Major League Soccer has seen its share of strange and remarkable occurrences over its 12-year history, but few can compare to the weirdness that permeated last Wednesday's D.C. United-Houston Dynamo match in the nation's capital.
After two abortive attempts to play the game on previous dates, rain, lightning and floodlight outages led to a mid-game weather delay of nearly three hours at RFK Stadium. While both teams holed up in their locker rooms for most of that time, one player eventually emerged from one of the old baseball dugouts that hold RFK's main field entrances.
The player, who had exchanged wet cleats for running shoes during the delay, was immediately recognized by nearby fans and soon struck up a friendly conversation, then began to autograph the shirts and posters they proffered. Soon a throng of other waterlogged spectators trotted down to field level to greet him, some posing for photos, others merely offering supportive handshakes before he had to hustle back to rejoin his teammates when the refereeing crew announced that the RFK turf was finally playable again.
The scene, while heartwarming, only added to the evening's peculiarity -- because the player in question was wearing Dynamo orange, not the home side's black and red.
Then again, Bobby Boswell seems to prefer the unorthodox way of doing things.
"I didn't know that many people were out there," he said of the spur-of-the-moment cameo at the stadium he once called home. "So when I went out there and some girls I knew from before came down, it kind of opened the floodgates. Some of the other kids wanted to come down, they were just kind of goofing off, and some people had some [memorabilia] I hadn't seen in a couple years, old stuff. It's good to be back for people like that, fans that are happy to see you. It's great."
An undrafted rookie in 2005 who appeared out of nowhere to snatch the MLS Defender of the Year award a year later, Boswell won widespread affection during his three seasons with United. He broke new ground as one of the first players in the league to create his own website, reaching out to fans with a quirky yet approachable attitude, and he clearly remains well-liked in D.C. even after his decision to request a trade in the wake of a trying 2007 campaign -- notwithstanding a few jibes from hardcore supporters' groups like United's Barra Brava.
"I think with the kids, I am," said the tall defender of his lingering popularity in Washington. "The Barra, not so much. They were taking their cheap shots. But you've got to expect that. For me it's part of the game. Coming back here, it's a great thing for me and I love the city. I had a great time here."
Despite his list of honors and growing reputation, Boswell found himself paying the price for United's defensive inconsistency last year as his one-time mentor, head coach Tom Soehn, regularly rotated his central defenders down the stretch. Eager for a change of scenery, the subsequent trade to Houston in exchange for goalkeeper Zach Wells far surpassed his expectations and he's enjoyed a low-key adaptation into the fearsome Dynamo defense.
"I said at the beginning of the year when they traded for me, that the team's already a successful team. It's not like I'm coming in to show them anything," he said. "I just wanted to come in and bring the experience that I gained here, and hopefully take us further in these tournaments."
The Dynamo undoubtedly made the most of last week's unusual extended stint in D.C., winning their final SuperLiga group match last Saturday night before coming out on top in Wednesday's wild affair -- and Boswell played a central role against his old team, helping limit the United attack to just one goal over both matches and even scoring on Saturday. He's optimistic that the results can help the Orange turn a corner in what has been an underwhelming season for the defending MLS Cup champs.
"To say I wasn't motivated would be a lie," he said. "Obviously I want to come in here and do well, and just do what I can do to help the team win. ... We've worked so hard and we haven't been getting the results: all the ties and stuff, it's just not right. But hopefully, maybe, this will be the turnaround for our season."
Now the focus has turned to Tuesday's SuperLiga semifinal date with CF Pachuca, the Mexican side which edged Houston in a thrilling CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup last year. For team and player alike, the occasion represents a pivotal opportunity to move closer to an elusive piece of hardware.
"For me, the goal is definitely to beat Pachuca, a team that they played a lot last year," said Boswell, "and if I can be a catalyst to help the team get past them and get into the finals, then that's a big step for me and the team."
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