Lessons from RFK Stadium: how hubris and infatuation cracked DC United

Despite plenty of evidence last year that things were amiss, D.C. United more or less retained the core of its team from the last few seasons for 2009 and kept manager Tom Soehn around.

It was a clear case of denial, stirred in with some professional puppy love -- that is, falling in love with the players on hand, convinced that they can still spin the magic, even when everyone else can see the truth that the ol' magic wand has gone limp. Sometimes, illumination is a little better from a distance.

So with curtain falling on the domestic soccer season, here's what all that faith in aging and under-performing stars will reap in 2009 for D.C. United:

The club, despite being afforded the easiest of paths into the U.S. Open Cup final, and despite then getting the cushy assignment of final at home, couldn’t take candy from the kid and lost out on that shot at hardware. Instead, Seattle paraded around the venerable grounds in the capital city, hoisting the U.S. Open Cup.

Soehn's men will need a win next week in Mexico against Toluca to advance out of the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. G'luck with all that, mates.

And in MLS, the team that likes to talk up all of its success and enjoys harkening to the glory years like some long-faded Hollywood starlet, will probably miss the league playoffs for the second consecutive season.

How's that sound for a team that earlier this year secured the domain WeWinTrophies.com for itself? I am not making that up.

How does something like this happen? By convincing yourself that the talent on hand is good enough. It's a circular line of thinking, one borne of hubris, that goes something like this: We're a great organization, and we only take the best. You've got to be damned good to play here. So, if you're here, then you must be pretty damned good.

Anyone else spot the inherent flaw there?

Then you go through a season of team meetings and post-game comments that fall along the lines of "We all know we can do better," and "We're a better team, just not putting it all together right now," and "Some guys just aren't pulling their weight," etc.

When all along the truth is something darker and starker, something far less abstract, something more along the lines of, "Well, this team just isn't good enough."

United isn't good enough in goal. United isn't good enough in defense. The midfield isn't bad, but it's WAY too dependent on Ben Olsen's leadership and his ability to steer the team through tough moments. Problem is, his poor old ankles just can't stand up to a season's worth of punishment, so he's not always going to be available. And even when he's on the field, he just can't be at his best all the time.

The attack is too dependent on 35-year-old Jaime Moreno, who simply has too many miles on the tires to be a factor game after game. Striker Luciano Emilio, United's Designated Player, will probably see his goal total shrink for a second consecutive season. He hit for 20 in 2007, but saw that total fall to 11 last year. He has nine this season with two matches remaining.

And then there's Soehn. Overmatched? Probably. After all, what says "panic" like a 43rd minute sub? Seriously, yanking a player at halftime isn't embarrassing enough? You're telling everybody, "I can't even wait these final two minutes to get you off the field." Players see that. And they remember. Soehn completely hung Christian Gomez -- a former league MVP for good sakes! -- out to dry with that little stunt Saturday.

United lost anyway, dropping its third consecutive match at home. That's a fine How Do Ya Do for a team looking to drive powerfully into the playoffs.

Then there is this: Listen to what Moreno told the Washington Post's excellent soccer scribe Steven Goff about the team's complete absence of anything that looked like rhythm in Saturday's 2-0 loss at home to Chivas USA:

"The rhythm isn't there because we haven't played two games in a row with the same team [lineup] -- it's very simple."

Wham! Oh, no he di'n't!

Oh, yes, he did. He just landed a round house right foot on Soehn's coaching career.

United plays league-leading Columbus at RFK this week, and then finishes with a match at CommunityAmerica Ballpark against a Kansas City side that has found a little form lately under interim boss Peter Vermes.  D.C. almost certainly requires two wins -- and even then it might not be enough.

Anybody want to buy a web site? United's got one they'll probably let go on the cheap.