CHAPTER 1 A CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST Professional soccer was hit or miss in the United States for many years Leagues came and went as did fans Even Major League Soccer MLS which debuted in 1996 was no sure thing The new league needed to get off to a strong start DC United one of the original 10 teams helped set that foundation It didn’t take long for DC United to become a force in the new league One season was all it took in fact DC boasted a balanced attack with aggressive forwards Raúl Díaz Arce and Jaime Moreno plus midfielders Marco Etcheverry and John Harkes Jeff Agoos and Eddie Pope combined with goalkeeper Mark Simpson to lead a sound defense Together they led United to the third-best record in the league DC United’s Jaime Moreno 9 fights off the Galaxy’s Arash Noamouz during the 1996 MLS Cup 4
DC then advanced through the playoffs to reach the MLS Cup the league’s championship match Another strong and balanced team the Los Angeles Galaxy awaited DC United finished second in the Eastern Conference while the Galaxy finished best in the west Both squads had their share of star players from around the world And both had won four straight postseason matches to earn a chance to play for the championship On October 20 1996 the teams met in Foxborough Massachusetts to determine the league’s first champion in the MLS Cup FAMILIAR FOES With only 10 teams in the league in 1996 no MLS squads were strangers to one another During the regular season the Galaxy and United faced off three times with the Galaxy winning twice Led by striker Eduardo Hurtado the Galaxy had a high-powered offense in 1996 United’s defense would have its work cut out in the title match The weather would be a challenge for both squads however Hurricane Lili brought violent gusts of wind and powerful rainstorms to the New England area 6
The match was played on a drenched field as United star Marco Etcheverry discovered the hard way The championship match was almost postponed due to the rough weather conditions MLS officials decided to play it as scheduled however as long as there was no lightning The quality of the field was a different matter A water-soaked 7
