The Lost Weekend / Wanna a MLS Cup?

Why I have no weekend recap.
Went to a wedding in Metros territory on Sunday. Therefore I offer little comment on this weekend's games, other than noting that 11 days of rest doesn't seem like that much in retrospect. I am completley bushed at the moment, so any insightful commentary is probably too much to ask at this point.

DCU: Not Built to Defend Title
But, a quick point I want to make: During the offseason, there was a great deal of buzz about who would replace Ryan in the defense. Who would we trade for? Who would DCU sign? The lack of an answer surprised many fans.

I think I know the answer now. DCU's priority during the off-season was not assembling a team to defend the MLS Cup. Instead, the team was evaluating its ability to compete over the long-term. DCU is looking to work with the salary-cap structure in order to always make the playoffs, but not necessarily win a title. This isn't the NFL, where teams are built for 1-2 years then blown up. No, by using players such as Boswell, Taylor, and the increased use of Quaranta, DCU is building for long-term success. Could DCU have added a defender or defensive mid player to address its needs? Absolutley. But who would they have to give up?

I think the MLS Cup title of 2004 was somewhat of a surprise to the DCU front office, but once they had it they figured they had a reprieve from the pressure that had been building during the dark years of losing. Now they would make choices to give DCU chances to contend for the next five years, anticipating Adu's departure to some other team, Moreno's retirement, and to refresh an aging defensive mid and back line with new blood.

Now, that being said, the Petke trade still doesn't work for me. I still don't quite get what is supposedly out there in South America. But maybe that too will make sense in time. And, of course, I could be very, very wrong about all of this.