining a veterancore. Though detractors howled
about specific roster and lineup selections,particularlyintheGha- namatch, the player pool limited Bradley’s options. As Bradley has stated repeatedly, the Americans, with theirmodest attacking attri- butes, need to be at their very best to compete against theworld’s top teams. Along those lines, he said Tues-
day that he envisions a team that uses “ourmobility,ourathleticism [and] combine themwith contin- ued attempts to improve our un- derstanding and the way we cre- ate chances, the way we pass and move. We are a team that contin- ues to improve technically.” “We feel good about what we
have accomplished, but that doesn’tmean thatwe think it’s all perfect,” Bradley said. “That is what motivates us and our play- ers, sowewill continue towork at it.”
goffs@washpost.com ON FOOTBALL 2008: the draft best forgotten on football from D1
sues and lack of talent have slowed the first class chosen after Cerrato, who resigned in December, was promoted to head of the football operation. Not a single draft pick from the class is expected to start Sept. 12 against the Dallas Cowboys, and only three may be on the opening 53-man roster. It seems the success of the class hingeson the performances of Thomas, pass-catching tight end Fred Davis and safety KareemMoore — who is sidelined to open the season. “Our class, there are a lot guys
with talent, but that doesn’t mean it’s always going to work out,” Davis said. “It’s about the opportunities you get out there and making the most of them. But even then, you don’t know what’s going to happen.” Kelly will be paid $470,000 in
base salary this season. On April 1, he received a $391,000 bonus for total 2010 compensation of $861,000. By the end of this season, the Redskins will have paid Kelly a total of almost $3.2 million. As the 2008 draft unfolded,
Cerrato executed a questionable plan in an effort to bolster the receiving corps.He traded out of the first round, sending Washington’s picks in the first, third and fifth rounds (Nos. 21, 84 and 154 overall) to the Atlanta Falcons for the Nos. 34 and 48 picks in the second round and a fourth-round pick, the 103rd overall. With three second-round
picks, the Redskins selected Thomas, Davis and Kelly. After Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley was injured last season, Davis emerged as a force in the passing game. Washington released punter
Durant Brooks (sixth round) during the 2008 season, and quarterback Colt Brennan (sixth round) was released early this August. Offensive lineman Chad Rinehart
round), defensive end Rob Jackson (seventh round) and safety Chris Horton (seventh round) may not make this year’s team. “The worst thing people can
do is keep a draft pick just to keep a draft pick,” Coach Mike Shanahan said. “What you do is you keep the people who give you the best chance to win.” The star of training camp on
defense, Moore (sixth round) was slated to start until he suffered a knee injury in the second preseason game. He had surgery and will sit out to start the season. “He’s one of those guys from that draft that’s going to be in this league a long time,” cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. “They came through with that one.”
Approaching the 2008 draft,
the Redskins knew they had long-term concerns along the offensive line. So some in the organization
privately
expressed frustration after Cerrato took three big receivers with many roster holes elsewhere. And the drafting of Kelly raised eyebrows. Some teams assigned a medical-reject grade to Kelly because of his knee problem, a high-ranking player-personnel official on another team said at the time. The knee injury ruined Kelly’s rookie season, He played in five games and had only three catches for 18 yards. Kelly probably should have
been placed on injured reserve before the season, former coach Jim Zorn revealed in one of many moments of surprising candor for an NFL head coach. Kelly had microfracture surgery after his rookie season. Through team spokesman
Tony Wyllie, Cerrato said team sources were inaccurate in portraying Snyder as having a role in the selection of Kelly. “He had a phenomenal
(third round), cornerback Justin Tryon (fourth
workout” before the draft, Cerrato said. “We all made the decision [but] Dan was not involved. He made the trip to [Oklahoma] just to offer
support.” Kelly impressed in the 2009 preseason and was named the starting flanker. But he struggled with his route running and was demoted to second string in favor of Thomas, who, for the most part, disappointed because of his poor work ethic and lackadaisical approach toward learning the playbook. Thomas made great strides to improve his professionalism, however, and had a seven-catch, 100-yard, two-touchdown performance late last season in a loss to the NewOrleans Saints. Slowed by nagging injuries
during organized team activities and minicamps, Thomas seems to have fallen out of favor with the newregime.He was listed as the third-string split end on the first depth chart of the preseason and did not play on offense in the third preseason game – generally the game in which a team’s top performers play most. Still, it would be surprising if
Thomas were released before the season. Thomas has continued to say
all the right things about Shanahan, calling him “the type of coach I need to help me reach my potential. . . . But when you kind of get buried down a little bit, yeah, it sucks. It really does.” The Denver Broncos selected receiver-returner
standout
Eddie Royal eight spots after the Redskins selected Thomas. The Philadelphia Eagles chose star wideout-punt returner DeSean Jackson one pick after Washington selected Davis. They are not big receivers, but their success, even from afar, colors the Redskins’ draft class. “You come in as a rook, you
come into a franchise, and you expect to be somebody they want to keep around and develop and become a main contributor,” Thomas said. “But it’s been a rocky road for some of us. It really has.”
reidj@washpost.com JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST MalcolmKelly has 28 catches for 365 yards and no touchdowns in his two season with the Redskins. Kelly’s season ends on IR Nagging hamstring
injury will cost wideout the entire year
BY BARRY SVRLUGA Washington Redskins wide
receiver Malcolm Kelly, nagged during the entire preseason by a persistenthamstring injury,was placed on injured reserve Tues- day, ending the season of the team’s tallest wideout and thin- ning the group of potential tar- gets for new quarterback Dono- vanMcNabb. The decision clouds Kelly’s
future with the organization that drafted him in the second round two years ago. In two seasons, he has been inactive for 11 games because of knee prob- lems and caught just 28 passes for 365 yards and no touch- downs. Now he won’t play until 2011 at the earliest. “I think he understands that
he’s got to getonthe field,andhe hasn’t been able to do that,” CoachMike Shanahan said. “. . . You got to be healthy enough, and for whatever reason he hasn’t been able to stay healthy.” Kelly originally strained the
hamstring while working out in Arizona in the weeks before training camp, a session led by McNabb. He thought the pull would sideline him for the first few days of training camp, but when practice began July 29, Kelly participated. By the midpoint of practice
the followingmorning,however, Kelly had aggravated the injury. He then began an odyssey of fits, starts and lonely agility drills on the sideline of practices. When he tried to go full-speed, Shana- han said, he aggravated the inju- ry again, costing him more time. On Monday, after he had
missed three preseason games, Kelly finally returned to practice —and immediately suffered the setback that ultimately cost him his season. “I don’t think he’ll be able to
go for a fewmore weeks,” Shana- han said. “. . . For a six-week injury, you put somebody on IR.” Kelly did not return messages
seeking comment Tuesday. Ear- lier in the preseason, cornerback DeAngelo Hall suggested in a radio interview that the Red- skins had misdiagnosed the se- verity of Kelly’s initial injury. “He ended up finally getting a
second opinion three weeks lat- er, and we find out it was some- thing a heck of a lot worse than they ever thought it was,” Hall told ESPN 980 earlier this month. “So we’re here babying Malcolm, saying, ‘He’s a baby, he’s a baby. Get out there and play,’ when he has a Grade 2 strain. And they’re around here saying it’s a Grade 1 [strain] and there ain’t nothing wrong with him.” Grade 1 and 2 hamstring
strains could be treated differ- ently. Shanahan said Monday Kelly had undergone an MRI exam to determine the extent of the injury earlier in the pre- season, but he has never as-
signed the pull a number grade. The decision with Kelly clari-
fies only a portion of the Red- skins’ murky receiver situation. Veterans SantanaMoss and Joey Galloway are sure bets to make the roster. Devin Thomas, draft- ed in the same year and round as Kelly, will play extensively in Thursday’s preseason finale in Arizona, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. Second- year player Anthony Armstrong, who has seven catches for 101 yards in three preseason games, has impressed throughout camp. Rookies Terrence Austin and Brandon Banks are battling veteran Roydell Williams for a spot. Though Kelly is lost for the
season, the Redskins retain his rights for 2011. Mike Shanahan, though,
madeit clearKelly is guaranteed nothing — even if he heals. The coach pointed out the club could still release him if he returns to health. “I think he’s got a lot of qualities you look for in a foot- ball player,” Shanahan said. “The main thing is: Can he get out there on the football field eventually and play?” Kelly’s move to injured re-
serve was just one the Redskins had to make Tuesday to get the active roster down to 75. The club also cut safetyLendyHolm- es, offensive lineman Edwin Williams, long snapper James Dearth and outside linebacker Hall Davis, who was acquired Monday in a tradewith St.Louis.
svrlugab@washpost.com
D.C. United vs. Columbus Crew
What: U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Where: RFK Stadium. When: 7:30 p.m. Online video:
www.dcunited.com. Radio: WDCN (87.7 FM), Spanish.
EZ SU
KLMNO PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
Redskins Insider
Excerpts from
voices.washingtonpost. com/redskinsinsider
McNabb expected
towork nextweek Redskins offensive
coordinatorKyle Shanahan said he expects starting quarterback Donovan McNabb to return to workouts next week, when the team will be preparing to open the season against the Dallas Cowboys.McNabb hasn’t practiced since spraining his left ankle Aug. 21 against Baltimore. “I expect him to be able to
practice next week,” Shanahan said following Tuesday’s practice. “I think he does, too. You never know. We’ll see how the injury goes. We know he’s hurting right now, but we think he’ll be good to go next week.” McNabb attended practice
Tuesday without shoulder pads, but also without the protective sleeve he wore on the lower part of his left leg Monday.He has moved around Redskins Park without an air cast or walking boot since early last week. CoachMike Shanahan
said it was impossible to say for certain whenMcNabb would return to workouts. “How do you know?” he
asked. “. . . You’re hoping that a guy can go, but you don’t know if there’s going to be a setback or not.Keepingmy fingers crossed and hoping.”
Grossman to play? Earlier in the week,
Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman, the backup to starter DonovanMcNabb, told reporters he would not play in Thursday’s preseason finale at Arizona. Tuesday, Kyle Shanahan went in a different direction. “Rex is taking reps right
now,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how it goes going up to the game, but we expect him probably to start. But we haven’t finalized it yet. Don’t expect him to be in long if he does.”
Grossman said he had
spent the week watching film of the Dallas, who the Redskins will play Sept. 12. “I don’t know what’s going
on,” Grossman said. “I play when they tell me.” In three preseason games, Grossman is 33 for 55 for 446 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, good for a 90.4 rating. Even if Grossman starts at
Arizona, most of the game will be handled by the pair of quarterbacks competing for a third-string job—if, in fact, the Redskins keep three quarterbacks after final cuts Saturday. John Beck and Richard Bartel will use Thursday’s game to audition not only forWashington, but for other teams that might want to pick up a quarterback who comes on the market.
Parker’s key game One player who is sure to
see time against the Arizona Cardinals: Veteran halfback Willie Parker. Parker, who has nine carries for 15 yards in two preseason appearances, almost certainly needs to play well if he is to stick on a roster crowded with five backs competing for, in all likelihood, three spots. “The only thing I can do is
just say a prayer and just come out and have fun with the boys,” Parker said. “It’s kind of different. It’s kind of awkward. But at the same time, it is what it is.” Parker missed practice
Monday because,Mike Shanahan said, he was “tight.” Shanahan did not elaborate, but indicated he expected Parker to be healthy enough to play Thursday. Shanahan said starter
Clinton Portis, who sprained his ankle last week against the Jets, won’t play against Arizona, though Portis practiced Tuesday. It’s likely Parker is competing against Keiland Williams, an undrafted rookie free agent, and Ryan Torain, a second- year back originally drafted by Shanahan in Denver, for a job.
Parker, an undrafted free
agent in 2004 out ofNorth Carolina, gained 5,378 yards in his six years with Pittsburgh.
—Barry Svrluga
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
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