All good things must come to an end. On Sunday D.C. United finally bid adieu to RFK Stadium. While the day certainly was festive and certainly sentimental in the end the result never came in for the home side. With two goals in the second half the New York Red Bulls earned not only a 2-1 win but also claimed the Atlantic Cup.
Paul Arriola got things started for United with a goal in the 45th minute. But the Red Bulls stormed back in the second half with goals from Michael Murillo (68′) and Gonzalo Veron (75′). While D.C. in the first half seemed as if they might run away with the game against an experimental Red Bulls roster the tone shifted with United midfielder Luciano Acosta being sent off in the 70th minute.
But Sunday’s match was about so much more than the match itself. Before, during, and after the match the atmosphere around RFK Stadium felt more like one large celebration of not just D.C. United, but also American soccer. It was a chance for people to reflect upon their time at RFK Stadium but also the state of United and U.S. Soccer as a whole. For the first time in weeks it felt as if soccer was just about soccer and not just the politics of it. While there are certainly many, many things that need to be fixed within D.C. United and U.S. Soccer it was actually nice to just watch a match. Oh, and throw a smoke bomb or two.
Just three quick observations before we go into the offseason.
#1 Major League Soccer needs to figure out how to handle multiple rivalries
The New York Red Bulls are rivals with D.C. United. They are also rivals with the New York Red Bulls. Teams can have multiple rivals. If Sunday’s match is any indication about the state of the Red Bulls-United rivalry it is alive and well. Walking around the stands on Sunday and listening to both the Untied and Red Bulls supporters (nice job with the raccoon suit-NYRB fans) that their animosity and hatred is still very real and very raw. This was also apparent watching at home the 2-2 draw at Red Bull Arena from earlier in the month.
While there is no empirical data to prove this theory it does feel as if the Atlantic Cup has been pushed aside for the Empire Derby. That is a shame considering that there really is no need to do that. Teams across the world are able to have multiple rivals and it benefits both the teams and the league, in terms of attendance and television numbers.
Building multiple different rivalries across different clubs has always been an issue with MLS. That the Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution still do not have points of contention with the clubs in NY and DC is sad considering their geographic proximity to one another and their cities mutual disdain for one another.
MLS sides and in particular the original teams in the league need to continue to find ways to expand their product and their influence in the region. Cascadia has shown that over time with a little effort these rivalries can be maintained even if the quality on the field doesn’t always match the fervor.
#2 D.C. United would be wise to tap into the past a little bit more
Major League Soccer certainly has changed a lot since 1996. The style of play, the physicality, the amenities, and the training aspects have all improved immensely since those early days and as a league they are by and large for the better. But that doesn’t mean that all of the past needs to be thrown away. As D.C. enters into this new era they would be wise to tap more into the excitement that was built into this match.
The first step would be to listen to their supporters a little more often. While their pyrotechnics might not be allowed at the new stadium perhaps their may be some way to do it in a controlled environment? Flags also need to be allowed in and greater work needs to be done to ensure that relations between security and supporters are much better. Sunday’s match showed that United supporters can bring an atmosphere that hearkens back to those early years. Policies may already be in place for Audi Field but policies can almost ALWAYS be amended. Not allowing re-entry so that supporters could watch the Legends game and then head back out to tailgate seemed like an odd policy that caused unnecessary negative publicity.
As for the Legends game itself let’s give credit where credit is due: United nailed that one. From getting Freddy Adu back (who deserved a return home after his trials and tribulations) to seeing Jaime Moreno and Marco Etcheverry back together to having Dave Johnson call the match D.C. United nailed this event perfectly. It was a great chance to relive the past but also talk about the present and the future. Doing it once a year would not water down the product.
Two small additions for the next Legends weekend: put the Academy matches in between the Legends match and the senior side match. Give D.C. supporters a chance to watch the future and give some younger players a chance to get a little bit of exposure. Also, a D.C. United Communications versus D.C. United media match needs to happen.
#3 RFK deserved a proper send-off. And it got it.
There is no doubt that D.C. United is very happy to no longer be paying the exorbitant rental fees at RFK Stadium (although they will still be training there). But given its history it deserved a proper send-off. Along with the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles there are very few stadiums that have housed so many important moments in not just American soccer history but world soccer history. Not too many stadiums have housed both men’s and women’s World Cup matches.
Anyone who has ever walked around RFK will certainly notice the many blemishes of the stadium. Yes, there are rats, feral cats, and raccoons. Yes, there is trash and smells that defy logic. As someone who was walked through the stadium for many years I have seen, heard, and smelled things that words could not do justice to.
But those experiences are inconsequential to me mostly because I have experienced those things at every stadium, both new and old. Instead I choose to remember the person-to-person experiences I had there. For yours truly Sunday was a chance to retrace my first adventure at RFK Stadium, D.C. United’s first-ever home match back in 1996. It was also a chance to watch nephew enjoying his second-ever match with his father. Watching him diagnose every play with his friend with a certain level of curiosity and wonder reminded me of myself and his father doing similar permutations 21 years prior. Going to RFK Stadium was a big deal and for at least one small child and for one child who followed his dream and got the chance to work there it still was.
Those are the experiences that I choose to remember. Thanks RFK.
D.C. United-Steve Clark, Nick DeLeon, Kofi Opare, Jalen Robinson, Chris Korb (Lloyd Sam 79′), Paul Arriola, Marcelo, Russell Canouse (Ian Harkes 57′), Luciano Acosta, and Patrick Mullins (Deshorn Brown 77′)
Goal-Arriola (44′)
Red Card- Acosta (70′)
New York Red Bulls- Luis Robles, Sal Zizzo (Connor Lade 23′), Fidel Escobar, Michael Amir Murillo, Kemar Lawrence (Tyler Adams 59′), Dilly Duka, Vincent Betancourt, Muhamed Keita (Sean Davis 73′), Derrick Etienne Jr., Alex Muyl, and Gonzalo Veron
Goals-Murrillo (68′) and Veron (76′)
Yellow Cards- Escobar (23′) and Muyl (90+6′)
ATTENDANCE 41, 418
DC United
New York Red Bulls
