Not so long ago, a spot in Major League Soccer's postseason was harder to avoid than to claim. In 2004, when D.C. United won the most recent of their four MLS Cup titles, eight out of the league's 10 teams earned playoff berths as only the very worst teams were punished for their regular-season shortcomings.Things have changed drastically over the past five years. Expansion and an increasingly dynamic talent pool have heightened competition and with the arrival of Philadelphia Union in 2010, only half of MLS will be granted entry to the knockout stages of the hunt for the Cup.So there might seem to be little shame in finishing the season with a winning record, and just barely missing out on a postseason spot by virtue of the complex tiebreaker scenario used to resolve one of the tightest stretch runs in league history.But United and their fans know better. That photo finish told only half the story of United's trying '09 campaign, a grueling marathon that featured some gutsy displays and promising signs of progress, only to be undone by inconsistency and unfulfilled potential as head coach Tom Soehn's squad came up short in three competitions."I think 'frustrating' comes to mind," said Devon McTavish when asked to describe 2009 at season's end. "We had a talented group and a group that meshed well together, and it was at times just difficult. No one really played to their potential a lot. And that goes for people on the field, that goes for people off the field. So it was difficult."Few MLS clubs feel the pain of underachievement as acutely as United. Averaging nearly a trophy a year since the league's inception, the club and its supporters came of age amid glowing success that helped foster a knowledgeable, demanding fan base reared on a tradition of attractive soccer.So there's been plenty of soul-searching around RFK Stadium in the wake of the team's failure to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive season, in addition to narrowly missing out in both the U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League tournaments."When you come to D.C. United, you really begin to understand how much you're supposed to succeed," said McTavish. "Winning trophies every year and getting to the playoffs every year is really instilled from the front office to the coaching staff down to the youngest player on the team. When we have a bad year like we did this year, it hits you pretty hard because you felt like you let the organization down and you let the fans down."All three competitions came down to the wire -- United lost 2-1 to Seattle in the Open Cup final, fell just two points short of a Champions League quarterfinal nod and were a goalpost's width away from snatching a playoff spot in Kansas City in the season finale -- and their combined burden presented a heavy load for players and coaches alike."We had a lot of new guys and a lot of games again this season," said midfielder and team Most Valuable Player Clyde Simms. "That being said, we handled it pretty well and we were unfortunate not to advance in the Champions League and also into the MLS playoffs. In both of those we were one game out of advancing and if we get to the next round of CONCACAF and make the playoffs, it ends up being a great season. So it's tough to swallow, just being one game out."But while many teams might take heart from such close-run efforts, it simply wasn't good enough for the capital club, which aspired to success in all three tourneys and built its roster accordingly."Everybody wants to qualify for these competitions. It's not like people don't want to play in those situations," said Santino Quaranta. "I actually enjoyed doing that, and playing in that. There were games where we just fell short."The squad's veteran core was augmented by several promising youngsters in preseason and an emphasis on depth was supposed to ensure competitiveness throughout a schedule that featured some 44 competitive matches, about 50 percent more than the typical MLS club.Former MLS Best XI playmaker Christian Gomez was re-acquired from Colorado and handed the lion's share of the attacking onus along with fellow South Americans Luciano Emilio, Fred and Jaime Moreno. Charismatic midfielder Ben Olsen worked his way back from career-threatening ankle injuries to play an important role in the heart of midfield, even as his minutes had to be carefully measured out over course of an arduous season.Meanwhile, many of those young newcomers proved their worth in spades. First-round SuperDraft picks Rodney Wallace and Chris Pontius produced outstanding rookie campaigns, logging thousands of minutes and contributing mightily at both ends of the field, while the displays of Dejan Jakovic and Julius James gave D.C. hope that they could become top-quality center backs for years to come."You need the experience but you also need the enthusiastic young players on the team," James said. "They may not understand how big the situation is or whatever, but you know they're going to give you a certain type of effort and a certain type of energy."New blood was imperative after the failure of United's reliance on high-priced foreign veterans in 2008. But bringing forward the new generation presented problems of its own throughout the '09 campaign, as D.C. surrendered numerous leads and dropped precious points. Soehn and his staff also struggled with the goalkeeping position, starting four different netminders over the course of the year."I think a lot of it, early, was because we were such a young group of guys. It's a great year for those young guys to gain experience, both locally and internationally, but I think in some respects playing a lot of young guys cost us a lot of those ties: understanding what it means to shore up a game, and some 'keeper troubles along the way," said Soehn. "But eventually we got it. I still feel over the course of 44 games, dropping 11 [losses], there's something to be said for that."The team's 13 league draws (15 in all competitions) set a club record and all too often left players and fans ruing missed opportunities. In that sense, the season's bookends represented a microcosm of United's struggles as a whole. The Black-and-Red opened the campaign with a 2-2 draw with the Galaxy at The Home Depot Center, a game United led 2-0 in the second half only to be pegged back as a questionable penalty kick decision and a late defensive breakdown let the home side steal a point.The last day of the year featured another 2-2 deadlock, this time in a must-win game against the Kansas City Wizards, who snatched a stoppage-time equalizer after D.C. had taken the lead with seven minutes left in regulation."In my mind, I thought we already had the three points in the bag," said striker Boyzzz Khumalo. "Too many ties."Soehn has paid the price for United's underachievement, having left his position before a final decision was made regarding the renewal of his contract, and it may not be long before other prominent figures depart RFK. Emilio, Gomez and Fred's hefty contracts occupy large chunks of the United wage bill that belie their offensive production this year. Olsen and Moreno are club icons and locker room leaders, but have had to accept diminished on-field roles given their advancing age and the upcoming expansion draft will soon force the D.C. front office to make difficult decisions about all five veterans.Those calls, and many others, will be highly influenced by the person who takes Soehn's place."Whatever philosophy the new coach has, if he feels that we have to make changes then that's what happens. If not, then we'll build what we have here. And we've got a nice core group of young guys and a mix of older guys," said Quaranta. "It gives everybody a fresh start and a chance to get in good graces with whoever it is."Like his players, United's next coach will inherit plenty of talent, but plenty of pressure as well. In a league where no team can afford to take anything for granted, the task of living up to United's rich history grows taller each year.
Charles Boehm
is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
