AP photo / D.C. United's defense is without Marc Burch for 2-3 weeks.
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D.C. United is down to only six remaining games and presently is out of the playoffs if they started before this week's slate of games. But United is not out by much.
Fortunately for D.C., the team has five straight home matches at RFK Stadium, followed by a road game against the Kansas City Wizards to wrap up the regular season slate. That clearly is a boost for a squad that has only two road wins and is 5-0-5 at RFK this year.
There is the CONCACAF Champions League scattered within the final six-game slate, but at this point of the season, D.C. should be used to the heavier workload.
Like any squad, United needs to stay healthy during this stretch. Defender Marc Burch is coming off surgery to remove scar tissue from his ankle and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks. Dejan Jakovic also is hurting (hernia), so the 'D' is stretched thin these days.
The defense has definitely been a rock at RFK. United's eight goals allowed in 10 home games ties for the lowest percentage allowed, matching Chivas USA.
Despite some absences, United still needs to pick up its game on the attacking side. The loss of Burch actually affects the offense a bit, as well.
D.C. had a forgettable August that included one goal in a three-game MLS stretch. That lone goal from Bryan Namoff was the winner at the Chicago Fire. Compare that to D.C.'s first 10 games of the season in which United scored at least a goal in every match and lost only one game against Real Salt Lake.
WEDNESDAY'S MATCH
• Kansas City Wizards (6-10-6) at D.C. United (7-5-12) - Winner - D.C. United (Check out D.C. United Examiner Ed Morgans' and Kansas City Wizards Examiner Brent Lager's coverage.)
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(Prediction record last week: 1-1 with 1 draw. My cumulative record: 47-35 with 31 draws. ***Please note, all draws are actual MLS draws - this forum only decides winners and losers each week.***)
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U.S. MNT takes on T&T: Fresh off its come-from-behind 2-1 victory against El Salvador, the U.S. Men's National Team visits Hasely Crawford Stadium to take on Trinidad & Tobago in World Cup qualifying at 7 p.m. EST on Wednesday. The game is televised on ESPN Classic and TeleFutura, with a 30-minute pregame show on Classic. The U.S. and Honduras share the top spot of the CONCACAF with 4-2-1 records and 13 points each. T&T is tied for last with El Salvador with 1-4-2 records and 5 points apiece. Following his two-assist performance against El Salvador, the Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan is one assist away from tying Cobi Jones' record of nine in one season.
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Charlie Corr is a freelance sports writer based in Chicago. In addition to his Major League Soccer duties, he is the Chicago Sports Examiner and the creator of a Chicago-based soccer Web site, SlideTackles.net.
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