WASHINGTON -- Two weeks ago Real Salt Lake ambushed a tired D.C. United at Rice-Eccles Stadium, handing out a 4-0 thrashing that ranks as the heaviest loss of Tom Soehn's tenure as D.C. head coach. Now as the Utah club visits RFK Stadium for Saturday night's return fixture, a renewed United are raring to go -- but the urgent need for a composed, energetic performance outweighs thoughts of revenge at the moment.
"I think it's in the back of everyone's mind," said goalkeeper Zach Wells of the April 12 debacle in Salt Lake City. "We tried to put it behind us right afterwards, and tried to look forward. Now we've had a full week to prepare and take care of some details on our end. ... So I think when we get back in the stadium and the fans are out and we see the other team, I think the motivation will be there already."
Having stumbled out to a 1-3 start in league play, everyone in the United locker room is keenly aware that they've fallen well short of expectations thus far. While the standings are not yet a pressing concern, the need for a confidence-building win in front of the home fans -- a bumper crowd is expected -- certainly is.
"You've got to stay patient, but now we're in a situation where, you pretty much have to win this game, right? That's the feeling around here," said Santino Quaranta, who expects to man the right wing role with Devon McTavish nursing a foot injury.
"We play, you know. We're the ones who should be accountable. I think Tommy's really coaching us well and staying positive and real patient. It's good for the team -- there's no panic, but he just wants to make everybody understand their roles. And he's doing a great job of that."
Soehn has identified enough holes in D.C.'s game to render detailed analysis of Jason Kreis' Real side a secondary concern at the moment. He and his staff have tried to make the most of their first full week of training in a month, drilling the squad with an eye towards improvement in several tactical areas as well as overall work rate.
"I don't know. It's going to be a different team playing, a different environment," said Soehn on Friday, when asked about any lingering feelings from the first meeting with RSL. "Right now we're just focusing on making sure we're the team we want to be."
This year's roster was built for success and while the Black-and-Red have historically placed a strong value on continuity, increased investment and higher expectations have reduced the margin for error in 2008.
"However you're connected to the sport, that's part of it," said Wells, "and it's really simple: you win or you get replaced. There's pressure on everyone, it's not just on the coaches. The players are feeling a bit of pressure too now, to really come out and perform and maintain a spot."
Wells and his fellow defenders have used this week to focus on "just cleaning up the sloppy little plays around the box, the little miscommunications," and with center back Gonzalo Peralta having shaken off a knee knock, a full-strength D.C. back line will look to earn the clean sheet that has been so elusive in recent weeks.
But the entire United lineup will be expected to pressure the ball with more urgency and aggression, working harder to create turnovers and counterattacking opportunities. Better use of width is also a priority, to improve the service for struggling Luciano Emilio and the rest of the strike force.
"I think they know what they need to do," said Soehn. "They all have to push themselves to do the dirty work a little bit more. And when you do that, things come easier. So everybody's got to get back to the basics."
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