2012 D.C. United season facts for kids

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D.C. United

2012 season

General manager

Dave Kasper

Head coach

Ben Olsen

Stadium

RFK Stadium

MLS

Eastern Conference: 2nd
Overall: 3rd

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)

Highest home attendance

20,015 vs. HOU

Lowest home attendance

10,135 vs. MTL

Average home attendance

Regular season: 13,835
Playoffs: 18,786

Home

Away

Third

← 2011

2013 →

The 2012 D.C. United season was the football club's 17th year playing in Major League Soccer (MLS), which is the top football league in the United States. The season started on March 10 with a 0–1 loss at home against Sporting Kansas City. It ended on November 18 with a 1–1 draw against Houston Dynamo.

Under coach Ben Olsen, the team improved a lot. They made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They also reached the Eastern Conference championship, which they hadn't done since 2006. During the regular season, D.C. United earned 58 points. This tied their record from 1998 for the most points in a regular season.

In the MLS Cup Playoffs, United beat their rivals, the New York Red Bulls, with a total score of 2–1. However, they later lost to the Houston Dynamo in the Conference finals, with a total score of 4–2. 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.

A Look Back at 2011

Before the 2012 season, it was coach Ben Olsen's first full year in charge. In 2011, D.C. United got better, improving their record from 6 wins, 20 losses, and 4 draws to 9 wins, 13 losses, and 12 draws. But they still didn't make it to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the fourth season in a row. The team scored more goals in 2011, with 47 goals, which was the third-highest in the league. They also had the fourth-best record when playing away from home.

The 2012 Season Journey

Getting Ready: Preseason

In November, two D.C. United players, Ethan White and Perry Kitchen, were chosen to play for the U.S. under-23 national team. On November 29, D.C. United got Robbie Russell from Real Salt Lake.

Before the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft (a way for teams to pick up players whose contracts weren't extended), D.C. United let go of nine players. Some of these players, like Marc Burch and Clyde Simms, moved to other teams. Charlie Davies' loan ended, and he went back to his French club.

In the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, D.C. United picked Nick DeLeon as their first choice. He was a promising young player. They also picked other players in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft, but only Lance Rozeboom signed a contract. Sadly, Rozeboom got a serious knee injury during a preseason tournament.

After a quiet start to the offseason, D.C. United made more trades. They got Brazilian player Maicon Santos from FC Dallas and Danny Cruz from Houston Dynamo. They also signed Argentine defender Emiliano Dudar for free.

D.C. United played some practice games, drawing against Chicago Fire and Swedish team Malmö. They also won the Carolina Challenge Cup by beating the Charleston Battery and Chicago Fire. Their final game in that cup was canceled due to bad weather.

A big signing for the club was Albanian striker Hamdi Salihi. He joined as a "designated player," meaning his salary didn't count fully against the team's salary cap. Many thought he would be key to filling the scoring gap 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 at home against Sporting Kansas City. Sporting won 1–0 with a goal in the very last minute. United's offense struggled again in their next game, losing 3–1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The good news was that rookie Nick DeLeon scored his first MLS goal. The team then had a 0–0 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

The month ended with a big change in offense. D.C. United beat FC Dallas 4–1 at home. Maicon Santos scored twice and helped with another goal. Nick DeLeon also scored, and Danny Cruz added a goal.

April: Turning Things Around

In April, D.C. United didn't lose any of their five league games, winning three and drawing two. They started with a 0–0 draw against Seattle Sounders FC. On April 14, they beat the New England Revolution 2–1 away from home. This was their first win there since 2007!

They then drew 1–1 with the Montreal Impact. After that, D.C. United had a great 4–1 win over the New York Red Bulls. Chris Pontius scored three goals in that game, which is called a hat-trick! Nick DeLeon also scored.

United finally won two games in a row when they beat the Houston Dynamo 3–2 at home. Maicon Santos scored two goals, including the winning one.

May: Ups and Downs

May started tough with a 5–3 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. United's defense was missing key players due to injuries. Even though they scored three goals, San Jose scored five. Dwayne De Rosario and Daniel Woolard scored, and Hamdi Salihi scored his first league goal for United.

Next, United played Toronto FC and won 2–0. Chris Pontius scored, and Hamdi Salihi scored again with an amazing overhead kick. They then lost 1–0 to Houston Dynamo in Houston's new stadium.

United finished May with two more wins at home, beating Colorado Rapids 2–0 and Toronto FC 3–1. They also beat the New England Revolution 3–2. At the end of May, D.C. United started their U.S. Open Cup journey, beating Richmond Kickers 2–1 in extra time.

June: Mixed Results

In June, D.C. United played fewer league games because of international breaks. They had two wins and two losses across all competitions.

Their first game in June was a U.S. Open Cup match against the Philadelphia Union. The game went to extra time, and United lost 2–1, which ended their run in the cup.

Eleven days later, they played the Union again in a league game and won 1–0. This was a big win because they hadn't beaten the Union in Philadelphia before. This win gave United their fourth league win in a row, which hadn't happened since 2007. It also put them at the top of the Eastern Conference standings for the first time since 2009.

Then came a big game against their rivals, the New York Red Bulls. D.C. United scored super fast, with Chris Pontius scoring just 31 seconds into the game! But the Red Bulls fought back and won 3–2.

July: Quiet Month

July was a quiet month for D.C. United with only two league games and one friendly match. This was because of the international football calendar.

In league play, it was a tough month. D.C. United lost both games, 4–0 to Houston Dynamo and 1–0 to Columbus Crew. The big loss to Houston happened partly because their starting goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, was sent off (ejected) early in the game.

D.C. United also played a friendly game against French team Paris Saint-Germain and drew 1–1.

August: Rollercoaster Ride

August was a mix of good and bad for D.C. United. They started with a 1–0 home win against Columbus Crew. But then they lost 2–1 away to Sporting Kansas City.

They drew 1–1 at home against the Philadelphia Union. In that game, Dwayne De Rosario almost scored a winning penalty kick, but it was called back, and he missed the second try. The team then had a strong 4–2 win over Chicago Fire.

They lost 3–0 away to the Montreal Impact. They finished the month with a 2–2 draw at home against the New York Red Bulls, giving up a late goal.

September: Strong Finish to Regular Season

September started with a 1–0 loss to Real Salt Lake. But then, bad news hit: Dwayne De Rosario injured his knee while playing for his national team. Without their main attacker, coach Olsen changed the team's strategy to be more defensive.

Even without De Rosario, the team got much better. They beat New England Revolution 2–1 at home, with Chris Pontius scoring and helping with the winning goal. 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.

They drew 1–1 with Portland Timbers away from home. D.C. United ended September with three wins and a draw, showing great teamwork after De Rosario's injury.

October: Playoff Bound!

D.C. United's amazing unbeaten streak continued with a 1–0 home win against Toronto FC. This set up a very important game against Columbus Crew. A spot in the playoffs was on the line!

In a thrilling game, United fell behind twice but fought back. Nick DeLeon and Marcelo Saragosa scored to tie the game. Then, in the final moments, Lewis Neal scored a stunning goal, sending D.C. United to the playoffs for the first time since 2007! They finished the regular season with a 1–1 draw against Chicago Fire, extending their unbeaten run to seven games.

November: Playoff Drama

In the MLS Cup playoffs, D.C. United faced their big rivals, the New York Red Bulls. The first game was a 1–1 draw. The second game was delayed a day because of a snowstorm!

The second game was incredibly dramatic. D.C. United's goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, was sent off, meaning he had to leave the game. Backup goalkeeper Joe Willis came in and famously saved a penalty kick! Later, a Red Bulls player was also sent off. Near the end of the game, Nick DeLeon scored the winning goal, giving D.C. United a 2–1 total score victory!

In the Eastern Conference championship, D.C. United played the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 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 on total score, ending D.C. United's great season.

Team Information

Players and Staff

Here are some of the key players and staff for D.C. United in 2012:

Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid, Joe Willis, Andrew Dykstra
Defenders: Robbie Russell, Brandon McDonald, Dejan Jakovic, Ethan White, Emiliano Dudar, Daniel Woolard, Chris Korb
Midfielders: Danny Cruz, Branko Bošković, Marcelo Saragosa, Andy Najar, Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, Lewis Neal
Forwards: Dwayne De Rosario, Hamdi Salihi, Chris Pontius, Josh Wolff, Maicon Santos

Head Coach: Ben Olsen General Manager: Dave Kasper CEO: Kevin Payne

Key Player Stats

Top Scorers

Here are the top goal scorers for D.C. United in 2012:

Chris Pontius: 12 goals (all in MLS)
Hamdi Salihi: 9 goals (6 in MLS, 1 in U.S. Open Cup, 2 in Carolina Challenge Cup)
Maicon Santos: 8 goals (7 in MLS, 1 in Carolina Challenge Cup)
Dwayne De Rosario: 7 goals (all in MLS)
Nick DeLeon: 7 goals (6 in MLS, 1 in MLS Cup Playoffs)

Top Assists

Here are the players with the most assists for D.C. United in 2012:

Dwayne De Rosario: 12 assists (all in MLS)
Branko Bošković: 9 assists (7 in MLS, 1 in U.S. Open Cup, 1 in Carolina Challenge Cup)
Nick DeLeon: 5 assists (4 in MLS, 1 in U.S. Open Cup)
Andy Najar: 5 assists (4 in MLS, 1 in Carolina Challenge Cup)
Brandon McDonald: 4 assists (all in MLS)
Chris Pontius: 4 assists (all in MLS)

Player Awards

Several D.C. United players were recognized for their great performances:

MLS Player of the Month: Dwayne De Rosario (May)
MLS Player of the Week: Chris Pontius (Week 7), Dwayne De Rosario (Week 11)
MLS Best XI of the Week: Many players, including Maicon Santos, Nick DeLeon, Dwayne De Rosario, Joe Willis, Chris Pontius, Hamdi Salihi, Bill Hamid, and coach Ben Olsen were named to the "Team of the Week" multiple times throughout the season.

Player Changes

Players Joining the Team

D.C. United added several players in 2012:

Robbie Russell (from Real Salt Lake)
Nick DeLeon (draft pick from Louisville Cardinals)
Maicon Santos (from FC Dallas)
Danny Cruz (from Houston Dynamo)
Emiliano Dudar (free transfer from Young Boys)
Hamdi Salihi (from Rapid Wien)
Marcelo Saragosa (from Ravan Baku)
Andrew Dykstra (free transfer from Charleston Battery)
Lance Rozeboom (draft pick from New Mexico Lobos)
Lewis Neal (free transfer from Orlando City)
Tan Long (from Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Mike Chabala (from Portland Timbers)
Lionard Pajoy (from Philadelphia Union)

Players Leaving the Team

Some players also left D.C. United in 2012:

Brandon Barklage (to New York Red Bulls)
Marc Burch (to Seattle Sounders FC)
Steve Cronin (retired)
Devon McTavish (retired)
Joseph Ngwenya (to Richmond Kickers)
Santino Quaranta (contract ended)
Clyde Simms (to New England Revolution)
Jed Zayner (to San Jose Earthquakes)
Charlie Davies (loan ended, returned to Sochaux)
Blake Brettschneider (to New England Revolution)
Danny Cruz (to Philadelphia Union)

Players on Loan

Joined on loan: Raphael Augusto (from Fluminense)
Sent out on loan: Conor Shanosky (to Fort Lauderdale Strikers), Andrew Dykstra (to Charleston Battery), Ethan White (to Richmond Kickers), Long Tan (to Richmond Kickers)

Images for kids

A soccer field diagram.