The US Open Cup is an odd creature, even within the American soccer community. Some fans, like myself, love it: It's our answer to March Madness, even if it's not on TV and there is no bracket pool to enter at work. For other fans, it's a waste of time: Random games against teams you've never heard of, and plenty of MLS teams will send out reserve league lineups. For more casual fans, "US Open Cup" might not actually mean anything at all.

D.C. United is one of the teams with a long history of taking this tournament seriously, whether it be through using more starters or outbidding all comers to maintain a streak of home games in the Open Cup that stretches back to the Eisenhower administration 2007. With two Open Cup titles (1996 and 2008), two more trips to the final (1997 and 2009) - not to mention the "We Win Trophies" campaign that made us such good friends with the Seattle Sounders - there is no reason to expect anything short of a real push from United to make it 13 trophies. The winner also gets a spot in the 2013-2014 CONCACAF Champions League, and since it only takes five wins to lift the Open Cup, this is theoretically the easiest path to continental competition.

That said, we're not going to be the only team with a proud Open Cup tradition on the field tonight. The Richmond Kickers of USL-Pro (technically the 3rd division, but the difference between USL-Pro and the alleged 2nd division NASL in terms of on-field play is virtually non-existent) were the final team to win the Open Cup before MLS started in 1996, and over the years they have an impressive 9W-3D-11L record against MLS clubs. Back in 2004, they knocked off a United team that would win MLS Cup only a few months later.

You don't have to go deep into the past to see how well the Kickers tend to do in this tournament. Just last season, they knocked off the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium, and then beat Sporting Kansas City (starting Myers, Collin, Besler, Kamara, and Bunbury on the night) in KC, before losing a tight 2-1 semifinal match to the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. Given that the Kickers have kept most of that team together and have head coach Leigh Cowlishaw back for a 12th consecutive season, overlooking Richmond here in the third round would be a huge mistake.

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D.C. United's vital May homestand, a trilogy of repeat opponents, ends today with our second look at the New England Revolution. Unlike Houston and Toronto, who basically just shared a flight with us in one direction or another so we could have the rematch immediately, it's been over 5 weeks since we last faced the Revs. That's not an eternity by any means, but it's long enough for things to have changed.

So what's different about the Revs these days? Well, for one, we won't be catching them without Shalrie Joseph - suspended for our trip up to the middle of nowhere Foxboro - or with Benny Feilhaber (somewhat puzzlingly neglected by Juergen Klinsmann) unfit to play more than a sub's role. Those are unquestionably New England's two best players, and they will be ready to go from the start tonight. Joseph in particular has a history of strong outings against United. On the other hand, former DC stalwart Clyde Simms is out with an ankle problem, leaving the Revs without their main defensive midfielder and United fans without the chance to say thanks for years of service.

Change goes both ways, though, and United will also look different from when these clubs last met. Joe Willis, Robbie Russell, and Danny Cruz are definitely not starting, with the latter two out injured. Maicon Santos is likely only to feature as a sub, Chris Pontius (our super sub that day) is probably going to miss out with an injury, and we will likely see Dwayne De Rosario continue as a withdrawn forward as opposed to the attacking midfield role he held at Gillette Stadium. Andy Najar played no part in the previous meeting, but appears in line for a start.

In other words, this should end up being a lot different from our recent repeating opponents.

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Didn't I just cover this team? And didn't I just make a joke similar to this one after we played Houston twice seemingly within three days?

Yes and yes. D.C. United is once again playing Toronto FC. The venue has changed, but the opponent remains the same. If you're starting to feel like you're in Groundhog Day, that's because you apparently are. It could be worse; Bill Murray and Chris Elliott are pretty awesome.

If you think this is getting repetitive, imagine how TFC fans feel: United was their last MLS opponent. They've had Voyageurs Cup matches since - a 2-0 win in the second leg at home to knock out the Montreal Impact, and a 1-1draw in Vancouver that was very nearly an invaluable 1-0 win until Eric Hassli did this - but it's still back-to-back league games against the Black-and-Red.

Lest we start to feel overconfident about facing a team that's lost all eight of their league games and just capitulated at home against us, it's worth noting that TFC has a good record in recent years at RFK. The Reds have somehow managed 3 goals in each of their last three visits to the District (two 3-3 draws and one 3-2 win in Jaime Moreno's final game for the club).

In general, these games have been bizarre. A perfect example came last season: TFC got an early red card for Bill Hamid, a goal when the referee would not let us complete a substitution for no apparent reason (leaving us down a center back when the goal was scored) and still ended up only managing a draw against Dwayne De Rosario, who played that game entirely by himself.

Toronto's uptick in results since we last met has me thinking that our win at BMO Field might have been the breaking point for their players. Since then - and an obligatory "clear the air" meeting - they've managed to win a game while down a man for 65 minutes against a half-decent Montreal side, and they didn't win in Vancouver only via a ridiculous goal. They even managed that result against the Whitecaps without Torsten Frings, who did not travel to DC either.

In other words, this isn't necessarily the same sad-sack group we strolled past in second or third gear a couple of weeks ago.

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This wasn't supposed to be an easy game. Martin didn't think it would be. I didn't think it would be. At the very least, the Colorado Rapids got last week off - in contrast to our exhausting game in the sauna that is Houston this past weekend - and were also giving arguably their best player in Conor Casey his first start since an achilles tendon tear last season. Oscar Pareja's side was also missing only two starters, a figure Ben Olsen would probably kill for right now.

Instead, a front-to-back show of quality by D.C. United lead to a quite comfortable 2-0 win. The attack created enough chances that Matt Pickens could end up in the Player of the Week running despite giving up two goals; the midfield shut down the Rapids via a higher work rate, smarter positioning, and more judicious use of the ball; and the defense kept Colorado in front of them all night long, leaving Bill Hamid with little to do.

I won't tell you this was a world-class performance; rather, I'd call this the kind of game MLS's elite teams turn in on short rest against decent opposition. You'll see similar results when, say, the Seattle Sounders host a rested, healthy New England Revolution, or when the San Jose Earthquakes have a Wednesday night game against the Montreal Impact.

You know what that means: Lots of 5s beyond the jump!

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A young coach who was widely respected in MLS during his playing days. Injury issues at center back. An attack bolstered by sound acquisitions and a quality first-round draft pick. A preference for a possession-minded, diamond 442. A former Houston Dynamo player known for gritty play and high energy at right midfield.

Wait, am I talking about D.C. United? Or am I talking about tonight's opponent, the Colorado Rapids? Oscar Pareja's side has plenty of similarities to United, though they strike me as more of a blend of this year's DC and last year's more erratic edition.

The Rapids are adapting to a more attractive style of play after spending many years playing variously negative and/or boring soccer. The results, however, have been mixed. The Rapids have 5 wins and 5 losses, and they've gone from extreme highs (a 4-0 dismantling of Chivas USA) to extreme lows (a 4-1 loss against the New York Red Bulls). At least to this point, you never quite know what you'll get when tuning in to watch a Colorado match.

Part of that has been a transition within the aforementioned transition to a possession-based approach. Pareja entered the season planning on installing a 433 formation, but unlike some other coaches, he moved to a more familiar 442 when his personnel dictated a move. While the results have stuck to the same "win one, lose one" pattern, one gets the sense that Colorado is a bit less prone to implosion or calamity in their current system.

For the Rapids, a win at RFK would be their biggest result of the season. Thumping Chivas or scratching out a win over a bad Philadelphia side is hardly something for the ol' resume, nor is a 2-0 win at Dallas where the home side played 54+ minutes with just nine men. Colorado also comes to town having had 10 days in between league matches, while United clearly got tired in the Houston heat four days ago.

The Rapids may be a Jekyll-and-Hyde team, but they're going to be well-rested, excited, and they'll probably have Conor Casey available for a start for the first time since tearing his Achilles tendon. In other words, this may be the toughest game in our three-game homestand.

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Things are going well for D.C. United these...wait a second. Didn't I just write that exact phrase? Thanks to a scheduling quirk, United will face the Houston Dynamo for the second time in two weeks this afternoon.

So just go read my old scouting report.

Just kidding. Despite the fact that our 3-2 win that night still feels relatively fresh, things have changed quite a bit for both sides. Most significantly, Houston will be opening their lovely new home. After weeks on the road and acceptable-but-not-great results, the Dynamo will be fired up to christen BBVA Compass Stadium with a win. Houston's last stadium opener - their first game after moving from San Jose - was a 5-2 win over the Colorado Rapids, in which Brian Ching scored 4 goals.

On the other hand, all of those goals were set up by Dwayne De Rosario, and the winning goalkeeper on the day was United assistant coach Pat Onstad. Not only that, but DC's last appearance on NBC Sports Network against a team from Texas was a 4-1 romp over FC Dallas. Obviously this means it's in the bag!

Actually, this one is likely to be far more difficult than the day Maicon Santos became Maicon F. Santos. Aside from the big emotional boost the Dynamo will get opening up their stadium, center backs Emiliano Dudar and Dejan Jakovic did not travel to Houston., Thus, we're more likely to see a defense similar to the one that gave the Dynamo 2 goals rather easily in the second half at RFK. In addition, Houston's best player - Brad Davis - only made a cameo appearance in the District. Today, he'll be ready to go 90 minutes, and will likely have a chip on his shoulder after wasting two great chances Wednesday night in Houston's rather unfortunate 1-0 loss at NYRB.

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D.C. United fans are all surely still reeling after the horror show that was our attempt to stop the San Jose Earthquakes from scoring goals. Sure there was some bad luck, but United's defending at Buck Shaw was bad enough to concede five times. The scoreline was not a poor reflection of the game; even the normally secure Quakes were way below par in the back (save Jon Busch's robbery of Dwayne De Rosario's bicycle kick in the first half).

Speaking of shambolic defending, Toronto FC! They're an astonishing seven points behind every team in MLS right now, and have given up 16 goals in just seven games.They've conceded 3 goals in four separate games, including each of their last two outings in MLS.

Their CONCACAF Champions League upset of the LA Galaxy seemed to point to the Reds finally turning over a new leaf, and they were 45 minutes from taking down Santos Laguna in the ensuing semifinal (leading on away goals at the time). A strong fanbase, after suffering through five years of supporting a laughingstock, finally had something to crow about.

Unfortunately, that's where the fun stopped for TFC. Santos scored 4 goals in that fateful second half in Torreon, and from that point on 2012 has been hellish. They were the first team to lose to the Montreal Impact, and recently conceded a 93rd minute goal to lose to Real Salt Lake. Even when TFC does well - a 2-2 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium after 92 minutes is a thoroughly respectable result - they find a way to crush the hopes of their fans.

All that said, Aron Winter's side is improving, even as things like this are being written. Chicago essentially punished every big mistake TFC made, and the Reds come into tonight's game having done something totally out of character: Grinding out a road 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Voyageurs Cup match (Canada's Open Cup, basically) at Montreal. The Impact had more of the ball, had more chances, but TFC held on, showed some discipline, and got what they came for. In other words, they stopped playing like TFC.

You have to ask, though: Is this just another false dawn?

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D.C. United is unbeaten in seven games, and come into tonight's game against the San Jose Earthquakes having won consecutive games for the first time since talkies took over the local cinema. After losing vital defender Emiliano Dudar to a hamstring injury, United relied on offensive firepower to make a normally stout Houston Dynamo side look like Toronto FC in the back.

In other words, the Black-and-Red are an intimidating opponent these days. The Quakes, however, can claim the same thing: Unbeaten in six (including five wins), they have as strong an argument to be MLS's hottest team as United does.

There are more similarities at work here than a hot streak and being the two teams in MLS that wear black at home. We already mentioned Dudar, but it bears pointing out that San Jose also went out and signed a top-quality center back in Victor Bernardez (who like Dudar will miss out due to a knee sprain). Both sides also added proven MLS right midfielders: United got Danny Cruz, while San Jose got Marvin Chavez...both from Texas-based teams, no less. Both teams have a talented foreign attacking midfielder who is struggling to get on the field (though with respect to Tressor Moreno, he has contributed more to the Quakes than Branko Boskovic has to DC in 2012).

In other words, tonight's game will be among the toughest of the season for both sides. The Quakes are at the top of the Western Conference and are justifiably being looked at as a contender. The pundits around the league have been a little slower to come around for United - first impressions are hard to shake after all - but Ben Olsen's side is now considered no worse than one of MLS's top six teams these days.

For United, a road win would prove that the recent hot streak is less a flash in the pan and more simply who we are in 2012.

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Things are going well for D.C. United these days. Six straight games without a loss, 4-1 thrashings of hated rivals, and multiple players in the running for post-season awards (Nick DeLeon for Rookie of the Year, Emiliano Dudar for Newcomer of the Year, and Chris Pontius for Comeback Player of the Year, unless that is given to David Beckham again for no good reason when there is an indisputably better choice whose continued career is in and of itself a miracle)

Wait, what were we talking about? Oh, right: Ben Olsen has his side performing well enough that Designated Players Hamdi Salihi and Branko Boskovic are on the outside looking in, along with future superstars like Bill Hamid and Andy Najar.

Things are also going well for Saturday's opponent, the Houston Dynamo. Despite having to open the season with a seven-game road trip, and despite missing their top player Brad Davis for 40% of their games thus far, the Dynamo are an entirely respectable 2W-2D-1L on the season, good enough for 5th place in the East (good enough for the last playoff spot, in other words).

Anyone who has been paying attention to the Dynamo will not find this particularly surprising. Dominic Kinnear's team may be a couple of years removed from their MLS Cup-winning, thrillers-with-Pachuca-in-the-CCL days, but they still have a very high floor. Aside from 2010 - a season we can all agree never occurred - Houston has been a playoff team every year since they moved to Texas. They are a model to follow for MLS clubs looking to be consistent winners.

In other words, this is going to be a tough game, just like every other time we've faced the Dynamo. This isn't the shambolic New York Red Bulls, or a game but ultimately limited team like the New England Revolution. Houston always matches teams in terms of competitive fire, and they are almost always solid defensively. Add in being arguably MLS's best team on set pieces - at the very least, they're MLS's biggest, strongest starting 11 - and you have a game that is always a difficult one.

It's a big test for United, because we've mostly been taking our points from lesser teams. A win over a stronger team like Houston would be a further step forward for the Black-and-Red.

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Any D.C. United fan worth their salt looks over the schedule when it comes out for certain games. There's the historic battle between MLS's two most successful clubs with the LA Galaxy. Maybe you look for the Seattle Sounders due to the headlines generated in the last couple of years. It could be some other team thanks to the guy down the hall who is, for some unknown reason, a diehard Fire or Rapids fan (almost no chance he's a Rapids fan, but whatever).

We all have our games we get excited for, but there's one game we all get up for: United's archrival, the hated and totally unlikeable New York Red Bulls. How irritating are they? They keep talking about the La Manga Cup like it means more than, say, your last win at beer pong. They see themselves as a big club despite having never won anything. They are a corporate billboard. Despite having the money to sign huge international stars, they are still inept.

However, they are also scoring goals in bunches right now. Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper are both - along with Chris Wondolowski - tied atop the MLS scoring standings with 7 goals apiece in just six games. Henry also has 5 assists, which is the kind of form to break MLS records in both categories. They put up three straight three-goal wins (4-1, 5-2, and 4-1 again) before slowing down a bit in a 2-2 home draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.

That game looms large over tomorrow's showdown. Henry said that the Quakes "gave [them] a lesson in football" in the second half of that game, and San Jose dominated despite having to substitute winger Shea Salinas and center back Victor Bernardez (their best defender) both before halftime. The Salinas injury was due to the continued disgraceful play of Rafael Marquez, who was suspended 3 games for football-tackling and then kicking Salinas. Meanwhile, NYRB will also miss a player due to an injury caused by an opponent, as left back Roy Miller is out with a knee problem caused by Marvin Chavez's reckless tackle (Chavez was also suspended).

Marquez and Miller will be joined in the stands by three other notable starters (Wilman Conde, Teemu Tainio, and Juan Agudelo). That disorganization, along with an NYRB defense that was being bailed out by their attacking firepower (10 goals allowed in 6 games is a pace to concede 57 in a season), points to a team that is not going to be able to live up to the hype.

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D.C. United has had a tricky start to the 2012 season, including matches against the league leaders (Sporting Kansas City), two Supporters Shield favorites (the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders), and an FC Dallas team most people expect to get into the playoffs.

Tonight's game against the Montreal Impact is not supposed to be that tough. They're an expansion team, after all, and so far they've played like one. They've given up an average of 2 goals per game (equal to the average score against Toronto FC, a team with a defense that you never want to be comparable to). In fact, Toronto is the only team Montreal has managed to beat in seven attempts. Impact head coach Jesse Marsch recently admitted he's still learning on the job after watching his side lose their way at Dallas, their most recent loss.

However, it's not like Montreal is being embarrassed every week. That loss to Dallas saw them leading as late as the 76th minute. Even their worst loss - 5-2 at the New York Red Bulls - saw the Impact take two leads on NYRB in the first half. As Ben Olsen says, they have been close to results but haven't figured out how to close the deal. They have an experienced roster, including plenty of guys that have played on stronger MLS teams over the years.

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On the back of three games without a loss, D.C. United fans are feeling confident. After all, we've only conceded one goal in three games, and that streak has been against teams that are stronger on paper than tomorrow's opponent, the New England Revolution. This is a team that was bad in 2011 and "improved" by naming a financial industry worker with no coaching experience as their new head coach and signing MLS and international cast-offs.

Their supposedly big-time signing - forward Pepe Moreno - isn't even particularly big-time, and then spent weeks refusing to honor his deal (probably did some research on delightful, scenic Foxborough, Massachusetts). If not for the never-ending disaster that is Toronto FC, these Revs were supposed to be MLS's biggest pushover.

Oh, and the best Revolution player (Shalrie Joseph) is suspended. This one's in the bag...right?

Not so fast, my friends. Even if you're willing to ignore New England's 3-1 win against the LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center - the same place LA beat us by that same score - you have to respect the history. United's recent history against the Revs is nothing short of a horror show. DC has six straight losses (four by one goal) and is winless in seven consecutive games against New England. We haven't beaten the Revs since 2009, and it's not like they've been a good team over the past few years.

Still feeling like this one will be a breeze?

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A big issue with MLS's switch to the unbalanced, conference-focused schedule is that D.C. United will only get one game against some Western rivals. Unlike many Eastern Conference clubs, United has some legitimate rivalries with clubs from out west. Our only match with MLS's 2nd most successful club, the LA Galaxy, has already come and gone. And now, only five games into the season, we'll have already played our other big western foe, the Seattle Sounders. Barring a run to the late stages of the US Open Cup, this will be our only shot at taking bragging rights in the "Washington Derby."

Things have not gone according to plan for Seattle thus far in 2012. Their dreams of CONCACAF glory - and the notoriety that would result from being the first MLS club to reach the Club World Cup - shuddered to a halt in Mexico, where Santos Laguna scored four second-half goals to turn a tight CCL quarterfinal into a rout.

The Sounders did not carry that defeat with them into MLS play, but they haven't exactly been brilliant either. While a 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo is a fine result, and a 3-1 win over Toronto FC is par for the MLS course, the Sounders already have a home loss after last week's 1-0 defeat against the visiting San Jose Earthquakes. While Seattle fans will undoubtedly point to the goal coming from a dubious penalty kick, it should be noted that Chris Wondolowski wasted a couple of chances that he normally buries.

Objectively, I felt Seattle deserved to lose to a Quakes team that bridged a talent gap with simple stuff like hard work and focus. Frank Yallop's side played with discipline, speed (physical and mental), and got 11 players to buy into playing both sides of the ball. It was impressive, sure, but it wasn't rocket science. Ben Olsen will undoubtedly have noticed the success of a simple, well-executed gameplan against a Seattle team that hasn't quite started to fire on all cylinders.

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It looks like MLS wants to be tops in one category league-wide: Suspensions handed out by the league office via an anonymous, secretive committee.

D.C. United's 4-1 victory over FC Dallas was supposed to feel like good news all week long, but MLS has decided to throw a wrench in our plans. Center back Brandon McDonald has been suspended for one game and fined some unknown amount for the tackle that got him a yellow card, while Danny Cruz was also fined for embellishment. McDonald will have to serve his suspension on Apr. 7 against the Seattle Sounders.

In his place, Dejan Jakovic can be expected to step back in alongside Emiliano Dudar in central defense. Jakovic has not played since leaving the 3-1 loss to the LA Galaxy early with a groin strain, but is reportedly practicing at full strength.

Frankly, I'm completely baffled and very upset about this. It's bad for D.C. obviously, but it's also a self-inflicted wound for MLS. There is apparently going to be no consistency for what gets an after-the-fact suspension from MLS and what won't. This particular decision wasn't even on the radar as a remote possibility. What's next? Suspension for any tackle resulting in a foul? What if a player is injured in a clean challenge; are we going to start suspending the tackler anyway?

MLS just opened a can of worms that could have easily been avoided. This isn't some mistake under duress; this is a decision made heedless of consequence and without any thought towards the future problems it will bring up.

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All the talk surrounding D.C. United after last week's 0-0 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps is that we're moving closer to a good, cohesive 90 minutes. A less-than-ideal start didn't see any catastrophic errors, and United grew into the game quite nicely. By the end of the match, it was the home side hanging on for a point and a visiting United going for three. It wasn't a great leap forward, but it was a step in the right direction.

Contrast that with FC Dallas, tonight's opponent. They opened the season with a 2-1 win over a New York Red Bulls side that was flat-out terrible for the first 70 minutes of that game, and by the end NYRB nearly stole a draw thanks to some poor game management from Dallas. This was followed up by a 1-1 draw against a notoriously poor on the road Portland Timbers side. The Portland goal was the result of a disastrous backpass from Dallas captain Daniel Hernandez, and the Hoops generally looked somewhat demoralized from that point on. Finally, Dallas were generally outplayed throughout a 2-1 road loss to Sporting Kansas City, but held on until conceding the winner in the 88th minute.

Dallas has had a strange offseason. The good news of finally finding the right striker for their system in Blas Perez has been tempered by some chaos caused by injuries and unexpected personnel developments. George John's loan to West Ham United in England was widely expected to end in being offered a permanent deal. His return to Dallas, who had essentially moved on without him, has left Schellas Hyndman with some tough choices. Meanwhile, David Ferreira's expected return from last year's broken ankle has been hit by a series of delays; the former MVP was recently stuck in a walking boot and his return is up in the air. Finally, Olympic qualifying took Hyndman's top two choices at left midfield away, forcing him to shuffle the deck even more.

Can United take advantage of a team that's arguably further from their best than we've been?

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D.C. United's season has not gotten off to a good start. Two losses from two games, and now we're on the road without three important starters and question marks concerning the form and/or fitness of our highest-paid players. If it weren't for the debacles-in-progress that are our Atlantic coast brethren, we'd probably be the focus of a lot of the obligatory "crisis!!!!!!?!?!?!" talk two weeks into the season.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Whitecaps will host us coming off of their first-ever MLS road win, and two straight to open the season. They haven't conceded a goal yet, their new manager seems to know what he's doing, and they took advantage of the Philadelphia Union's bizarre decision to jettison their entire offense (Sebastien Le Toux). Sounds like we're in for a long night? Don't be so pessimistic.

As seems to be the case with every expansion team - regardless of how true the claim is - much was made of the supposedly tough environment for visiting sides. Don't believe the hype: The Whitecaps were 6W-5T-6L with an even goal difference at home. In other words, they were a mediocre team at home, even with the advantage of playing many games on turf at Empire Field and the amount of travel teams had to do to get to Vancouver (not that the Whitecaps felt any pity, what with their roughly 6 million miles on the road in 2011).

There has been a lot of talk about Vancouver's good start to the season. MLSsoccer's various writers, editors, and pundits unanimously picked the Whitecaps to win this game. I'm a little surprised by that, as Vancouver has had the single easiest opening slate of games league-wide. Winning a home game against an expansion team in their first-ever MLS game is just what you're supposed to do; anything less would be an embarrassment. Being outplayed by a Juan Pablo Angel-free Chivas USA - the worst team in MLS right now - and only scraping out a 1-0 win is hardly something to brag about.

In fact, Vancouver may be dealing with more chemistry problems than United is at this point. They have a new coach in Martin Rennie, two new starting defenders, two new faces in the midfield engine room, and a new attacker who loves to roam. The Whitecaps attracted a lot of attention for the players they brought in, but it still takes a long time to turn an list of good players on paper into a real-life good team. Wait, does that sound familiar?

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After an 0-2 start that has featured precious little going forward, D.C. United fans are angry. While few are surprised to see a revamped team need some time to go from eleven players to one solid unit, it seems safe to say that the denizens of Lot 8 expected things to be further along than they are after deserved losses to Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy.

The targets for this anger include some popular choices like Branko Boskovic and Maicon Santos (who, to be fair, has really earned the complaints with some Ngwenya-esque finishing). Rather more surprising, we've seen some fans start to turn on club legend and head coach Ben Olsen, whose starting eleven against LA raised some eyebrows, some of which still haven't come down. Intriguingly, there have been fewer complaints about the performances of star players Andy Najar and Dwayne De Rosario, but no one would argue that either has been up to their normal standard at any point in this very young season.

So with fans questioning the coach, questioning a guy with a big paycheck but (thus far) small production, questioning the formation, and basically just plain old mad, I thought it was time to ask the straightforward question: What would you do? What players would you choose in an effort to jumpstart the attack against a Vancouver Whitecaps side that has yet to face a legitimate test in opening their season with two wins?

For the sake of brevity and simplicity, let's focus on the "front five", or the players that will join Marcelo Saragosa - who played well enough against LA that we can reasonably expect him to continue deputizing for Perry Kitchen - in our midfield and attack. Don't worry about the back four, where it seems safe to expect starts for Robbie Russell, Brandon McDonald, a left back that we'll all be worrying about either way, and hopefully possibly Emiliano Dudar after Dejan Jakovic had another tough outing and left the game early with a pulled groin (not his normal pulled hamstring).

You choose the players, you choose the formation (feel free to explain your alignment in the comments). Go beyond the jump for a summation of my thoughts.

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When the LA Galaxy were forced to scramble for a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal with Toronto FC, there were excuses built in for Bruce Arena's side. After all, it was on a questionable-looking turf surface, and it was far and away the biggest game TFC has ever had. In that light, and considering the quality Toronto showed going forward, coming back from two down looked like an acceptable result.

When the LA Galaxy lost 3-1 at home to Real Salt Lake in their MLS opener last weekend, there were still some excuses available. RSL is right up there with anyone in the league, and Bruce Arena took responsibility for not adding in enough fresh players after a tough game and the ensuing long trip back from Canada. It was still a surprising result, but not that surprising.

When the LA Galaxy lost 2-1 at home to TFC and were unceremoniously dumped out of the CCL by a team that isn't even a popular pick to make the MLS playoffs, the only excuse left was a blown offside call that robbed Mike Magee of a legitimate goal while the score was still 0-0. Exaggerations over how many shots Milos Kocic faced aside, the fact is that a poor start to the season was not in the script.

These guys are supposed to stroll through the MLS season, leaving mangled, battered, beaten opponents in their wake. If you believed the pundits, LA's average game was going to be roughly a 7-0 win in which the opponent attempted no shots, the Galaxy retained 85% possession, and the opposing coach retired by the 25th minute after coming to the realization that the game had been perfected and nothing more could be accomplished in the sport of soccer. The absence of Omar Gonzalez was brushed off - not by many Galaxy fans or the club itself, but everyone else pretty much ignored it - as a minor trifle, like having to wait an extra 3 seconds for a delicious, properly poured pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day.

That hasn't panned out. The reality is that LA has a draw and two losses to show for their efforts in 2012. They've been eliminated from the CCL by a team with significant problems of their own. One of the only clubs supposedly with any hope of challenging them marched into their house and, with the game on the line, fired off three goals. The Galaxy have conceded seven times in three games (more than any three-game stretch of theirs in 2011).

Oh, and they're playing their fourth game in a 12-day span this Sunday when D.C. United, after a full week of working on some much-needed cohesion, comes to the Home Depot Center.

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Last season, Sporting Kansas City struggled in the opening stages of the season due to playing their first 10 games on the road while Livestrong Sporting Park was under construction. They also had trouble coming together as a group due to a new-look team playing an unusual style, as well as reliance on a mix of young players and guys from abroad who needed time to adjust to MLS. After winning their season opener, the Sporks lost 6 of their next 7 games (conceding 16 goals over that stretch to boot).

It's safe to say that Peter Vermes and co. figured things out. Sporting didn't lose once in the following 14 games, and only lost 3 more games after May 28th. Young players like Graham Zusi, Chance Myers, and Matt Besler had breakout seasons, CJ Sapong won Rookie of the Year, and veterans Aurelien Collin and Julio Cesar found their footing while off the field, Sporting's re-branding effort worked out spectacularly. A once overlooked club with tiny attendances in a cavernous football stadium now had enthusiastic crowds, a dynamite marketing department, and in general were relevant for the first time in years.

Sporting made things work on the field with an approach that emphasizes hard work, speed, strength, and a relentless "straight ahead" mentality. KC will never be the prettiest team to watch, but they are as committed to attacking play as any team in MLS. Their games can often look chaotic, but more often than not it's the constant, frenetic action that causes opposing sides real problems.

None of that has changed. Sporting's starting eleven will likely contain just one new face when compared to last year's successful group. That means all of those young players should continue their growth while playing in the same comfortable system, and KC will also benefit from not having to spend the first 3 months of 2012 on the road.

In other words: This is a tough way for D.C. United to open the season.

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Another year, another successful defense of the Coffee Pot Cup.

D.C. United defeated the Charleston Battery 3-1 tonight at Charleston's Blackbaud Stadium, behind goals from Maicon Santos, trialist Ryan Richter, and Designated Player Hamdi Salihi. Despite a spirited effort from the hosts, United rarely looked troubled on the way to a second straight Carolina Challenge Cup victory. More importantly, they also earned their fans some free beer.

United opened the scoring in the 13th minute after Branko Boskovic led a charge forward that saw the Montenegrin find Maicon Santos, whose ferocious shot left Charleston keeper Kevin Klasila with no chance. After a lull, Charleston would equalize after lively winger Charlie Romero rounded trialist Jose Burciaga Jr. and found onrushing midfielder Jose Cuevas for a point-blank header in the 29th minute.

DC needed just two minutes to take the lead back. Burciaga got up the left wing and served in a fine cross for fellow trialist Ryan Richter to head past Klasila. The quick exchange of goals seemed to up the energy level, as both teams held control for a few minutes before the halftime whistle.

Little of note happened in the second half until the 76th minute, where Charleston midfielder Mark Wiltse scythed down Danny Cruz on the right wing. Wiltse was justifiably given a straight red card, while Cruz had to be subbed off and needed the trainer's help to walk around the field and back to the bench.

After a spell where the Battery still had decent energy, United eventually seized control with some spells of possession before Andy Najar's fantastic run down the right, aided in part by a 1-2 with Josh Wolff, allowed the Academy product to slide a low cross in for Hamdi Salihi to sidefoot home with ease. The 88th minute goal was a thing of beauty, and hopefully is the kind of thing we see on a regular basis in 2012.

Read on for some thoughts on who did well and who struggled:

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In a move that has seemed highly likely since early in the preseason, D.C. United officially announced the signing of Andrew Dykstra. This will come as no surprise to internet-addicted United fans, who likely saw Dykstra's blog post from a week ago saying that he had signed.

Northern Virginia native Dykstra spent last season with the Charleston Battery, where he was named the club's MVP for 2011 (as well as newcomer of the year). Dykstra's previous pro experience was with the Chicago Fire, with whom he earned a roster spot in the 2009 preseason after being undrafted out of Virginia Commonwealth. In 2010, Dykstra managed 17 starts in MLS before the emergence of Sean Johnson as the side's new starting GK.

Dykstra's acquisition has seemed like a foregone conclusion for weeks now. Unlike the revolving door of strikers on trial (remember Alanzo Adlam? His trial only ended like 4 weeks ago!), Dykstra hasn't had any competitors since Josh Lambo was cut from camp very early in the preseason. The 26 year old has real professional experience under his belt, and as a local is excited to sign for his hometown team. Add in what is intimidating size for a keeper (6'4", 195 lbs), and it's hard to find any real issues with this move.

Dykstra will probably open the season as the team's #3 keeper behind Bill Hamid and Joe Willis. Given Hamid's status as a slight favorite to become the heir apparent to Tim Howard with the national team and Willis's steady showings in 2011 and PK saves this preseason, it won't be easy for Dykstra to get himself onto the field. However, with Hamid pretty much a lock to miss time with the Olympic team and possibly in World Cup qualifying - I think Nick Rimando and Brad Guzan will get the call-ups for competitive matches at this point, but nothing is assured - United needs more than one good option down the bench. I doubt Pat Onstad is interested in another stint as our emergency starter.

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In an unsurprising development, Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Saragosa has been signed by D.C. United after a brief trial. At 30 years old, Saragosa has 7 years of MLS experience (with the LA Galaxy, Chivas USA, and FC Dallas) but joins United after a couple of seasons playing in Azerbaijan.

While hardly a big name, Saragosa can at least brag about having friends in the right places; the best man at his wedding was some dude named Kaká. It's also worth noting that Saragosa acquired a green card during his previous stint in MLS, so he will not take up an international roster spot.

Saragosa's primary position is defensive midfield, a position DC happened to be thin at. Regular readers of this blog know how most of us feel about Kurt Morsink and his habit of making huge, game-changing mistakes. With Perry Kitchen a probable member of the US Olympic squad, there is a real chance that United will need 7-10 starts out of whoever ends up as his back-up.

Supplemental draft pick Lance Rozeboom is getting rave reviews from his fellow players, but the percentage of supplemental picks who emerged from college ready for that many starts (especially playing arguably the most complex and critical role in the modern game) is virtually nil. Other options include Stephen King - who has little experience at the position - and Brandon McDonald, who is more comfortable at center back.

Saragosa is not strictly a holding midfielder, however. With the Galaxy, Saragosa played both defensive midfield and also a box-to-box role, though it should be noted that he will never be mistaken for a potential source of goals (he has just 2 goals in 116 MLS appearances). At Chivas USA and FC Dallas, he made rather more than a handful of appearances at right back and even played a few games at right midfield. While he probably won't see too much time in those roles here, it's awfully nice to have that on your bench (particularly if we're trying to protect a lead).

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