Season Opening Preview (500 Posts)

Tomorrow the Wizards open their 2008 MLS season campaign against DC United, the same team they opened their 2007 campaign against. Like last year, this game will be played in a dual use stadium soccer/baseball. This year, though, the game will be played at the Wizards new home, Community American Ballpark.

The Wizards come off of a win against Real Salt Lake in their last preseason game of the season. Along with a very successful preseason down in Argentina. DC United comes into the game having already played two competitive matches, taking on Harbour View FC in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. KC comes into the game with an injury list that looks more like a mid-season list then for the first game of the season. The team has 8 players on the list, including 2 that would start if healthy.

There's been much talk this preseason about whether the team would play the 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2 again. Having seen the lineup in the game down in Oklahoma, I expect the team to line up 4-4-2 with almost the exact same lineup as the Saturn Cup.

Hartman
Myers - Wahl - Conrad - Harrington
Zavagnin
Jewsbury - Marinelli - Pore
Trujillo - Lopez

PREDICTION
DC looked good in their dismantling of Harbour View the other week, but the Wizards are a much better team then them. Plus with DC going to Mexico to take on Pachuca this Tuesday, they may be inclined to rest some starters for that match. If they rest players, then the Wizards will fair very well. If they start the same lineup that they did against Harbour View, the game will be a lot closer. Overall, I'm going to go bold and predict a Wizards 3-1 win.

KC - 3 - Trujillo x2, Lopez
DC - 1 - Fred

And this is post number 500