Though at this point March seems like a forgotten chapter froma season long past, D.C. United did struggle through the opening month of the2012 campaign. The Black-and-Redtook a single point from their first three matches as Ben Olsen’s made-overroster took some time in building its chemistry. Then, against FC Dallas – and seemingly with the flip of a switch- D.C. turned a corner.
The switch, it turns out, belonged to the NBC SportsNetwork.
In the club’s first nationally televised match of the year,D.C. played by far its best soccer. Three weeks later, this time on ESPN, United was even better in a 4-1thrashing of New York.
So what is it about playing for a nationwide audience thatbrought the best out of United at a time when it seemed little else could?
“You know that everyone that is close to you - and thepeople who wouldn’t normally get to see you play – get to watch,” explaineddefender Robbie Russell earlier this week as he prepared for theBlack-and-Red’s fourth nationally televised game of the year. “You want to play well for them.”
D.C. will try and replicate their early success in primetimeon Sunday when the club plays on the NBC Sports Network for the third of fivetimes this season. After the 4-1 win over Dallas on March 30, United’s nextshowing on the new all-sports network wasn’t so crisp. Dealing with real heat for the firsttime, the Black-and-Red limped to a 1-0 loss in Houston in mid-May.
From his sideline perch, NBC color commentator Kyle Martinohas seen Ben Olsen’s side during both their finest – and most trying – hour. So what does Martino expect from D.C.against the Red Bulls?
“I think you’ll see them regroup,” said Martino, who addedthat United was ‘lucky’ to get out of Philadelphia with a win last week. “Get back to basics. First and foremost become a verydifficult team to play against.”
They got away from just being a very difficult team to play against,”Martino continued during his Tuesday appearance on the Capital Soccer Show. “First, covering a lot of ground, winninga lot second balls, staying organized and then letting the free-flowing offenseto build off of that foundation. Ithink they put the cart before the horse a little.”
