The billing for the MLS Primetime Thursday match between Marcelo Gallardo's D.C. United and the Guillermo Barros Schelotto-led Columbus Crew centers around the northern rendering of the "Yankee Superclasico" rivalry between their old clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors.
With four Argentineans likely to feature among the 22 starters, and two more among the reserves, the first 2008 meeting of these longtime Eastern Conference rivals figures to be a showcase for the league's recent influx of Argentinean talent. Gallardo and Schelotto in particular, along with former United maestro Christian Gomez and Kansas City's Carlos Marinelli, personify the sort of silky playmaker brought in to add a touch of class to MLS squads.
"I think the No. 10 spot, they're infamous for guys who do well in that position," said D.C. head coach Tom Soehn. "Why that is, I'm not sure. If we ever figure it out it'd probably help our development [in the U.S.] But they have a special quality, a vision, a presence in a game, a sixth sense that in some ways you can't teach. Either you have it or you don't."
Yet a far less heralded Argentinean may hold the key to United's performance against Columbus -- and indeed, their hopes for the entire season.
While Gallardo earns a greater share of exposure, and a higher salary, as D.C.'s designated player and attacking fulcrum, Gonzalo Peralta was signed in the offseason to address an even more pressing concern for the Black-and-Red: patchy performances in the heart of defense.
Searching for a center back with size and authority, Soehn and D.C. general manager Dave Kasper plucked the Buenos Aires native from second-division side Almirante Brown and Peralta has eagerly taken to his new surroundings.
He and his wife have a young son, Tiago -- with another on the way, who's already been named Matteo -- and while their Alexandria, Va. neighborhood is far quieter at night than the bustling streets back home, Peralta offers high praise for the North American lifestyle. He's also found comfort in the more measured attitude towards the game, which contrasts sharply with the frenzied zeal that infects fans and clubs alike in Argentina and often boils over in a destructive way.
"I like the respect the people have," he said of his new surroundings. "So we are comfortable, we are happy to live here. Yes, it's very different. But we like it."
So far, he and fellow newcomer Gonzalo Martinez have looked like a solid combination in D.C.'s central defense. A commanding physical presence and astute reading of the game have helped Peralta adapt to MLS quickly, while his impressive commitment to mastering English has improved communication along the United back line.
"I think he truly enjoys it here," said Soehn. "It's been a refreshing change for him. All the qualities that he's shown: his leadership qualities, his competitive edge, all those things we saw before, I think they've transmitted into our game. So we're pretty pleased with his progress."
Peralta's mellow, soft-spoken personality belies his vocal organizing abilities on the field. He sounds more like a young reserve when discussing his place among elder teammates like Martinez, Gallardo and team captain Jaime Moreno.
"I played only in the second, third division of my country. I never played like they played, [with] the national team," said the 27-year-old. "So I try to learn every day from Marcelo, Gonzalo, Jaime. We talk a lot and we're very excited to keep playing together. ... It's the opportunity of my life. It's a dream for me."
Last week, however, Peralta was on the receiving end of a rough lesson from his new league. With Martinez rested, United played in a 3-4-3 configuration and was walloped 4-0 by Real Salt Lake, the worst loss of Soehn's tenure.
The normally steady Peralta was bamboozled by the harsh turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium -- it was his first-ever match on an artificial surface, an experience he wryly called "a disaster" -- and miscommunication with goalkeeper Jose Carvallo caused problems as well.
"Maybe when you wake up with a bad day, things go wrong," said Peralta. "You can give everything but if you're on a bad day, it's difficult. I don't know how to explain -- I still feel bad. But we have to look forward and think about another game."
A hamstring injury to Martinez this week figures to heap more responsibility on Peralta for at least one match, though there's a strong chance that Soehn will revert to a four-man defense against Columbus and move Devon McTavish into the other center back slot. But the Argentinean says he's confident in both formations, with a matter-of-fact approach that is surely music to his coach's ears.
"Yeah, it's different, but against Pachuca we played with three and we played very well," said Peralta. "The other day we played with three and we lost, so now we talk about three, four -- but we have to keep working, [whether] with three or four. That's it. ... We all have responsibility, not only one player."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
