What Is Heard May Be in Your Heart

I still don't really know what Davy Arnaud said. I wasn't there and the video isn't totally clear. If Rolfe was indeed spit on, (as Chris Pontius himself attests) Arnaud may have been issuing a warning. 

What I do know is this - what we perceive is partly the result of what we've gone through in the past. Our filter is a lot of what we see. 

Here's the first tweet I got last night. 

“@acosta19LA: @MLS @FOXSoccer your racist players 😊 pic.twitter.com/oiFex5Vjz7” RT you catch this @soccercanales ?
— VirtusLuis (@luisftw5) March 5, 2015

@soccercanales @MLS @FOXSoccer "Hey spic, watch it spic"
— VirtusLuis (@luisftw5) March 5, 2015

The next day, I figured that somebody had to have more info, so I asked about it. 

@soccercanales What did he say? Any video?
— Tom Marshall (@mexicoworldcup) March 5, 2015

So I retweeted.

.@soccercanales @mexicoworldcup this is ridiculous. Rolfe got SPIT on by an opponent. Arnaud is saying SPIT, not what you think he is.
— Pablo Maurer (@MLSist) March 5, 2015

A DC United player verified one aspect of the debate.  

@MLSist @soccercanales @mexicoworldcup I can testify to this as well. Rolfe was spit on.
— Chris Pontius (@ChrisPontius13) March 5, 2015

Meanwhile, I was fielding criticism of my own.  

@soccercanales You didn't ask. You accused, pretty much from the first tweet.
— Ben (@beardyblue) March 5, 2015

@soccercanales Speculating that a guy said a racial slur with no clear evidence of it can be pretty damaging to a guy's reputation. Lame.
— Hoops Grind (@HoopsGrind) March 5, 2015

Others still weren't sure what was said.  

@osminpena @gokatygo @ChrisPontius13 @MLSist @soccercanales @mexicoworldcup "Hey, you spit! Watch the spit!" is what Davy is saying.
— Donald Wine II (@blazindw) March 5, 2015

@Rob_More @ChrisPontius13 @MLSist @soccercanales @mexicoworldcup what i can read from his lips were spic and wetback to be honest ...
— Edgar Martinez (@ChopGod_10) March 5, 2015

The video got made into a Vine.  

@soccercanales here is the video of you haven't seen it https://t.co/o8AZQs8m3m
— Wiso (@WisoVazquez) March 5, 2015

I started to wonder if the racism could be in the eye of the beholder.  

@soccercanales That's surprisingly deep but I agree with you. Maybe perceiving things because of past experiences.
— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) March 5, 2015

@soccercanales unfortunately I believe people are too quick to label people or their acts as racist. Hard to tell from the vid exactly....
— Los (@LosDosIsSick) March 5, 2015

@cesarhfutbol @soccercanales exactly, unfortunately as Latinos we can jump quickly to a conclusion when it may/may not be racism based.
— Walter Franco (@thewfranco) March 5, 2015

@chiquitibum1 @cesarhfutbol @soccercanales yep, pretty sure most of us have been told all of the above at some point in our lives
— Walter Franco (@thewfranco) March 5, 2015

Others still aren't sure. The truth is still out there.  

@soccercanales true, but clarification of what he said should come out.
— Wiso (@WisoVazquez) March 5, 2015

Meanwhile, here's the story on the game I did watch and write on.  

** Update - I got a call from DC United's communications director about my tweets. Apparently the team is looking through video to try to prove the spitting incident by an Alajuela player. Multiple DC players verified to him that it did happen, even if the cameras missed it. He was concerned that my tweeting was putting Arnaud in an unfairly bad light and wanted to remind me to reach out to the team if I have questions like this one in the future. 

Honestly, I would have contacted the team if I had gone into this as a story, doing research, but I don't cover MLS as a regular beat any more. Instead, I was reaching out on Twitter to MLS reporters in general, wondering if any followed up on the controversy. I don't regret that, because it opened up some interesting perspectives and I think all the people involved were in general fair about it. Still, it reminded me that as a reporter, even idle questions about stuff on Twitter has ramifications. People will treat what I tweet differently than just a random account, even if it's not directly connected to anything I'm reporting. I guess my point is that sometimes even my limited influence has some effect. I have to stay aware of that.

Finally, though, it's still DC United's version of events being told here in regards to the video. I was contacted by another reporter who is reaching out to Alajuelense. If I get an update on that end, I'll include it here as well.

Changing of the guard

Remember when DC United and the LA Galaxy would have solid arguments in either camp for ultimate MLS supremacy?

As recently as 2004 and 2005, both claimed the MLS title. This past weekend, losses for both sides leave them close to missing the playoffs. The Open Cup title might provide some consolation for DC United, but coming against a USL team in a year when so many shiny new trophies with international prestige attached were available, it doesn't have as much luster.

As for Los Angeles, well, it would be the third year in a row they've missed the playoffs. Thing is, in terms of roster moves, no two teams tried harder to succeed by making numerous changes this year. How's that working out for them? Not so well.

The trend seems to show that changing by tweaking things rather than tossing them out wholesale is more successful.

DC depleted

When DC United was in town, I was chatting with one of their associates about their recent losses. They weren't in full panic mode yet, but the signs weren't looking good. We talked about how the end of the season could wear teams down, especially if they had to play extra games.

I shared my theory that it was unfair for MLS teams to be involved in international competition like the CONCACAF Champions League without some sort of assistance to handle the extra burden. I don't advocate raising the salary cap for teams, but I do think that there should be expanded rosters exclusive for those competitions, outside of the MLS cap. Five or even three supplemental players could make a big difference. There could be a set cap for those temporary additions. Teams in Mexico allow for roster expansion for Copa Libertadores participation. It just makes practical sense.

It's almost disrespectful to compete in tournaments with so many top players held back. It's completely understandable, given that DC is now struggling to make the playoffs. Yet that's not really competing in a tournament any more, it's merely showing up as a shadow of a true team.

Anyway, the conversation wound up with some speculation as to why MLS administration hasn't acted to bolster the teams that represent the league internationally in any way. They're just expected to take on the extra work and effort with no help.

On the other hand, I do see the value in giving young players real games that are against a high level of competition. DC's youth actually represented quite well against Cruz Azul.

The aftermath: Quaranta

Santino Quaranta was actually one to stick up for the referees. Well, he didn't exactly say that referee Terry Vaughn's terrible call was correct but he tried to talk about both sides of the issue.

Here's audio of my little chat with Santino.

He was actually a bit disconsolate, but it was mostly to do with his ankle. Quaranta had a giant bag of ice taped to his ankle as I talked to him.

The aftermath: Burch

Marc Burch wasn't as down as I expected him to be after the match. He was talking as if he'd just suffered a tough loss - a usual tough loss in which his team lost due to a mistake or three or a lack of effort.

Saturday's loss was an unusual tough loss because of a horrid red card that Burch was unfortunate to have received.

Here's the audio of what Burch had to say after the whole thing went down.

Perhaps since he had some time to think about things, he may have not been as depressed as you would expect. Or maybe he was so infuriated he needed the time to calm down and collect his thoughts.

Whatever the case, he won't play in DC's next league match. Through no fault of his own, of course.

The aftermath: Soehn

Tom Soehn wasn't one to hold back his thoughts after the DC's 5-2 loss at the Galaxy. He said the match officials had a rough night before calling the red card against Marc Burch a "travesty."

I gotta take a bit of credit for the last comment.

At the post game presser, Soehn answered a question about the defense and another about the Galaxy. He was about to step away as no one else had their hand raised for a question so I threw my hand in the air and asked him about the red card.

He didn't tear into the officiating crew but he was obviously none too pleased with the call.

Listen to the entire presser here.

Tom Soehn post-game

Tom Soehn talks about the game versus the Galaxy.

DC/FC Dallas

RFK stadium and the flag-waving Barra Brava versus the Hoops.

Kickoff!

1 - Sully thinks DC's high pressure to deny service will be key to the game.
3 - Quavas Kirk with a shot after DC had a nice run of play. It's Q's first start this season.
5 - Andre Rocha is down and now on the sideline with an injury.
9 - DC United is pinging the ball around well, but the last pass to set up a golden goalscoring opportunity is prevented by FC Dallas' persistent chasing.
10 - GOAL! Coooooop! McTavish bloops a clearance, missing the ball, which falls in the box to King Kenny, who eludes his defender just enough to fire a scorcher of a shot. 1-0 Dallas.
11 - DC had the early run of play - the goal came very much against that, on a DC mistake. We'll see how DC United regroups.
16 - Well, the response is pretty intensive pressure on the FC Dallas goal. DC hasn't really pulled the trigger yet, though, as Dallas scrambles in defense.
17 - Beautiful chip pass from Moreno to Santino, who can't quite put the shot away past a rushing Dario Sala.
20 - Cunningham with a nice move and shot, but Crayton just gets a hand to it.
21 - Moreno knockdown pass to 'Tino - shot over the bar.
23 - Marcelo Saragosa doesn't get ball, but gets plenty of Moreno, who goes sprawling and clutches his shoulder. No call.
27 - GOAL! Moreno! This time he gets service from Khumalo, a square cross that Moreno buries with a precise header. 1-1.
31 - Mctavish, the last man, stands up Jeffy C.
36 - As DC sets up for a corner kick, Adrian Serioux comes out for Micheal Dello-Russo. Apparently Serioux is injured.
37 - Short corner leads to a cross that gets cut off and cleared.
43 - Cooper not super - goes near post and gets bumped as he fires, sending the shot wide.
Halftime - Well, Moreno was rewarded for his good play with a goal, but with their early goal, FC Dallas is still lurking. Another counter attack goal could put the pressure on DC again. Still, United are playing well and their fans are loudly helping them keep focused on the final result.
83 - Connection problems! Anyway, the game is still tied, but both teams scored another goal.
2-2
84 - ooooh, Luciano Emilio just barely sent a header wide.

Outsider's angle

Of course I didn't see the Blanco/DC Open Cup incident. I was here in California, and the match wasn't televised. I also wasn't enterprising enough to look for an Internet stream, if there was one. So when Brad Feldman brought the topic up, I had only contextual points to make.

1. Blanco arrived in the league with a reputation of not only skill, but a tempestuous personality.
2. Blanco has been well-behaved when Chicago is winning.
3. Chicago isn't winning, and there have been reports of Blanco losing his temper with his own teammates.

Points 1,2, and 3 added up to me being less than surprised that Blanco might have blown up on the field. Still, I pointed out, players on both sides had been red-carded, so the ref at least had cast equal blame. Basically, I didn't think a bigger deal should be made out of something just because a star player was involved. I mean, is anyone going on about Chris Wingert's red card? Besides Jason Kreis, that is.

When Brad mentioned that Blanco had reportedly headbutted a DC United employee, I had to laugh.
In my mind, I was picturing an Alex Zotinca-quality head butt.
Or the gold standard, of course, Zidane's. (though Zotinca's might have been more painful, since it was to the face, Zidane's had more force).
Obviously, if Blanco had done a headbutt anything like that, there wouldn't be any question as to whether or not such a thing had taken place. It would be very clear, so I figured it was somewhat less than a genuine headbutt.
I also pointed out to Brad that it wasn't unheard of for team employees to get passionate about matches and trigger incidents. For example, in an earlier Super Clasico, Chivas USA's massage therapist, Humberto Macias, lost it over an offsides call, arguing so vigorously that the fourth official conferred with the ref and had him removed from the sideline.
Now I'm not saying any employee deserves to be treated badly by any player, but it's possible that the DC staffer was less than completely professional in his actions before the alleged headbutt.
At that point, both Brad and I laughed at ourselves a little, because we were both speculating over stuff rather randomly. We agreed that more info would probably be revealed before long.
DC reportedly has a video that they've sent to MLS and the USSF, which is the actual entity in charge of the Open Cup. So the official version will come out soon. In the past, MLS has released little video clips to illustrate incidents where the league has added on to suspensions or taken other disciplinary action.

DC United/LA Galaxy running blog

Here we go, here we go now. I'm actually semi-awake. I even had a little breakfast (fried egg sandwich, tea).
Predictions, folks? Got a little while to get them in before kickoff to claim bragging rights.
LA: Steve Cronin (GK), Mike Randolph, Ante Jazic, Chris Klein, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Alvaro Pires, Abel Xavier, David Beckham, Ely Allen, Sean Franklin
"The hottest team in the league" says JP of DC.
Zach Wells, Gonzalo Peralta, Fred, Marcelo Gallardo, Luciano Emilio, Devon McTavish, Clyde Simms, Gonzalo Martinez, Santino Quaranta, Bryan Namoff, Jaime Moreno
Eek - the bumper hadn't turned off Harkes' mic, so as the graphic plays into commercial, we hear him ask, "Good?"
Hopkins interviewed Donovan about scoring so many goals this year - LD seems more concerned about making the playoffs.
It looks hot out in DC.
Kickoff!
1 - Beckham tries to cross the ball into the box, and catches Martinez (Harkes calls him Luciano) Emilio) in the tummy. Martinez looks in a lot of pain. And people wonder why defenders don't like to close him down on crosses.
3 - Quarenta with speed down the right, crosses into the box, but no one from DC is there.
5 - Penalty Kick! Jazic barrels into Quarenta from behind and Jair Marrufo points to the spot. Jaime Moreno takes it quickly, slotting it to the right as Cronin dives the other way 1-0. DC.
7 - Couple of half-chances as Buddle and Becks try to hook up - but nothing quite comes off.
9 - LD recieves a deep throw-in from Becks, gets pulled at, but doesn't get the call.
11 - Harkes, trying not to be a homer, says Emilio was offside as Luciano gets behind the defense and gets the pass. he's alone on Cronin, hits the ball low, but Cronin gets down for it. Cro gives up the rebound, though, but the Galaxy defense clear.
12 - CK for DC off another Emilio-led attack. Cleared, but the follow outside shot from Quaranta is wide.
14 - Pires in the box, can't really get a shot off - Pires gets kicked by Simms and goes down, but doesn't get the call. Counter going the other way, Luciano from Fred, this time he beats Cronin with his shot, but this time, the offside is called.
16 - Beckham gets a rough tackle from Moreno and sends a FK ball spinning into the box that everyone misjudges and misses, both on DC and LA.
17 - Wells catches a Becks cross.
19 - LA is conceding possession to DC - trying to avoid the counter, I suppose. But DC United prove they can build play up, working the ball around until Namoff takes a shot. It's wide, rattling the boards beside the net.
21 - Gallardo tries to beat X in the box. Doesn't quite come off.
NO GOAL - LD was just offside on the equalizer.
24 - DC with ball movement that the announcers ooh and ah over, but ultimately Cronin scoops up the soft shot from Simms.
JP, Gallardo did NOT play against Beckham in that infamous 1998 match. Becks was carded off before Gallardo subbed in.
26 - GOAL! Becks LD one-two, LD flicks the ball into the box and Buddle fights for the ball in the box, just getting a shot off as Wells comes in. 1-1.
28 - Burch in for Quaranta as DC has a dangerous FK. Gallardo takes, but Cronin gets there.
31 - Becks sends in anther cross that Wells catches.
Hopkins informs us that Q hurt his hamstring.
32 - LD in the box, tries to head ball over a charging Wells, but Zack is able to get a hand on the ball.
33 - Burch puts too much on his cross overhits Emilio in the box.
35 - Enough about the weather, announcers! We get it. Talk the game.
37 - GOAL! Luciano Emilio off a Burch cross. None of the Galaxy defenders in the box went up for the cross and the far post header beat Cronin. 2-1 DC United.
39 - Marrufo, one of the few fulltime refs in MLS, is letting a lot go this game. Becks gets nailed but no call.
42 - Gallardo elbows LD - LD is furious as he receives a yellow card. His nose is bleeding. Cotton is stuck in his nose. The ref and fourth official missed the elbow, but got Donovan for - I'm not sure - persistent infringement? No, dissent. TV only showed LD's yellow, but actually Jair carded both players.
45 - Gallardo tries to say something to LD, perhaps that the elbow was unintentional, but LD ignores him.
Halftime - Well, everyone expected goals and there are three so far, so at least the scoreless draw people were secretly dreading hasn't happened. The money men, Buddle, Luciano, and Moreno have gotten on the board as well. It will be interesting to see the second half.
48 - Galaxy corner - Becks finds Buddle, but Edson can't get it towards goal - the header pops up.
Hopkins reports that Ruud is frustrated with the officiating - believes Gallardo should have been red-carded for the elbow. If Andy Gray was calling this game, he'd be in a huge snit about that, too, I think.
51 - Dodgy defending around the Galaxy box, but they escape.
52 - Tudela gets a yellow, but the cameras don't show why. JP mentions Gallardo's yellow, seems to think that LD was upset that it took so long for the yellow to come out on Gallardo - no, it's that it wasn't a red card that upset him.
54 - The players are walking at various points now - the heat is definitely worse and wearing players down.
55 - Gallardo wide on a shot.
56 - SAVE! Fred versus Cronin, Cronin saves it. Harkes harshes on Fred's effort, not giving Cro much credit.
58 - Gallardo puts a shot over the top, after Emilio laid the ball back for him.
59 - GOAL! Gallardo in the box and this time he goes side netting. It looks like Emilio got a handball on that, but the refs don't call it. 3-1 .
61 - LD gets bumped in the box by Burch, but tries to shoot anyway and Wells parries. Marrufo doesn't call the PK.
63 - The Galaxy do get a corner, ball gets back out to Becks, Fred misses the clear and the ball hits LD, but bounces to safety for DC.
67 - LA looks exhausted - but the cliche is probably true - "It's not the heat, it's the humidity". It's not very humid at all in LA, and the humidity can really affect those who aren't used to it.
69 - GOAL - Emilio puts away the service from Fred, who took a touch pass from Gallardo.
Harkes is calling for Olsen to come in, waxing nostalgic about the all that Olsen's ankle has gone through.
74 - Harkes gets his wish. Olsen is coming into the game for Moreno. Harkes gets sentimental about the fans cheering for Olsen.
75 - Buddle with a wayward shot from way out.
78 - Buddle with another outside shot.
80 - It's mostly DC, though, as Emilio gets in the box again, Klein chasing, but Cronin saves and Klein clears the rebound.
84 - Cronin makes two saves in a row. He actually has 8 in the game, despite giving up four goals.
87 - The Galaxy try to work the ball up - they're stifled by DC.
88 - Buddle and LD in the box - can't quite hoot up and DC clear.
89 - Dyachenko goes wide and high on the counter.
90 - LD on the break, hits a shot that Wells saves - CK for LA. Header by Gordon is deflected for another corner. Becks sets up for this one. It's cleared for a throw in.
90 + DC counter, Emilio is in free, but Cronin saves it. Harkes makes some weird crack about how Moreno must want to be out there.
Final whistle.
DC an emphatic win at home. It might have been different if the call had been made for the elbow against Gallardo, but the home team took care of business.

Gallardo feature

Here it is.

And here's the audio of my interview with Marcelo.

From captain to coach? Moreno

I already nominated Ben Olsen for the DC coaching position, should it become vacant at any point, but now this possibility strikes me as even more intriguing. It's also following in the footsteps of Jason Kreis, who resigned as a player to immediately become coach of his own team. Jaime Moreno would probably want to continue to top everything Kreis does (goals scored record) and win a lot more games as coach.

So here's what went down when Jaime was asked by the Spanish-speaking press about how much longer he'd play and what he'd possibly do afterwards.

"I'm not sure. I'd like to be a coach. Perhaps with DC. I'd like that."

So who thinks Jaime would make a good coach in the future? Anyone want to see that future sooner than later?

Q and A.C.

Santino Quaranta wasn't the only former LA Galaxy player back in town with DC United the other night. Quavas Kirk was there too, and it was nice to see his friendly grin.

I asked Q, as he's known, how he was adjusting to DC and he said, "Great!" He's got family out that way, I believe.

Though fast, strong and talented, Kirk's time with the Galaxy was marred by a foot injury that took forever to heal. He hasn't seen much time with DC United yet, so I asked him if the foot was bothering him again.

"Nope," Kirk said. "The foot's fine. Everything's good."

Featuring - or not?

so what if dc did not want to talk after the game? you just report the players did not want to talk
I didn't have a game story assignment last night. As I mentioned in the running blog, I was working on a Marcelo Gallardo feature.
I'd been working on it for a while, actually. On Friday, when I was at the DC/Chivas USA presser, I asked Jaime Moreno about Gallardo, among other things (since I write for multiple places, I often try to get quotes on different topics when players are in town, so I can plug in a relevant quote later).
DC had a practice scheduled after the presser, and I called their media liaison to see if I could ask Gallardo a few questions before practice.
You see, I'd been at the HDC since 10:00. It was almost 3:00, and on a Friday, that means the window to escape the hell of traffic is closing. It was over a hundred degrees, and my air conditioning in my little car was out. The HDC is south of downtown LA, while I live north of it. Now, in MLS, players usually talk to media after practice, but often, if one shows up early and requests only one player, teams are accommodating in granting quick interviews. No luck this time. DC's press guy said I'd have to wait until after practice. From my seat in my car across from the field where they were getting off the bus, I watched the United players and debated staying around versus leaving. Practice would place me in the absolute worst of rush hour, so I instead asked if it was possible to make an early arrangement for a pregame interview on Saturday. Per MLS policy, players are supposed to be available to media members - actually, the locker room is supposed to be open to the press until an hour before warm-ups. Some teams get away with not showing up until this window is over, but they don't need to normally go through such conniptions to avoid the press, because the nature of our jobs is such that we are always expected to get the latest word on things, so only in a few cases does anyone show up to the early interview period.
What's funny in hindsight is that when I was trying to set up a time to ask Gallardo questions, DC's media person kept telling me, "Well, you can talk to Gallardo during the post-game locker room access."
That's what I thought, too, but I was trying to get at least a few exclusive quotes. So after having been assured that I'd get a little time pregame if I showed up right at 6:00, I tried to interview him. I passed on the offer for translation for the simple reason that though my Spanish isn't great, translation takes time, and I thought asking questions directly would save me a minute or two and allow me to ask a few more things.
Not really. I asked three questions, then was told, "Last question. We'll see you again after the game."
Except - no.
What incentive is Gallardo going to have to speak to the media when he sees clearly that his own organization doesn't follow the post-game standard? We press people complain about David Beckham taking a long time after games to come out and talk, but now I appreciate in a whole new way that he does so, every time. I've an assignment of a Beckham feature post-Galaxy games, and that would get hung out to dry if he decided not to speak to the press.
Writers like Danny Bueno did get left out in the cold by DC. His MLSnet assignment is to specifically cover the post-game reaction of the visiting team. Usually, a minimum of three different players quoted is expected. He got one. And he waited for that one player longer than it would normally have taken him to get all his interviews completed and his post-game article written. Other LA writers who are assigned to get reactions from both teams left after half an hour had passed.
Look, I understand that a lot of people think the lot of a sportswriter is a blessed and lucky one, and don't understand why I point out that giving the reporters who do cover MLS hassles is a mistake for a league that wants to grow. Fine. One espn.com feature is not going to make or break the future of DC United's public profile.
But the publishing industry isn't going through an easy time right now, and sports reporters are getting reassigned or laid off everywhere. They're fighting to write the most relevant stories, and if an editor looks at a piece and says, "Where's the quotes from the other team you're supposed to have?" then hears the reason why they're not there, do you think he or she's going to want to send more coverage that way? A piece without any exclusive quotes that covers what happened during a match can be picked up off AP. That's probably what the editor will do in the future, thinking, "Screw soccer. We don't need to send a reporter out to a game and then get stiffed on the locker room access that every other sport in the U.S. allows."
Thinking I'd get to talk to Gallardo specifically about the game after it finished meant my early questions were very general. I'm trying to piece something together anyway, but it's not easy.

Remains of the day

Danny Bueno was one of the reporters able to talk to Jaime Moreno after the game.

Luis Bueno wrote about Chivas USA - and therefore has a number of quotes, because he was allowed into their locker room.

Soehn says his bit

My tape started a bit late because when Tom Soehn came out to talk to the media, I thought the locker room was finally open. Usually, when the coach comes out or starts talking to the media, the locker room is officially open for reporters. Deciding player quotes were more important, even though I wanted to ask Soehn stuff, I tried to enter. Instead, I was stonewalled at the door - "The locker room still isn't open."
Then I joined the circle around Soehn, off to one side in the hallway. Busy with the questions, I didn't realize at first that players were leaving while the coach was being interviewed, then I happened to glance over my shoulder and realized that the departing black polo shirts were all the guys we'd been waiting to talk with for so long. I broke away from Soehn and tried to get Marcelo Gallardo to stop. No luck.
Technically, the DC locker room never was declared open for the press, unless one counts it as open when the entire team has already left.
I can sympathize to a certain extent with DC - the players were no doubt upset and emotion is evident in Soehn's voice, but I've also witnessed many teams lose tough games. Almost every one is still professional enough to still comply with their press obligations. Heck, last night I was watching NBA Jazz coach Jerry Sloan do a in-game interview while his team was struggling, which I'm sure he'd prefer not to do, but he did anyway.
In this case, it wasn't one upset player declining interviews. It was an institutional move to keep all the media out and make our job far more difficult. It was also conducted in a rather underhand manner - at no point were we told that we wouldn't have media access to the locker room. So when Marc Burch left early, for example, most of the reporters didn't stop him. We don't usually do hallway interviews with players. It's too noisy, and players at that point just want to get on the bus. Steve Goff talked to Marc, but the rest of us waited in front of the locker room like good little sheep, expecting patience to eventually be rewarded. Seriously, though, if some DC bigshot decided, "Forget it, no press in the locker room," they should have manned up and told us that. #1, the deadline people could have left. #2, the rest of us could start asking the players who were willing to answer questions in the hallway. Instead, if we're continually told, "Not yet," there's an implied, "eventually you'll get in" that once it doesn't happen seems rather dishonest, disrespectful and unprofessional.

Tino talks

Kudos to Quaranta, one of the few DC guys who stopped to talk to the press in the hallway after we weren't allowed in the locker room by club officials. In the background one can hear Jaime Moreno a little bit. He stopped, too, spoke to a couple of the LA press members, but since I was interviewing Tino at the time, I couldn't switch over right away and Jaime had left by the time I finished. Heck, the entire team was gone. It's very difficult to get a decent variety of quotes with no locker room access.

Preki post-DC

Preki talks after the game.

Post -game posturing

So much for being blessed. DC United stones the press outside their locker room, flouting MLS regulations to open it to media. Any media, including Steven Goff, who is out here all the way from D.C. The team doesn't do a post-match presser, and Kevin Payne just shakes his head when we ask, after he briefly appears, if we can go get quotes. Nearly forty minutes go by before coach Tom Soehn steps outside to take any questions. I break off from the scrum around him to try to get into the locker room for player quotes, because players are leaving as Soehn speaks. Danny Bueno of MLSnet is also trying to get into the locker room. We're told no, it's still not open. Gallardo comes out into the hallway - he shakes his head at me when I ask him if he'll answer questions.
Santino Quaranta still has a soft spot for some of the LA press - he stops to take a few questions. The rest of the players disappear.
MLS headquarters will probably fine the organization for not following league press rules, but DC administrators apparently don't care.

DC United/Chivas USA running blog

Hi yall, (By the way, the Barra Brava has taken up residence in the Riot Squad's usual stadium spot)

Luciano Emilio isn't starting - Francis "Grandpa" Doe has been given the chance. Chivas USA has nine players injured apparently, so their starting lineup should be interesting. Given that development, I'm calling this one 2-1 in favor of DC. Moreno and McTavish with the goals. Kljestan with the consolation.
Post your predictions up to kickoff time.
Jesse Marsch is playing centerback for Chivas USA. Marsch last played centerback when he was 13 for Racine United. Yep, in Wisconsin.
No, I don't know this off the top of my head. David Lindholm, Chivas USA's press guy, just told me. he also mentioned that minus their third-string goalkeeper, every player Chivas USA has healthy is in the starting lineup or on the bench tonight.
DC's lineup: Zach Wells, Bryan Namoff, Marc Burch, Domenic Mediate, Gonzalo Martinez, Santino Quaranta, Marcelo Gallardo, Clyde Simms, Ryan Cordiero, Francis Doe, Jaime Moreno
Chivas USA: Guzano, BB, Big Red, Marschman, Panchito, Dandini, Sach, Nags, Braunbear, Tiba, Te.
Luis just mentioned that someone laughed at him when he mentioned Pancho as left back - well, that's exactly where Mendoza is lining up.
The Legion is still boycotting. This is apparently the last game of that, though, since the player they're protesting for finishes his suspension then.
Kickoff!
1- Chivas USA with first shot and attack. 'Te from outside the box. Deflected off DC defender.
5 - Play is mostly in the midfield. Oooh, pass over the top to Ante, who goes all-out versus Wells. Bigtime clash. Both players are down for a matter of minutes.
8 - DC with an attacking play; well, not anymore, cross into the box cut off.
9 - Well, my Mctavish score prediction can't be right, because he isn't available. I'd guessed he might be back. Wishful thinking.
10 - DC FK. Tricksy Gallardo tries to sneak it in near post, Guzan parries but give up corner. Gallardo to take, but there's shoving in the box holding up play. Gallardo serves it in - Namoff heads wide.
14 - Chivas USA give up a deep FT, but then wriggle out of the difficulty.
16 - DC has the better of possession, but Chivas USA is getting counter chances, like the corner earned just now by Razov. Kljestan on the kick, Sims clears.
18 - The atmosphere here is weird. There's noise from the fervent fans, but everyone else is so quiet that one can hear the players talking to each other.
19 - Gallardo serves in another freekick that Marsch clears well. Racine United would be proud.
21 - Burch catches Kljestan with a leg tackle that flips the Chivas USA midfielder partly sideways. Yellow.
23 - Doe is pushing for a yellow after a tackle on Panchito - Kennedy chooses to whistle sternly at him and point emphatically instead.
25 - Moreno with a shot from middle distance - doesn't get much leg on it and it rolls wide, though Guzan dives for it.
27 - Gallardo working a few good passes up the flank with Quaranta. But generally, both teams are bogging down the midfield.
29 - The crowd is trying to start the wave and booing whatever section gives up on it. So basically, they're not even really watching the game any more.
30 - GOAL! Gallardo! He gets a good pass near the top of the arc from Quaranta. Paladini falls trying to cut it off, then Gallardo cuts back on Marsch, and nails a shot into the top upper corner of the net. Racine, Wisconsin weeps.
33 - Simms with an outside shot, gets nicked on the follow of the shot and is down for a while.
35 - Corner for Chivas - cleared.
36 - Offside! The crowd hates the linesman for that, because it would have been a goal, because Wells came out and the canny vet Ante put in a chip header behind him. The replay shows the press box nothing, so if you have a DVR, you know better than we do who is right.
39 - Gallardo is down. Is DC timewasting? It seems way too early for that. perhaps not, because th'e on the sideline, and DC is playing a man down. Ball over the top to Atiba Harris. "It's only Atiba" says a reporter in the box, implying, of course, that there is no threat. Harris gets a wayward cross off, Klejestan has to backtrack for it, and eventually, DC escapes danger.
41 - Gallardo gets back into action and is down again. this time Nags took him down and gets yellow for it.
43 - How timely is my Gallardo feature for espn.com going to be now that he's scored? I'm blessed.
44 - Doe was offside, but he took a shot anyway. And missed.
45 - Quranta sacrifices his bod to shield a ball going out for a goal kick. Crowd boos, thinking it touched him anyway. It was close.
45 - Close like Moreno with the shot just now over the bar.
Halftime - Chivas USA must be fuming about that offside call on Razov. Though DC hasn't played great, they deserve the lead, as they have created most of the chances on goal. If Chivas USA doesn't come out with some new energy and effectiveness, the visitors are taking this. For heaven's sake, the home team didn't have a single shot on goal in the half.

Okay, LB chiming in here. It's about five minutes before the start of the second half and I'm writing all of my stories as a Chivas USA loss. They've never come from behind to win a game, ever, and I don't see them doing it with such a depleted lineup. I say they throw Jorge Flores and Gerson Mayen out there and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.

Now back to AC...
Heck, I'm surprised Flores didn't start. Hey, that's weird. To rally Chivas USA at the start of the second half, the stadium PA is playing Kinky (Mas) - the band that provided the Galaxy their official song last year and played in a pregame concert for the team. I suppose the music guys don't know this.
47 - Chivas USA pushing a bit more into DC territory. Marsch has been moved to the midfield. Kraig Chiles is in.
49 - Yellow for Mediate for a foul on Razov. Kljestan on the FK, scrum in the box. Trouble with the wall, and all the drama is meaningless becaus Sach chips over the wall and the bar. Poor.
53 - Chivas USA keeps getting stuck in the defensive third of DC. Razov nearly gets sprung, bu he's just offside and throws his hands up in frustration.
56 - Sach crosses into the box and it looks like a handball and DC amazingly fail to clear, but no call.
57 - Eric Ebert getting set to come in, setting off all sorts of puns in the pressbox about his poor play and decent movie reviews. "Thumbs down," says one. "He nearly gave a goal away in the last game with a bad backpass. He's in for Dandini. Emilio is in for Doe, too.
61 - DC is scrapping this one out. It's not elegant, but it's working.
63 - Like on the last play - 'Tiba gets a nice through ball that leads him into the box and Gonzalo Martinez shoulder charges him into last week. It works.
66 - Soehn is pacing the sideline - oh, here comes Jorge - "The Dream" for Chivas USA.
69 - CK for Chivas USA after Wells parried a nearpost shot. It's cleared for another corner on the opposite side, Sach takes that one, too, and this one gets safely cleared.
70 - People are already learing.
72 - Moreno holds off two defenders on sheer skill, gets a deep FT, takes a bunch of time off the clock.
74 - GOAL! The pride of Racine! Jesse Marsch! The forgotten MLS original today. Ebert sends a leading pass in for a speedy 'tiba, who doesn't get onto it well, but manages to deflect it off a charging Wells. Marsch is there to send a following shot off past a fallen Wells. 1-1 He knee slides to celebrate. Rock on, Jesse.
76 - GOAL! Sach! Harris gets up the wing again, totally befuddling the DC defense and hits a decent cross this time that DC fails to clear l Kljestan connects. 2-1. Chivas USA, improbably and against all history and while not even playing very well with a decimated lineup, is leading.
80 - Yikes, Harris gets behind the D again, gets he ball to Kljestan and Chivas USA gets about three clear chances to pad their lead, but deflections and a shot over the bar is all that results.
82 - GOAL! The pressbox is beginning the Soehn deathwatch. The Dream scores! Harris looks offside, but in fact a wayward DC defender on the far side kept him on. Harris comes in on goal, while the defensive line looks in vain for the call, then lays the ball back for Flores. Wells looks like he has the hard shot, but it slips past him. 3-1 The Raging Goats.
85 - Bryan Namoff is down. He probably wants to be carted away from this misery, even if it's in an ambulance. Looks like an ankle problem. Oooh, bad - he's limping off.
88 - DC's defense is horrid. I just checked and they haven't had a single shutout this season.
89 - CK for Chivas USA and they are taking their time over it - ooh Kennedy has a card out and is surrounded by players. Not sure what's going on. The Barra crew is giving Kennedy the finger, hard - turns out it was a yellow for Quaranta.
90 + Apparently the key for DC was taking out Grandpa.
hivas USA with a chance to further pad their lead, but Anthony Hamilton misses a sitter.
Final whistle - It's official, DC is having a horrid season. It's Chivas USA's first victory over United, by the way.