2012 D.C. United season facts for kids
| 2012 season | ||||
| General manager | Dave Kasper | |||
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| Head coach | Ben Olsen | |||
| Stadium | RFK Stadium | |||
| MLS | Eastern Conference: 2nd Overall: 3rd |
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| MLS Cup Playoffs | Conference finals | |||
| U.S. Open Cup | Fourth round | |||
| Carolina Challenge Cup | Winners | |||
| Atlantic Cup | Winners | |||
| World Football Challenge | 0–0–1 | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Chris Pontius (12) All: Chris Pontius (12) |
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| Highest home attendance | 20,015 vs. HOU | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 10,135 vs. MTL | |||
| Average home attendance | Regular season: 13,835 Playoffs: 18,786 |
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The 2012 D.C. United season was the 17th year for the soccer club D.C. United. They played in Major League Soccer (MLS), which is the top soccer league in the United States. The season started on March 10 with a home game loss against Sporting Kansas City. It ended on November 18 with a tie against Houston Dynamo.
Under coach Ben Olsen, the team got much better. They made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They also reached the Eastern Conference championship, which they had not done since 2006. D.C. United earned 58 points during the regular season. This tied their best record from 1998, even though the 1998 season had fewer games.
In the MLS Cup Playoffs, United beat their rivals, the New York Red Bulls. They won 2–1 over two games. However, they then lost to the Houston Dynamo 4–2 in the conference finals. Outside of MLS, D.C. United played in the 2012 U.S. Open Cup. They reached the round of 16 but lost to the Philadelphia Union in extra time. As of 2024, this was the last time D.C. United made it to the conference final.
Season Highlights
Getting Ready for the Season
Before the 2012 season, Ben Olsen was in his first full year as head coach. In 2011, D.C. United improved their record. They scored more goals and had a good record in away games. However, they still missed the playoffs for four seasons in a row.
In November 2011, two United players, Ethan White and Perry Kitchen, joined the U.S. under-23 national team. D.C. United also signed Robbie Russell from Real Salt Lake. Some players left the team, including Marc Burch and Clyde Simms. Charlie Davies' loan ended, and he returned to his French club.
In the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, United picked Nick DeLeon. He was a promising young player. They also signed Lance Rozeboom from the University of New Mexico. Other players picked in the draft were not signed. Rozeboom later got a serious knee injury during a preseason tournament.
United made more player changes in January 2012. They got Brazilian player Maicon Santos from FC Dallas. They also traded for midfielder Danny Cruz from Houston Dynamo. Later, they signed Argentine defender Emiliano Dudar for free.
The team played some practice games. They tied against Chicago Fire and Swedish team Malmö. D.C. United then won the Carolina Challenge Cup. They beat the Charleston Battery and Chicago Fire. Their final game was canceled due to bad weather.
A big signing for the club was Albanian striker Hamdi Salihi. He joined as a "designated player" from an Austrian team. Many thought this was a very important signing. It helped fill the spot left by Charlie Davies. The team also signed goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra and winger Lewis Neal.
March: A Tough Start
D.C. United's MLS season began on March 10 against Sporting Kansas City. Sporting Kansas City won 1–0 with a goal in the last moments of the game. United's offense struggled in their next game too. They lost 3–1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the champions from the year before. Rookie Nick DeLeon scored his first MLS goal in this game.
The team then tied 0–0 with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The month ended with a big win at home. D.C. United beat FC Dallas 4–1. Maicon Santos scored twice and helped with another goal. Nick DeLeon and Danny Cruz also scored.
April: Turning Things Around
April was a great month for D.C. United. They did not lose any of their five league games. They won three and tied two. They started with a 0–0 tie against Seattle Sounders FC. On April 14, they beat the New England Revolution 2–1. Maicon Santos and Chris Pontius scored for United. This was their first win in New England since 2007.
United then tied 1–1 with the new team, Montreal Impact. Maicon Santos scored the tying goal. After that, United had a huge 4–1 win over the New York Red Bulls. Chris Pontius scored three goals, which is called a hat-trick. Nick DeLeon also scored.
They finished April with a thrilling 3–2 home win against the Houston Dynamo. Maicon Santos scored two goals, including the winning goal late in the game. Dwayne De Rosario also scored his first goal of the season.
May: Ups and Downs
May started with a tough 5–3 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. United had many injured defenders. Dwayne De Rosario scored early, but San Jose scored quickly. Daniel Woolard and Hamdi Salihi also scored for United. This was Salihi's first league goal.
United then played Toronto FC, who had not won a game yet. United won 2–0. Chris Pontius scored, and Hamdi Salihi scored with an amazing overhead kick. Next, United lost 1–0 to the Houston Dynamo in their new stadium.
United then won two home games against Colorado Rapids and Toronto FC. They also played in the 2012 U.S. Open Cup. They beat the Richmond Kickers 2–1 in extra time.
June: Key Wins and Losses
In June, D.C. United played fewer league games due to international breaks. They had two wins and two losses overall. Their U.S. Open Cup journey ended on June 5. They lost 2–1 in extra time to the Philadelphia Union.
Eleven days later, United beat the Philadelphia Union 1–0 in a league game. Chris Pontius scored the winning goal. This was United's fourth straight league win, their best streak since 2007. It also put them at the top of the Eastern Conference.
On June 24, United played the New York Red Bulls. Chris Pontius scored just 31 seconds into the game, a club record! But the Red Bulls came back and won 4–2. This loss meant D.C. United and New York were tied for first place.
July: A Quiet Month
July was a quiet month with only two league games and one friendly match. United lost both league games. They lost 4–0 to Houston Dynamo and 1–0 to Columbus Crew. In the Houston game, their starting goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, was sent off early. United also tied 1–1 in a friendly game against French club Paris Saint-Germain.
August: Mixed Results
August was a mix of good and bad games. United beat Columbus Crew 1–0 at home. Then they lost 2–1 to Sporting Kansas City. They tied 1–1 with the Philadelphia Union. In this game, Dwayne De Rosario missed a penalty kick that could have won the game.
United then had a big 4–2 win over Chicago Fire. They lost 3–0 to Montreal Impact. They ended August with a 2–2 tie against the New York Red Bulls.
September: "Bennyball" Takes Over
September started with a 1–0 loss to Real Salt Lake. Then, Dwayne De Rosario got a knee injury while playing for his national team. Without their main attacker, coach Olsen changed the team's style. They played more defensively, a style nicknamed "Bennyball."
Even with the injury, United won 2–1 against the New England Revolution. Chris Pontius scored and helped with the winning goal by Lewis Neal. They then won 1–0 against the Philadelphia Union and 1–0 against Chivas USA. Branko Bošković scored his only regular season goal for the team in the Chivas USA game. United tied 1–1 with the Portland Timbers. They finished September with three wins and a draw after De Rosario's injury.
October: Playoff Spot Secured!
D.C. United's amazing unbeaten run continued in October. They won 1–0 against Toronto FC. This set up a huge game against Columbus Crew. A playoff spot was on the line. In front of a packed stadium, United won a thrilling 3–2 game. Nick DeLeon and Marcelo Saragosa scored. Then, in the very last minute, Lewis Neal scored the winning goal! This win secured United's first playoff spot since 2007. They ended the regular season with a 1–1 tie against Chicago Fire, extending their unbeaten streak to seven games.
November: Playoff Drama
In the MLS Cup Playoffs, D.C. United faced the New York Red Bulls. The first game was a 1–1 tie in Washington. The second game was delayed a day because of a big snowstorm. When they finally played, the game was full of drama. United's goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, was sent off. Backup goalie Joe Willis came in and saved a penalty kick!
Later, a Red Bulls player was also sent off. Then, Nick DeLeon scored the winning goal for United! D.C. United won the series 2–1 and moved on to the conference finals.
The Eastern Conference championship was against the Houston Dynamo. United lost the first game 3–1. Nick DeLeon scored for United. In the second game, Houston scored first. Branko Bošković scored a late goal for United, but it wasn't enough. Houston won the series 4–2. This ended D.C. United's great season.
Player Information
Roster
Here are some of the players who were on the D.C. United team in 2012:
| Goalkeepers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Bill Hamid |  |
GK | November 25, 1990 | The academy |
| 31 | Joe Willis | |
GK | August 10, 1988 | University of Denver |
| 50 | Andrew Dykstra | |
GK | January 2, 1986 | Charleston Battery |
| Defenders | |||||
| 3 | Robbie Russell | |
RB/CB | July 16, 1979 | Real Salt Lake |
| 4 | Brandon McDonald | |
CB | January 16, 1986 | San Jose Earthquakes |
| 5 | Dejan Jakovic |  |
CB | July 16, 1985 |  Red Star |
| 15 | Ethan White | |
CB | January 1, 1991 | University of Maryland |
| 19 | Emiliano Dudar |  |
CB | January 17, 1982 |  Young Boys |
| 21 | Daniel Woolard | |
LB | May 22, 1984 | Carolina RailHawks |
| 22 | Chris Korb | |
RB/LB | October 8, 1987 | University of Akron |
| Midfielders | |||||
| 2 | Danny Cruz | |
RM | January 3, 1990 | Houston Dynamo |
| 6 | Kurt Morsink | |
DM | October 9, 1987 | New York Red Bulls |
| 8 | Branko Bošković |  |
AM | June 21, 1980 |  Rapid Wien |
| 11 | Marcelo Saragosa |  |
DM | January 22, 1982 |  Ravan Baku |
| 14 | Andy Najar |  |
RM/RB | March 16, 1993 | The academy |
| 17 | Conor Shanosky | |
DM/CB | December 13, 1991 | The academy |
| 18 | Nick DeLeon | |
LM/RM | January 1, 1991 | University of Louisville |
| 20 | Stephen King | |
AM | March 6, 1986 | Seattle Sounders FC |
| 23 | Perry Kitchen | |
DM/CB/RB | February 29, 1992 | University of Akron |
| 24 | Lewis Neal |  |
LM/LB | April 12, 1981 | Orlando City Soccer Club |
| Forwards | |||||
| 7 | Dwayne De Rosario | |
ST/AM | May 15, 1978 | New York Red Bulls |
| 9 | Hamdi Salihi |  |
ST | January 19, 1984 | Rapid Wien |
| 13 | Chris Pontius | |
ST/LW | May 12, 1987 | UC Santa Barbara |
| 16 | Josh Wolff | |
ST | February 25, 1977 | Sporting Kansas City |
| 29 | Maicon Santos | |
ST | April 18, 1984 | FC Dallas |
Coaching Staff
- Ben Olsen was the Head Coach.
- Dave Kasper was the General Manager.
Team Statistics
Top Scorers
Chris Pontius was the top scorer for D.C. United in 2012 with 12 goals. Hamdi Salihi scored 6 goals in league play and 2 in the Carolina Challenge Cup, for a total of 9 goals. Maicon Santos and Dwayne De Rosario each scored 7 goals in MLS games. Nick DeLeon scored 6 goals in MLS and 1 in the playoffs, for a total of 7 goals.
Top Assists
Dwayne De Rosario led the team with 12 assists in MLS games. Branko Bošković had 7 assists in MLS, 1 in the U.S. Open Cup, and 1 in the Carolina Challenge Cup, totaling 9 assists. Nick DeLeon and Andy Najar each had 4 assists in MLS games.
Starting Lineup
This image shows a common starting lineup for D.C. United in 2012:
Player Awards
- Dwayne De Rosario was named MLS Player of the Month for May.
- Chris Pontius was MLS Player of the Week in Week 7 for his hat-trick.
- Dwayne De Rosario was MLS Player of the Week in Week 11.
Many D.C. United players were also named to the MLS Best XI of the Week throughout the season. This means they were among the best players in the league for that week.
Player Changes
Players Joining the Team
Some key players who joined D.C. United in 2012 included:
- Robbie Russell (defender) from Real Salt Lake
- Nick DeLeon (midfielder) from Louisville Cardinals
- Maicon Santos (forward) from FC Dallas
- Danny Cruz (midfielder) from Houston Dynamo
- Emiliano Dudar (defender) from Young Boys
- Hamdi Salihi (forward) from Rapid Wien
- Marcelo Saragosa (midfielder) from Ravan Baku
- Lewis Neal (midfielder) from Orlando City
- Lionard Pajoy (forward) from Philadelphia Union
Players Leaving the Team
Some players who left D.C. United in 2012 included:
- Marc Burch (defender) to Seattle Sounders FC
- Clyde Simms (midfielder) to New England Revolution
- Charlie Davies (forward), whose loan ended and he returned to his club in France.
- Danny Cruz (midfielder) was traded to Philadelphia Union.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Temporada 2012 del D.C. United para niños
