The End... of the CCL

Remember how our trusted front office brought in all these talented foreign players with the hope of giving us a better chance to advance in international competitions this year? With United finishing the Champions League with just 1 point in 6 matches, that seems like a distant memory. This was more like the team we've all grown used to after watching the Champions Cup and Superliga earlier in the year. We played well, and looked like the better team at times, but ultimately lost because of some lackluster defending, individual mistakes, and counterattacks. Same old story.


1. From the moment he walked on to the moment he left the field, Francis Doe was our best attacking option. Yes, and that was true even while Emilio was playing next to him.

2. Not only did he defend well, but Marc Burch also made us a threat on free kicks and corner kicks, which is rare for a United team.


1. He's not necessarily the most skilled player on our team, but Ivan Guerrero can be a huge asset when it comes to playing smart and maintaining possession.

2. Greg Janicki was hung out to dry, and didn't really look like the game changer in defense that he has sometimes been. But it was nice to see the guy earn his first goal with the team.


1. I'm not sure how to feel about the chances of Zach Wells returning next season. I guess he's as good as any other backup in MLS, but he sure doesn't inspire confidence.

2. Fred should have been our most skilled player on the field in this match, but that just didn't show. I'd like to see a bit more effort out of him.

3. Devon McTavish didn't do much to help the team in defense here.

Thus ends the 2008 campaign for DC United. The front office has some big decisions to make this offseason, the first big one of which comes at the end of this month when the expansion draft rolls around. We'll start looking at the season in review and prepping for next year later this week.