The atmosphere was charged in historic RFK Stadium as two teams on opposite sides of the standings faced off in front of a national TV audience. &nbsp;DC United was winless in their first three matches and had scored one goal; the Black and Red were looking for an elusive home win to set their season straight. &nbsp;FC Dallas saw an up-and-down start to their season but with Brek Shea returning from international duty, the team looked to steal at least a point from the night and keep up with the leaders in the West.
The stadium and fans were electric from the outset. &nbsp;The small but incredibly loud DC fans were on their feet from the first kick, engaged and showing off for the NBC Sports cameras. &nbsp;On the pitch, the players brought their own emotions from the start, as four DC United players (including captain Dwayne De Rosario) came out for the introductions <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/trayvon-martin-shooting-thrusts-hoodies-into-spotlight/2012/03/27/gIQA7r0veS_story.html" target="_blank">wearing hooded sweatshirts</a>. &nbsp;Throughout the game, there were a number of aggressive fouls and at least two altercations that saw both teams needing to be separated. &nbsp;With the attention of the American soccer world focused on DC for the night, the teams channeled that big game atmosphere to make an entertaining and intense match.
It was the home team, however, that better bottled the energy and in the span of thirteen minutes in the second half crushed Dallas with three rapid goals. &nbsp;That sequence was unimaginable in the first half as both teams played a fairly even match. &nbsp;Dallas had the majority of possession early and, as has every other DC opponent this year, muddled the midfield enough to prevent the Black and Red from connecting the back line to the forwards. &nbsp;Starting as an attacking midfielder, DeRo was forced by the Dallas defense to fall back to collect the ball from a discombobulated Perry Kitchen early on. &nbsp;Despite controlling the pace, DC keeper Joe Willis kept the home team in the game with some impressive saves. &nbsp;It was former Dallas player Maicon Santos who broke the scoreless tie in the 28th minute; receiving a pass from DeRo and given space from the Dallas defense, the forward unleashed a bullet 25 yards out that beat Kevin Hartman.
Dallas would equalize toward the end of the first half on a controversial goal that forced pundits to dive into FIFA and MLS rules to determine its legitimacy. &nbsp;Daniel Hernandez chested down a Joe Willis clearance in the DC half and tried to thread a pass to Blas Perez, who was in an offside position. &nbsp;DC defender Emiliano Dudar hit the ball with his foot but instead of clearing the pass, it fell to Perez who was able to take Willis one-on-one and score. &nbsp;The referee in essence decided that Dudar had established possession with his contact and did not rule the play offside.
The controversy was rendered moot early in the second half as DC came out&nbsp;aggressively&nbsp;looking to reclaim the lead. Louisville&nbsp;rookie Nick DeLeon had looked good for DC, making plays on the right and winning the ball but failing to make good passes to create goal scoring opportunities. &nbsp;“We came out after halftime knowing we had no choice, we had to get a win,” DeLeon said after the game, and he started the onslaught of goals. &nbsp;Chesting down a Maicon&nbsp;Santos pass in the sixtieth minute, DeLeon coolly beat the defense and put the ball into the roof of the Dallas net. &nbsp;The next goal was DeLeon’s chance to earn an assist, again creating space before finding teammate Danny Cruz on the far post. &nbsp;The final goal was again the Cruz-DeLeon-Maicon Santos combination as Cruz began a counter off of a set piece, found DeLeon who put in a cross in front of net that Santos headed home. &nbsp;As Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said after the game, “I think our defense gave some silly balls away, and I think they capitalized on it.”
The loss for Dallas was undoubtedly a tough one. &nbsp;This was their second consecutive road loss to an Eastern Conference team and what is considered the strength of their team (the defense) let them down today. &nbsp;George John was absent, but the backline should still be good enough to prevent four goals from going in. &nbsp;In addition, the wings (Shea and Rodriguez in the midfield, Loyd and Benitez as fullbacks) were owned by DC and that is not acceptable if Dallas wants to be a playoff team. &nbsp;Blas Perez was active and when he got the ball made a few nice plays, but essentially as the game&nbsp;unraveled&nbsp;for the visitors he became an afterthought. &nbsp;All of the attention throughout was on Brek Shea, who was returning from the U-23 team and played all 90 minutes tonight. &nbsp;Despite physically doing well, he was emotionally drained after the game: “It’s hard coming back, trying to flip the switch… it hasn’t been easy,” he said afterwards in the tunnel.
The win covers up some of DC warts, deficiencies that could be exposed even more with Seattle coming to town next week. &nbsp;The back line was shaky throughout (as seen by the Perez goal) and Perry Kitchen looked unsettled in the first half (potentially due to his&nbsp;returning&nbsp;to the midfield). &nbsp;But this was the offensive display MLS fans had expected to see from DC, the movement and the quick strike ability. &nbsp;Except it was the rookie, veteran who had been castoff in the offseason, and traded backup who were the major offensive sparks in this game. &nbsp;De Rosario played very well and almost scored himself, but again the designated players were not the catalysts for this team. &nbsp;These critiques do divert attention away from what was a dominant and entertaining win for DC.

DC United Notches First Win, 4-1 Over Dallas

DC United Notches First Win, 4-1 Over Dallas - World Soccer Talk

As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it’s time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself. &nbsp;The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man. &nbsp;The best are the ones who can bring a diverse team together and make it into a&nbsp;trophy-winning side. &nbsp;Rarely can a side win an MLS Cup, Open Cup, or Supporters Shield with a mediocre or poor manager. &nbsp;However, at times its the team that makes the man and only the perfect marriage of players and manager that can make a championship. &nbsp;A manager is especially important in MLS, with the salary cap and built-in rules designed to promote parity.
These men are masters of the realm, the best managers in MLS today. &nbsp;The following ranking is my own top five managers in MLS going into the 2012 season. &nbsp;Keep in mind this is not an all time list but simply looking ahead to the 2012 season. &nbsp;Agree or disagree? &nbsp;Make your opinions known in the comments section.
5. &nbsp;Piotr Nowak:&nbsp; Maybe the restructuring going on in Philadelphia is Nowak’s way to challenge himself. &nbsp;The veteran coach has taken a new franchise and by year two had made the Union into a Eastern Conference championship contender. &nbsp;Building the team around a stout defense and the timely scoring of his offense, Nowak has made the club in his image and, even with the departures, Philadelphia is now a team to watch every year. &nbsp;His work with DC United, leading them to their fourth MLS title in 2004, only adds to his coaching resume. &nbsp;Although he does not have the large number of trophies some of the others on this list have, he is undoubtedly established himself as one of the best head coaches in the league.
4. &nbsp;Schellas Hyndman: &nbsp;Although at times his decisions are questionable (Brek Shea as a full back?), Hyndman is a long-time collegiate coach who finally got the right opportunity to prove his worth with FC Dallas in 2008. &nbsp;His defining win was a 3-0 defeat of Los Angeles in the 2010 Western Conference finals over a team that looked like the best in the league with a healthy David Beckham. &nbsp;Although Dallas lost the 2010 MLS Cup in overtime, the former SMU head coach has done a good job balancing his roster and replacing departed players, especially in the midfield. &nbsp;Under his watch David Ferreira blossomed into one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league and with some promising youth coming up through the system this year, Hyndman may soon be able to chase down that elusive MLS Cup.
3. &nbsp;Sigi Schmid: &nbsp;For a guy who never played professional soccer, Schmid gets this league. &nbsp;His uncanny ability to identify talent and his in-game ability to identify mismatches has made the former UCLA Bruin the brain behind the constantly-successful Seattle Sounders. &nbsp;A team with a rich history and demanding fan base, Schmid gave the league a blueprint for how to compete in MLS from year one, a blueprint that teams as recently as Montreal are looking to emulate. &nbsp;He is the most successful U.S. Open Cup head coach in the modern era and has guided the careers of many of MLS’s greatest stars. &nbsp;His LA Galaxy team was also one of two MLS clubs to ever win an intercontinental cup. &nbsp;He is the winningest head coach in MLS history and has the Sounders poised to challenge for the 2012 MLS Cup.
2. &nbsp;Dominic Kinnear: &nbsp;The coach of this year’s Eastern Conference champions narrowly edges Sigi Schmid in my rankings because since 2006, Houston has been one of the league’s most successful teams. &nbsp;Besides winning back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, this year may have been his best coaching job, leading an arguably less talented team to the MLS Cup. &nbsp;All of this is even more impressive considering the fact that the team has worked within a tight budget and a changing ownership situation.
1. &nbsp;Bruce Arena:&nbsp; The National Soccer Hall of Famer continues to prove that he is arguable the greatest American soccer coach of all time. &nbsp;Even though he had three famous designated players, it was his work with the Galaxy’s defense that was most impressive about the 2011 Galaxy. &nbsp;The keys to the defense were that the two major contributors, A.J. De La Garza and Omar Gonzalez, were Arena draftees. &nbsp;Arena guided a dominant team through a dominant season, essentially staking claim to the MLS Cup early in the season and never relinquishing it. &nbsp;His history is unparalleled in the U.S., but even going into the new season he is still in a class by himself and recognized by many as the best head coach out there.

Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS?

Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS? - World Soccer Talk

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DC United Notches First Win, 4-1 Over Dallas

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Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS?