‘Jaime Moreno, DC United’
courtesy of ‘geraintwn’

D.C. United
Record: 5-3-8
Last Two Weeks: 1-1-1
Place: 1st in the East

D.C. United played three games since we’ve talked last. Three very different games from what seem to have been three wholly different team. The first, a victory over the Chicago Fire, was a triumph of defense and striking offense. It also put them on top of the Eastern Conference, thanks to Josh Wicks’ goaltending. The second, a tie with the Seattle Sounders was thanks to late-game heroics, and a big mistake. The third, a 3-0 shutout at the hand of the Colorado Rapids left a lot to be desired.

So, who are D.C. United at this point? The team that knocked off the Fire and claimed first place? Or the team that nearly lost to the Sounders and did lose to the Rapids, who are both middle of the pack teams from the West? There’s a lot of distance between the two teams, and United will have to figure out which one they are before they go forward. Injuries have hurt United, with Fred and Jaime Moreno out each for a few games,

‘blue canyon’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Nationals
Record: 20-47
Last Two Weeks: 5-7
Place: Last in the NL

This was a good 2 weeks for the Nats. It’s deeply depressing to recognize that a good stint for the Nats is still under .500. But, this week was even more successful, when they went 4-2 against the AL East, picking up a pair of series victories over the Yankees and the Blue Jays. The Nats are looking good, and it looks like despite the writings of one sportswriter, Manny Acta is keeping his job as the Manager. While neither team president Stan Kasten, nor the owners, are promising Manny will be around beyond the end of the season, it looks like his job’s a bit safer than it was two weeks ago.

The Nats face the Red Sox at home this week (to the chagrin of the front office, Tickets are still available with password Natstown) and then head up for the second round against Baltimore. The Nats are hot on the mound, from the 1st to the 9th. It’s just that the defense is still missing plays, and the bats have gone silent. To play .500 ball, you need to match up your pitching and your offense. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be unstoppable. It just has to be there. And the Nats are spending a lot of time missing pieces.

I don’t think the worst-team-ever record of 40-120 is in any danger right now. But the Nats are going to have to fight to make this season better than last. It may well get worse toward the end of the season as the rookies in the rotation hit their soft limits on innings pitched, but we might also see some Future of the Nationals there toward the end of the season.

Mystics
Record: 4-1
Last Two Weeks: 2-1
Place: 1st in the East

The Mystics went a big 2-1 this week, pulling off victories in Detroit and at home on Saturday against Chicago. Alana Beard continues to be the story for the Mystics, as she’s averaging 20 points per game and singlehandedly sparking the offense. Unfortunately, Marissa Coleman’s got a bit of a high ankle sprain that’s got her sidelined still. The Mystics are putting up some serious power numbers early in the season, which is great to see. They play Thursday night against Phoenix, and then head out on a four game road trip to Chicago, San Antonio, Atlanta and Minnesota.

Sadly, ESPN still has the WNBA deeply in the ghetto of their women’s sports section (which is more than we can say for the Freedom, unfortunately.) and aren’t getting any of the attention they deserve.

Freedom
Record: 4-3-4
Last Two Weeks: 1-1-1
Place: 2nd in the League

If you missed Acacia’s roundup of the Freedom and the WPS last Monday, take a trip on over. The Freedom picked up a win in Saint Louis on Saturday, and will play in Boston on Wednesday night that will be broadcast on Comcast Sports Net. The Freedom moved into 2nd place with their win, and continue to have quality starts. They’ll be home again on the 5th against the league-leaders, the LA Sol.