# 2004 D.C. United season

The 2004 season was the eighth season for D.C. United. It was highlighted by winning their first MLS Cup championship since 1999.
The season was hallmarked by United winning their fourth Major League Soccer championship, winning MLS Cup 2004 3–2 over Kansas City Wizards. To date, this was the last time in franchise history that the team has won an MLS Cup title, or even made the final. Additionally, by winning the championship, some cite that it marked a "second golden age" in United. Following the 2004 title, United would go on to win two MLS Supporters' Shields, to claim the most in the league, as well as their second U.S. Open Cup title.
In terms of player and manager transactions, the offseason saw English head coach Ray Hudson end his two-season stint with the club, as United management fired him out of dissatisfaction with his results as a manager. United signed retired MLS star Piotr Nowak to the role of head coaching duties. Hitherto, no other head coach had been a former MLS player. The signing of Nowak marked a new trend of first-generation MLS players assuming coaching duties for second generation MLS players.
In 2003, United made national and international headlines by drafting 14-year-old prospect Freddy Adu as the first pick of the MLS SuperDraft. MLS orchestrated a series of negotiations between United and Dallas Burn, who had the first overall selection. A series of agreements between the two sides gave Dallas additional allocation from United so that Adu could play for his local club, as he grew up near Potomac, Maryland.

## Review and events
### Preseason
#### January

* Freddy Adu signs with D.C. United

#### March
### Regular season
#### Early October
### Playoffs
#### November

* United deft. NE Revs in the 2004 Eastern Conf. championship to go to MLS Cup 2004. Considered best match in MLS history
* United win their first MLS Cup title since 1999 with a 3–2 win over the Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center

## Competitive
### Major League Soccer
#### Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 40 | 32 | +8 | 49 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | D.C. United | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 43 | 42 | +1 | 42 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | MetroStars | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 47 | 49 | −2 | 40 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | New England Revolution | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 42 | 43 | −1 | 33 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 5 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 36 | 44 | −8 | 33 | |

#### Results

| May 15, 2004 | Kansas City Wizards | H | 1–0 | Moreno |
| May 19, 2004 | Los Angeles Galaxy | H | 2–4 | Cerritos, Adu |
| May 22, 2004 | Colorado Rapids | A | 2–1 | Gros |
| May 29, 2004 | New England Revolution | A | 0–1 | Kamler (o.g.) |
| June 5, 2004 | Chicago Fire | A | 3–0 | |
| June 12, 2004 | Colorado Rapids | H | 0–0 | |
| June 19, 2004 | Columbus Crew | H | 3–1 | Moreno, Eskandarian (2) |
| June 26, 2004 | Dallas Burn | A | 1–1 | Eskandarian |
| July 3, 2004 | MetroStars | H | 6–2 | Nelsen, Moreno, Eskandarian (2) Stewart, Olsen |
| July 10, 2004 | Kansas City Wizards | A | 1–0 | |
| July 17, 2004 | Los Angeles Galaxy | H | 1–1 | Nelsen |
| July 24, 2004 | Dallas Burn | A | 5–1 | Gibbs (o.g.) |
| August 7, 2004 | San Jose Earthquakes | A | 2–0 | |
| August 11, 2004 | Colorado Rapids | H | 3–1 | Adu, Stewart, Kotschau (o.g.) |
| August 14, 2004 | New England Revolution | H | 2–2 | Moreno (2) |
| August 21, 2004 | Columbus Crew | A | 2–2 | Eskandarian, Moreno |
| August 28, 2004 | New England Revolution | A | 0–0 | |
| September 4, 2004 | Chicago Fire | A | 3–1 | Stewart |
| September 8, 2004 | Dallas Burn | H | 3–0 | Eskandarian (2), Adu |
| September 18, 2004 | Chicago Fire | H | 3–1 | Gomez, Eskandarian, Olsen |
| September 25, 2004 | Columbus Crew | A | 1–0 | |
| October 2, 2004 | MetroStars | A | 0–1 | Adu |
| October 9, 2004 | New England Revolution | H | 1–0 | Gomez |
| October 17, 2004 | MetroStars | H | 3–2 | Gomez (2), Petke |
Source: RSSSF

### U.S. Open Cup
## Club
### Roster

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 2 | DF | USA | David Stokes |
| 3 | FW | USA | Jason Thompson |
| 4 | DF | USA | Brandon Prideaux |
| 7 | DF | NZL | Ryan Nelsen |
| 8 | MF | USA | Earnie Stewart |
| 9 | MF | USA | Freddy Adu |
| 11 | FW | USA | Alecko Eskandarian |
| 12 | DF | USA | Mike Petke |
| 13 | MF | ARG | Christian Gómez |
| 14 | MF | USA | Ben Olsen |
| 16 | MF | USA | Brian Carroll |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | MF | USA | Joshua Gros |
| 18 | GK | USA | Nick Rimando |
| 21 | MF | UKR | Dema Kovalenko |
| 22 | GK | USA | Troy Perkins |
| 23 | FW | SLV | Eliseo Quintanilla |
| 24 | MF | GHA | Nana Kuffour |
| 25 | MF | USA | Santino Quaranta |
| 26 | DF | USA | Bryan Namoff |
| 27 | FW | USA | Tim Lawson |
| 99 | FW | BOL | Jaime Moreno |

### Statistics

List of squad players, including number of appearances by competition
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Major League Soccer | Major League Soccer | MLS Cup | MLS Cup | U.S. Open Cup | U.S. Open Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | USA | Doug Warren | 1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | USA | David Stokes | 11 | 0 | 3+8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | FW | USA | Jason Thompson | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | USA | Brandon Prideaux | 23 | 0 | 16+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | VIN | Ezra Hendrickson | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | USA | Kevin Ara | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | DF | USA | Ryan Nelsen | 17 | 2 | 17+0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | USA | Earnie Stewart | 26 | 3 | 23+3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | USA | Freddy Adu | 34 | 5 | 14+16 | 5 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | USA | Alecko Eskandarian | 28 | 14 | 19+5 | 10 | 4+0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | USA | Mike Petke | 26 | 1 | 23+3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | ARG | Christian Gómez | 13 | 5 | 8+1 | 4 | 4+0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | USA | Ben Olsen | 25 | 3 | 25+0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | USA | Brian Carroll | 30 | 4 | 26+4 | 4+0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | USA | Joshua Gros | 33 | 1 | 21+8 | 1 | 1+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | GK | USA | Nick Rimando | 13 | 0 | 13+0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | UKR | Dema Kovalenko | 28 | 3 | 25+0 | 3 | 3+0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | GK | USA | Troy Perkins | 16 | 0 | 16+0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | SLV | Eliseo Quintanilla | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | GHA | Nana Kuffour | 6 | 1 | 1+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 |
| 25 | MF | USA | Santino Quaranta | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | USA | Tim Lawson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | FW | BOL | Jaime Moreno | 31 | 9 | 27+0 | 7 | 4+0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Position | No. | Name | From | Fee/notes |
| January 16, 2004 | MF | 9 | Freddy Adu | IMG Academy | Drafted |
| March 2, 2004 | MF | 6 | Kevin Ara | Harvard Crimson | Drafted |
| March 2, 2004 | FW | 99 | Jaime Moreno | MetroStars | Traded |
| March 2, 2004 | MF | 17 | Joshua Gros | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Drafted |
| March 2, 2004 | GK | 22 | Troy Perkins | Evansville Purple Aces | Free |
| June 23, 2004 | DF | 5 | Ezra Hendrickson | Charleston Battery | Free |
| July 14, 2004 | MF | 24 | Nana Kuffour | Assi IF | Free |
| July 23, 2004 | FW | 3 | Jason Thompson | Dallas Burn | Traded |
| August 1, 2004 | MF | 13 | Christian Gómez | Arsenal de Sarandí | Undisclosed |

### SuperDraft picks

2004 D.C. United SuperDraft Class :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | School | Status |
| 1 | 1 | Freddy Adu | MF | Heights School (MD) | Signed with first team |
| 3 | 24 | Kevin Ara | MF | Harvard | Signed with first team |
| 4 | 34 | Joshua Gros | MF | Rutgers | Signed with first team |
| 5 | 44 | Kevin Hudson | MF | SMU | Unsigned draft pick |

### Out

Sourced list of players sold or loaned out during the season

## Awards

Only official awards regarding individuals associated with the club
* FA Premier League Player of the Month (January): Patrick Scorer
* FA Premier League Manager of the Month (January): Lucas Boss