The United Soccer League named it's All-League Teams on Tuesday. I know I don't report nearly as much about the USL as I should, especially given the league's recent success in the U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League, but here is a chance to get a look at the best the USL has to offer.

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So the main question posed throughout our series in review of the player acquisitions, departures, and trades made by DC United since the end of last season is whether or not the club is actually better off now than they were last year. Let's review, position by position.

Goalkeepers:
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I missed the match entirely. Wound up going shopping with Mrs. Shatz in advance of our Ocean City trip. First full-team match that I've missed all year.

But we did get some answers to the questions that I posed yesterday:
Does [Soehn] choose to start the highly paid Quavas Kirk in this match, or keep using him only in the safety of the Reserve division? Click to continue reading...

The 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup begins tomorrow for MLS teams. Eight qualifiers will take on eight lower league clubs in what is always one of the single most exciting days of the season. Last year was not the greatest year for MLS in the tournament, as only 3/8 teams advanced. One of those 3, the Rapids, then lost 5-0 in the quarterfinals to Seattle. Click to continue reading...

Vancouver Whitecaps FC are reporting DC United goalkeeper Jay Nolly and DC United forward Nicholas Addlery have been signed by the Vancouver Whitecaps. These moves indicate that cap space has been freed to accommodate still more players coming to DC United. Click to continue reading...

HELLO:...And the parade continues. United has now added Gonzalo Martinez from Millonarios, and Dave Kasper provides us the resume:

Martìnez began his professional career in the Colombian First Division with Deportes Tolima in 1996 before moving to Italian Serie A side Udinese in 2001.

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Neal Thurman over at the American Soccer Daily (a reputable read; I enjoy it) have just published an article explaining how Houston's phenomenal depth is one of the keys to its recent success. I read three paragraphs into this article and before I knew it, I was back here, composing a retributive post.

I feel goaded.

Thurman compares today's Houston to the DCU of old, that oft-heralded squad which has established DC United as the gold standard of MLS prestige. Click to continue reading...

Goff reports that I was somewhat correct:

"...the lineup is Namoff, Erpen, Boswell, Gros, Fred, Olsen, Carroll, Gomez, Dyachenko and Emilio."

---------Dyachenko----------Emilio------------

Fred------------Gomez--------------Olsen----

-----------------Carroll-------------------------

Gros-------The Boz-----Erpen------Namoff----

---------------Jay Nolly (! Click to continue reading...