Kevin Payne One-on-One

Fot the DC United fans out there.

I really hope Veron comes to MLS. He is truly one of my all-time favorite players. I would be forst in line to get my DC United 'Veron' jersey.

BogTV #23

BECKHAM-PALOOZA

I was overjoyed when Steinberg told me that he had videotaped the Beckham festivities out in Los Angeles last Friday, and here's why.

No wonder they call Donovan 'LandyCakes', huh?

La Barra Brava is Fun

MY GUESTS FOR THE EVENING

DRUNKEN ANTICS

MORE ANTICS

BRINGING IT!

THE DRAW WAS AS BAD AS A LOSS

Alexi Lalas ... Moron!

Is it possible that Alexi Lalas is this dumb? There's just no way he can be that unintelligent, right? How can you possible think that the 11-year old MLS is on par with the greatest soccer league in the world, the English Premier League?

The Los Angeles Galaxy president, who scored when the United States beat England 2-0 in a friendly in 1993, told British newspapers that Major League Soccer is on a par with the Premier League.

Look, I'm one of the people who thinks the MLS has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years, but it was hard not to. The level of play in this league was dismal for many years, and by dismal, I mean utterly-awful. It's not like that anymore at all. There is a ton of talent, young and old, on display in the MLS these days, but to go and spout off like Lalas is just plain silly.

"In England, our league is considered second class, but I honestly believe if you took a helicopter and grabbed a bunch of MLS players and took them to the perceived best league in the world they wouldn't miss a beat and the fans wouldn't notice any drop in quality.''

WRONG!
WRONG!
WRONG!

Sure, they are a handful of players currently wearing MLS colors who could definitely play in the EPL, but that handful is very limited. Not only is the EPL's overall talent-level in a different stratosphere than the MLS, it's a much different game. Could you imagine little Freddy Adu going up against some of the blokes in the EPL. That would be a hoot for all involved.

Alexis Lalas should concentrate on getting his crappy team back on track before David Beckham makes his arrival on United States soil, before he goes and defames the most prestigious league in the world like this. It's not good for American Soccer at all when comparisons like this are made. The people who truly care about MLS should stick to trying to grow the fanbase at a grass roots level and not try to take this little league to an international stage, just yet.

The Closest Thing to a Derby in American Soccer

I realize that LA Galaxy and Chivas USA have their little west-coast derby, but it's forced and contrived. The only true passion (aka hatred) exists between DC United and RBNY (formerly the New York/New Jersey Metrostars). This rivalry is born out of a 'strong dislike' between the supporter groups and a history of chippiness on the pitch.

Just look what happenned at the 2006 Season Opener when RBNY brought 800 traveling supporters to RFK Stadium.

The rivalry is renewed this Sunday at RFK. Word is that quite a few supporters will be making the journey down I-95 for the match. If you're in the DC Metro Area and are looking for something to do, I suggest heading to Southeast DC and picking up one of the many tickets that will be available. You will not go away disapointed, just make sure you're wearing the right colors.

BogTV #17

DC UNITED IS TALENTED

The success of BogTV Episode #16 was unparalled. We have just about 10,000 views on the You Tubes, and it is now the 85th Most Viewed Sports Clip this week!

We've actually had a nice little run here with the America's Cup of Polo, the Preakness, and now this.

Stay Tuned because on Monday we have a special treat ... The Best of BogTV!

Chivas? Again?

Boca? Nope.
River? Think Again.
Sao Paulo? Keep trying.

Turns out DC United will get another shot at Mexican Club Chivas in La Copa Sudamericana.

Bleh. I guess it will be nice to extract some revenge on the Goats for knocking us out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, but I would have rather played a South American club.

DC United invited to Copa Sudamericana

The Black and Red are hanging with the big boys now! They were officially invited to La Copa Sudamericana earlier today. There had been a question as to which MLS team would get the nod. Both United and the Houston Dynamo went out in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this year, so it left to the powers that be to decide which club would get the invite. In the end, United was invited based on their larger goal differential in the CCC. So where does that leave them? It leaves them on the precipe of a match with one of the bigger names of futbol in the Western Hemisphere.

So what is the Copa Sudamericana you ask? Let me enlighten you. It's basically the second most important club competition in South America, behind only Copa Libertadores. Most people would compare this tournament to the UEFA Cup in Europe, but the interesting fact about Sudamericana is that clubs can compete in both Sudamericana and Libertadores in the same year, making the competition in the two tournaments closely matched.

CONMEBOL has been inviting CONCACAF teams to their little party since 2005. DC United is actually the first and only MLS team to have play in the Sudamericana. In 2005, they fell to Universidad Catolica of Chile in the Rd of 16 (the first non-qualifying round).

The list of clubs in this year's tournament is a who's who of South American futbol. From Argentina comes Boca Juniors, River Plate, and defending Apertura Champions Estudiantes. Brazil is sending a staggering EIGHT CLUBS to the tournament, including defending Serie A Champions Sao Paulo. Millonarios of Columbia, El Nacional of Ecuador, and Universitario of Peru are just a few more of the notable clubs in this year's tournament. Mexico had two teams invited including the defending Sudameriana Champion, Pachuca FC; the same team that just captured the recently completed CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The thought of DC United taking the pitch at La Bombonera, the infamous home ground of Boca Juniors, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It also gives me an excuse to post some videos of La Doce, the supporters group of Boca, and one of personal favorites.

Um, 'intense' would be a lame description of these guys and their home.

The draw for the tournament is Tueday. Stay Tuned.

DC United should sign Rivaldo!

Yea, that's right, I'm saying it. The Black & Red should go out and use their designated player spot on 35-year old Rivaldo.

It was recently reported that the Brazilian was leaving his previous club Olympiakos, effective immediately. It was an interesting announcement considering back in February, he said he would be returning to the club next season. He had been the main cog in back-to-back-to-back Greek Super League titles, and had just scored 15 goals in 24 Greek Super League games.

In my eyes, this guy is the perfect addition to any MLS team, and if one of the 13 clubs is lucky enough to land him, they will definitely benefit from it.

So why DC United, you ask? They already have a playmaking center midfielder in reigning MLS MVP Christian Gomez, you say? Well, my guess is that Gomito aint going to be around too much longer. Contract talks have broken off between Gomez's camp and the club, and my gut feeling is that he will return to Argentina next season to finish his career with his boyhood club, Nueva Chicago.

Rivaldo would bring a flair that has yet to be seen in the MLS, and the fact that newly acquired Luciano Emilio and Fred also both hail from Brazil can't hurt the situation. Rivaldo was basically Ronaldinho before there was a Ronaldinho, and he definitely still shows the flashes of brilliance that lead Brazil to the 2002 World Cup.

Want to see what this guy is all about? Check this out!

Now, granted, this was many moons ago, but it shows the kind of footballing this guy was and, I believe, still is capable of.

Now I know the chances of this actauuly going down are zero to none, but mark my words, if it were to happen, DC United would not only make a splash on the world futbol stage, but it would ensure a few more pieces of hardward for the trophy case at RFK Stadium.

Where Next for Rivaldo? (The Offside)

Among the Thugs?

A good amount of non-Washington DC-based MLS supporters may believe that DC United's Barra Brava is the definition of American Soccer Hooliganism, but I beg to differ.

These guys take Pride and Passion to a whole different level, and it's an honor to be able to stand with them for games at RFK, but they also know what's important in the world and in life, and it ain't throwing empty bottles at the away supporters.

The banner and ginormous flag were on display at two most recent matches at RFK in tribute to victims of the Virginia Tech shootings.

Where was your banner Metro Scum?
Where was your flag Crewzers?

On a related note, the Red and Black raised over $20K for the Hokie Memorial Spirit Fund through their recent jersey auction.

Jamie Moreno drew top dollar with a $1.340 bid

Vamos United Indeed!

Hooligans in the MLS?

This video has probably made the rounds since it was made last summer by some supporters of Red Bull New York. The basic premise is that they feel that the supporters of DC United are "hooligans" because a few of Red Bull contingent got the shit kicked out of them in the parking lots outside of RFK Stadium after last year's season opener. Seems like a decent enough argument ... until you watch the video and see what provoked the DC supporters.

Morons



And a quick note for the, ahem, "Red Bull Ultras".
That aint hooliganism.

This is hooligamism.
Let me introduce you to the Soul Crew, the hardest geezers in all of British Football.