D.C. United’s road jerseys will be certainly well used the first half of the season as the club waits for Audi Field to open in July (photo credit: Charlotte Thomas)
Even in Major League Soccer the unveiling of the new schedule matters. Perhaps it is due to the doldrums of winter where supporters find themselves grasping at every rumor of a fourth division European player whose agent says they are interested in MLS. Or perhaps it is because there is a need for escapism from the worrying trends of global affairs and sub-arctic temperatures. Whatever the reason the MLS schedule is always a fun time to speculate, pontificate, and get a few jabs in at New York Red Bulls fans.
But make no mistake about it: D.C. United have a herculean task ahead of them. Prior to Audi Field opening on July 14th against the Vancouver Whitecaps (*knocks on wood*) the club will play twelve of their first fourteen matches on the road. The two matches that will be played at ‘home’ have officially not been announced. The two venues that are believed to be the contenders for these matches are the Maryland SoccerPlex (home of the NWSL’s Washington Spirit) and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
Let’s get the cat out of the bag first: Barring all other options failing D.C. United were never going to play another regular season match at RFK Stadium after the send-off that they had last year. Hindsight being what it is the club probably would not have made the announcement that they were leaving at the end of 2017 had they known they would be stuck in the position that they are in. That they will still be practicing and that their offices will still be at the stadium are another matter as well. But the way things ended last October scoreline aside against the New York Red Bulls was absolutely perfect. The crowd size, the legends match, the flares, smoke bombs, bouncy stands, the epic array of glass bottles and empty cases of beer outside, it was all perfect and so very much the experience that we have all grown to love over the past 20 years. A certain D.C. United Youth Academy parent did not make the trip but in the end that is probably a good thing.
In United’s 22 years of existence they have only played one MLS regular season home match away from RFK Stadium. That match, a June 2014 fixture against the Columbus Crew, was part of a day-night doubleheader with Spain and El Salvador at FedEx (home of Daniel Snyder and his American football team) and was one of the strangest matches that yours truly has ever covered. The pitch conditions were terrible and most of the fans had left after the first match, fully satisfied with their Spain exhibition and having little desire to stay on for a second match that was free. Most D.C. United and Columbus Crew supporters were sequestered to the upper deck of the press box. While we could certainly hear the supporters, there was nary a supporter to be found within viewing distance.
Let’s also not forget that FedEx Field offers no public transportation to and from the stadium (Thank you, Mr. Snyder) and has some of the tightest security conditions inside of a stadium across all American sports. It should be noted at this point that yours truly has never had an issue with any security people at FedEx. They have all been rather cordial and friendly. However the regulations themselves are quite stifling and is a very large reason why the area has seen a sharp drop in U.S. Soccer and international club matches. FedEx Field and their tenant just aren’t the nicest people to work with.
That experience, being a visitor in their own ‘home’ stadium, seems to be one of a couple of reasons why D.C. United supporters are not exactly thrilled with having to play two home matches away from either RFK or Audi. The other is that neither of these matches is covered under supporters season ticket packages and that the Maryland SoccerPlex has a capacity of about 5000.
So how the heck can United make this work? How can they turn this awkward circumstance into an opportunity to not only show current season ticket holders that they are interested in their business but also bring in new fans? Here are a couple of ideas:
1.) Free transportation-Whether it is to Annapolis or to Boyds D.C. United supporters are going to have to travel a fair bit to make the first two home games of the season. So why not offer free busing from the Minnesota Avenue (for Annapolis) and Shady Grove (for SoccerPlex) metro stations. Supporters who are in the city will have extra incentive to go to either match and it will also limit the amount of drinking and driving. Seeing as how all three supporters groups will also likely have their own transportation the club could offer them something similar as a sign of good faith.
2.)Free beer and food for supporters at local bars- Have a season ticket but cannot make the match? No matter! Let D.C. United bring the game to you! Given that the SoccerPlex seats about only 5000 and that ,as mentioned above , Annapolis is not exactly around the corner some supporters will likely be left out of either or both games. Rather than focusing on the negative United could turn this into a positive by creating special events using their Bar Partners and working with bars that the supporters traditionally haunt. If you are a United supporter and you are a season ticket holder but cannot make either match go to *insert bar name* and receive the first two rounds free.
You could also do special events such as having United legends do Q and A sessions with the fans or United bar trivia before or after the match (Yours truly calls Dave Johnson as his partner). Season ticket holders and non-season ticket holders alike would certainly show up to events like this if it means getting closer to the team and enjoying a good match with friends as long as the club doesn’t charge anything extra. Turn this unfortunate set of circumstances into a positive by re-engaging with the supporters and creating opportunities to bring in new fans. Not everyone will be able to make the match and especially since there will be so many . That doesn’t mean the games themselves cannot be chances for fun.
3.) Hit the ground running with good public relations work– At times it feels like D.C. United really only do events within the District which is rather sad because they have supporters all across Maryland and Virginia as well. While both matches will be taking place in Maryland chances are supporters from all across the Mid-Atlantic will be attending these matches or be following a little bit closer than they normally would. Speaking as someone who lives in Frederick, Maryland about 30 minutes away from the Maryland SoccerPlex interest has certainly spiked for a potential March match. Think of all the parents who might not normally make the trek down to D.C. for a game in the Montgomery County suburbs who may be enticed to attend a game two fields over from where their kids played. The same can be said for soccer-mad families who live in Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore.
D.C. has a chance to really increase interest in their product with these two matches but it is only going to be done through a lot of public relations work. Have players do training sessions with local non-United affiliated youth teams and do happy hours at soccer bars. Make players, coaches, and officials readily available to take local interview requests in print, online, and radio. Sell to the public that these games are important and that with a new stadium United is more invested than ever in representing the region.
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Playing two matches way from Audi Field to begin the season is not ideal. But even in less than ideal circumstances there are opportunities for growth and development and given how important Audi Field is to the ‘rebirth’ of D.C. United in the region the club has a unique opportunity to sell to fans that they might not normally see that they are serious and that they want their support. Not many clubs get a second chance to rebuild their fans faith and trust. United have such an opportunity with their two ‘home’ matches and a long road trip to start the season.
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