If there is a “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” option somewhere around RFK, someone now has my permission to put that bad boy to use.
D.C. United’s chances of making the 2012 playoffs just took a major hit; the club announced this morning that Dwayne De Rosario, easily the club’s most important man, will miss 10-12 weeks with a grade III MCL sprain. The reigning MLS MVP suffered the injury while playing for Canada in Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Panama.
Translation: barring an overly pessimistic prognosis, he’s done for 2012.
Ten weeks from today falls on Nov. 22. By then, most of the playoffs will have been decided; MLS Cup falls this year on Dec. 1.
United currently sits sixth in the 10-team Eastern Conference. Ben Olsen’s club has seven matches to …
- … catch Columbus, who did more to improve their team in the summer transfer period than any MLS club, with the improved results to prove it.
- … or catch the Houston Dynamo, which is showing slippage but refuses to be beaten at home.
- … or make up about two wins on Chicago or New York. Chicago, winners again last night, have won five of six. New York still has more talent on paper than any club in MLS history – so good luck with all that.
- … hold off a Montreal side that has played solid soccer for weeks now, an expansion club that has climbed respectably (if only marginally) into the playoff race.
It doesn’t look good for United, especially considering how United got close to last year’s playoffs only because of De Rosario’s amazing summer run.
The Black and Red last made the MLS playoffs in 2007. Given the team’s recent form, and now this – mark me down as “doubtful” they can break through this year.