2005 D.C. United season

D.C. United

2005 season
Owner	D.C. United Holdings
Head Coach	Piotr Nowak
MLS	3rd
MLS Cup Playoffs	Conference semifinals
U.S. Open Cup	Quarterfinals
CONCACAF Champions' Cup	Semifinals
Copa Sudamericana	Round of 16
Carolina Challenge Cup	Runners-up
Atlantic Cup	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: All: Eskandarian (10)
Home colors Away colors
← 2004 2006 →

The 2005 season was the ninth season in D.C. United history, as well as their ninth season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. The season covers the period from November 15, 2004 through October 30, 2005.

Under Piotr Nowak's tenure as head coach, this was the first and only season where he did not lead D.C. United to a trophy of any kind. D.C. United entered the season as the defending MLS Cup champions defeating Kansas City Wizards 3–2 in last season's championship. During Nowak's second season as head coach, he led the team to a slightly better regular season record, finishing third in the overall standings.

D.C. United made their first appearance in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup (now Champions League) for the first time in three years, earning qualification through winning the 2004 MLS Cup championship. In the continental tournament, D.C. United were the only American club to reach the semifinals of the tournament before losing to Mexico's UNAM Pumas 6–1 on aggregate.

In other external competitions, United finished as runners-up in the preseason Carolina Challenge Cup, reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup and won the Atlantic Cup rivalry series against MetroStars.

Background

D.C. United entered the 2005 season as the defending MLS Cup champions, earning their first league championship since 1999. During the 2004 MLS regular season, United finished second in the Eastern Conference table and fourth in the overall regular standings. Their playoff run included a 4–0 aggregate series victory over their Atlantic Cup rivals, MetroStars in the conference semifinals. In the conference final, United defeated the Eastern Conference regular season champions, New England Revolution in a penalty shoot-out, after a 3–3 draw in regulation and extra time. Their playoff campaign culuminated in MLS Cup 2004 defeating Kansas City Wizards 3–2 in the final.

Match Results

Legend

Carolina Challenge Cup

CONCACAF Champions' Cup

Round	Leg	Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Goalscorers	Attendance	Ref
QF	1	March 9, 2005	Harbour View	H	W	2–1		3,825	Eskandarian, Gros
	2	March 16, 2005		A	W	2–1	Walker, Moreno	600
SF	1	April 6, 2005	UNAM	H	T	1–1	Gómez	21,185
	2	April 13, 2005		A	L	0–5		22,000

Major League Soccer

Regular season

D.C. United recorded the fifth highest average attendance during the 2005 Major League Soccer season.^[4]

Regular season results source

Playoffs

U.S. Open Cup

Copa Sudamericana

Round	Leg	Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Goalscorers	Attendance	Ref
R16	1	September 17, 2005	Universidad Católica	H	T	1–1	Gómez (2)
	2	September 23, 2005		A	L	2–3		14,118	[14]

League standings

Conference

  Eastern Conference regular season champion²
  Qualify for 2005 MLS Cup Playoffs

¹Earns top-seed in MLS Cup Playoffs

Overall

  MLS Supporters' Shield, Western Conference regular season champion¹
  Eastern Conference regular season champion²
  Qualify for 2005 MLS Cup Playoffs

Notes

• Note 1: The San Jose Earthquakes earn the top-seed in the Western Conference bracket of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• Note 2: The Columbus Crew earn the top-seed in the Eastern Conference bracket of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Player details

Sources:^[15][16]

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		MLS		MLS Cup Playoffs		CONCACAF Champions' Cup		U.S. Open Cup
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK		Troy Perkins	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
2	DF		David Stokes	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
4	DF		Brandon Prideaux	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
5	DF		Facundo Erpen	0	1	0+0	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
6	MF		Nick Van Sicklen	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
9	FW		Freddy Adu	0	4	0+0	4	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
10	MF		Christian Gomez	0	12	0+0	11	0+0	0	0+0	1	0+0	0
11	FW		Alecko Eskandarian	0	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	1
13	DF		Tim Merritt	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
14	MF		Ben Olsen	0	2	0+0	2	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
15	DF		Kenny Arena	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
16	MF		Brian Carroll	0	1	0+0	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
17	MF		Joshua Gros	0	5	0+0	4	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	1
18	GK		Nick Rimando	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
19	MF		Clyde Simms	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
21	MF		Dema Kovalenko	0	4	0+0	4	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
22	FW		Jason Thompson	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
23	MF		Jamil Walker	0	3	0+0	2	0+0	0	0+0	1	0+0	0
24	MF		Nana Kuffour	0	1	0+0	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
25	FW		Santino Quaranta	0	5	0+0	5	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
26	DF		Bryan Namoff	0	1	0+0	1	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
27	DF		John Wilson	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
28	DF		Shawn Kuykendall	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
29	FW		Matt Nickell	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
30	GK		Andrew Weber	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
31	MF		Stephen deRoux	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
32	DF		Bobby Boswell	0	3	0+0	3	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
99	FW		Jaime Moreno	0	17	0+0	16	0+0	0	0+0	1	0+0	0

Transfers

All transactions sourced to: "MLSnet.com: Transactions". Major League Soccer. D.C. United. April 3, 2005. Archived from the original on February 6, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2011. 

In

Out

References