Contents:
Team Rating
Team Roster
Team Summary
Get through the First Season


Team Rating
Offense: 56
Defense: 54
Goalkeeping: 41
Average Age: 27


Team Roster
G-Mark Simpson-250K-31 years old-0 offense/370 defense
G-Scott Garlick-175K-24-0/260
D-Jeff Agoos-400K-28-40/150 
D-Eddie Pope-350K-23-50/130
D-Mario Gori-275K-24-60/110 * (denotes international)
D-Clint Peay-175K-23-10/120
D-David Vaudreuil-175K-30-20/110
M-Mario Etcheverry-550K-26-140/80 * 
M-John Harkes-550K-30-120/90 
M-Ben Iroha-250K-27-70/100 *
M-Richie Williams-250K-26-60/100
M-John Maessner-175K-27-90/40
M-Kris Kelderman-175K-28-40/90
F-Jaime Moreno-400K-23-150/40 *
F-Roy Wegerle-350K-33-130/50
F-Raul Diaz Arce-300K-27-160/10 *
F-Tony Sanneh-225K-25-110/40
F-Jesse Marsch-175K-23-90/30


Team Summary
  The United are a solid team all around.  Their front line is spectacular,
and the midfield and defense are good.  Two players that stand out are
Pope and Moreno.  Keep these guys forever.  Both of them are only 23 and
start off strong; they can carry your team when Harkes and Diaz Arce are
gone.  Goalkeeping is nothing spectacular, but Simpson does enough to get
the job done.  The weak link for this team is their depth in the midfield
and back.  Peay is young, so he will eventually improve to be decent, but
if one of your midfielders gets hurt for half the season, you're in 
trouble.  If everyone stays healthy, though, prepare for championships
from the start.  The key is to sign role players to supplant your main
guns; United has the best starting lineup in the game.  The problem with
getting these role players is that D.C. starts $200K over the cap(I guess
success comes at a high price these days.)  Make sure you clear some room
before making your acquisitions.       


Getting Through the First Season
  D.C. United need some depth.  If you keep your guys healthy, you're
set.  You can never count on that, though, so it's best to be prepared.
First, pray for a quality midfielder to come out of the U.S.I.S.L.  It's
kind of cheesey, but look through the U.S.I.S.L. before doing anything.
If there is not a good midfielder, just start the game over and look again.
This may take a while, since good midfielders and goalies are rare in the
U.S.I.S.L.  If there isn't a good midfielder to be found, sign a couple
quality guys at other positions and trade away, although trading is very
difficult.  It never hurts to have excess talent.
  Once you have a good midfielder(from wherever), cut Kris Kelderman, 
John Maessner and David Vauldreiul and demote Jesse Marsch.  Richie Williams
has improved over the new additions, so he is pretty good as the 4th back.
After you have your new U.S.I.S.L. players, cut or demote the dead wood.
Most of the time it's Clint Peay or Tony Sanneh.  Your rating should be in
the 59-61 range on offense and 54-56 on defense.   
  The great thing about D.C. is that they have good, young internationals.
I personally would not trade them away, but you could probably get someone
for Raul Diaz Arce (Giovanni Savarese from the MetroStars comes to mind).
Ben Iroha is one exception; he's not that great and at 27, he won't
improve enough.  If you can find an American about the same age and skill,
you should consider yourself lucky.  Roy Wegerle is the last guy you should
trade for.  He is basically your American Galderessi(from Tampa Bay):good
stats but too old to trade.  Don't sacrifice too much, but if you can get
a player like Frank Klopas, you can cut down on salary and age.  This is
definitely a team you should use a 3-4-3 passing or long ball with.
This may seem odd, but you need to pack it in to make up for your goalies
and overall defense.
  In the first season, you should be competitive.  Experiment with other
srategies to see what works best.  D.C. is a team where you actually need
to see who your playing to adjust.  I am a culprit of flying through 
seasons and not paying attention to my opponents.  Remember that you are
much stronger at home than away, so play accordingly to your surroundings.
If you pay attention and take some time with the game, you will emerge
victorious in the first season.  Playing one constant style will not
work.  
  In the off season, work on getting some depth.  You won't have much
money, but there are some good players out there around 750K.  Claudio
Reyna should be your top choice.  If you can't get him, Ramon Ramierez,
Martin Mason, Tomas Brolin and  Roy Keane are all quality young players
that are worth getting.  Cut or demote whoever the excess player is, and
you should be double 60-63.  If you have some money, you may consider
signing a good American goalie like Kasey Keller or Jurgen Sommer.Give
time to D.C. United and you can easily build a dynasty.     

D.C. United Links

Section Links

MLS Links

The page for the 1996 MLS Cup champions has been visited times


LinkExchange Member