As D.C. United continued its scorching run of form down the stretch of the regular season, most of the focus was on the attackers. Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta got most of the attention, as they should have, but a little of that spotlight should have been shared with the improved defense.
Acquired in the offseason, center back Frederic Brillant was a starter from day one. Despite the presence of Kofi Opare waiting in the wings, Brillant started the first game at Orlando, and every game after that through July 25th, a stretch of 17 games, many of which were losses.