Behind the Badge: Off and running

It was a workmanlike performance, if not a dominating one, displayed by D.C. United on Saturday morning at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. A first half brace by Lucio Filomeno and goals by Jaime Moreno, Rod Dyachenko, Jeff Carroll and Andy Metcalf propelled the Black-and-Red to a 6-0 exhibition victory over the U.S. U-17 national team.

Justin Moose aided United's cause with two assists. D.C. United (1-0 in preseason) tallied three goals in each 45-minute half in the scrimmage.

Facing a spirited group of younger players in the club's first real competition of the preseason, United struggled early to find the ball and its rhythm. Ten minutes in, however, the more skilled and experienced MLS side began to assert itself.

Moreno opened the scoring by taking a deflected give-and-go pass from Moose in on goal. The goalkeeper denied the Bolivian striker's first attempt, but Moreno calmly collected the rebound and chipped his second effort into the net in the 17th minute. Six minutes later, Christian Gomez sent Moose in against a lone defender. United's top selection in last months MLS SuperDraft beat his man and found Filomeno for an open net finish to double United's lead. In the 27th minute, Gomez chipped in a re-start from just right of the penalty area, finding Filomeno again for a powerful header.

A fresh team took the field for the second half for United, but results remained the same. Dyachenko struck in the 64th minute, tucking the ball into an open net after a creative give-and-go with Jamil Walker freed Nick Van Sicklen along the endline.

Van Sicklen's creativity again produced a goal 75 minutes in, when he played a quick short corner Dyachenko. United's third round SuperDraft selection beat his defender to the endline before finding Carroll for a calm finish. United's fifth score allowed a stoppage, during which Metcalf replaced Matt Nickell. The University of Memphis product scored on his first touch two minutes later, chesting down a ball from Dyachnko at the top of the box before turning his defender and placing a shot behind the U.S. keeper for the 6-0 final score.

United return to action Tuesday morning against the MetroStars. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. ET at the IMG Academies.

NOTES

Saturday's lineup included: Troy Perkins (Nick Rimando-30, Andrew Weber-60); Bryan Namoff (Devon McTavish-45), Brandon Prideaux (Kenney Bertz-45, Facundo Erpen-75), John Wilson (Stephen deRoux-45); Moose (Nick Van Sicklen-45), Clyde Simms (Shawn Kuykendall-45), Gomez (Carroll-45), Josh Gros (Joey Worthen-45), Moreno (Nickell-45, Metcalf-75), Filomeno (Jamil Walker-45), and Freddy Adu (Dyachenko-45).

Alecko Eskandarian (groin) and David Stokes (quad) sat out Saturday's scrimmage. Both players will remain at United's Bradenton headquarters for rehab and will re-join training sessions upon permission of United's head athletic trainer Brian Goodstein.

Brian Carroll and Ben Olsen were both second half substitutes for the U.S. men's national team Friday night in a 3-2 victory over Japan. Bobby Boswell was named to the roster, but did not see action and Santino Quaranta remained at the team's Los Angeles training base for rehab on a strained groin. All four United standouts will spend the next week training with the national team before re-joining United for their upcoming international spring training trip.

The USA's road to the 2006 FIFA World Cup continues Feb. 19 in Frisco, Texas, when the MNT plays their first-ever match at Pizza Hut Park. Kickoff for the U.S. vs. Guatemala clash is set for 3 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and delayed on Telemundo.