Marcelo Gallardo, who played 44 times for Argentina and scored 14 goals, is one of the most accomplished players to play for D.C. United. Earning a guaranteed $1.9 million this season, he is the highest paid player in team history by some margin, which means the burden of expectation weighs heavily on his shoulders.
“So far, the reviews have been mixed,” says The Washington Post’s Steven Goff. Gallardo may have already scored two goals — one, a stunning volley from an acute angle — but Gallardo and D.C. United have found themselves outplayed throughout most of the opening six matches. The team is last in the Eastern Conference with a 2-4-0 record. In the most recent game, a 2-0 loss to Colorado, Gallardo found himself “badly overshadowed” by Christian Gomez, his United predecessor.
“It is still a growing process, understanding what our league is all about,” United Coach Tom Soehn told Goff. “He is adjusting very well. I still expect more from him, but I expect more from everybody.” As defender Bryan Namoff points out, Gallardo and Gomez are very different players. “Marcelo is a guy who will let the ball do most of the work. His distribution beats players, where Christian was the one beating players. . . . It looks like it might take a while, but we are slowly getting to know him and he is slowly getting to understand all of us.”