2007 D.C. United season
The 2007 D.C. United season was the club's 13th year of existence. It was also their 12th consecutive season in Major League Soccer, the top-tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. The season saw the departure of three-year coach, Piotr Nowak, who became an assistant manager to Bob Bradley for the United States national soccer team. It marked the debut of assistant coach Tom Soehn, becoming promoted to Head Coach duties. 2007 was highlighted as the most successful regular season in the United's history, where the club had a  16-7-7 record; a record strong enough to win their fourth MLS Supporters' Shield. The club became the first club in MLS history to win consecutively win the Shield (United won it in 2006, also). In spite of their record-setting fourth Shield, the United would lose to Chicago Fire 3-2 on aggregate in the MLS Cup Playoffs during the quarterfinals. Outside of MLS, the United had one of the busiest schedules of tournaments in league history, participating in a total of four tournaments; two domestic and two international. Their international tournaments were highlighted a deep campaign in  the CONCACAF Champions League, where the Black-and-Red made a semifinal run, before bowing out to eventual runners-up Guadalajara, 3-2 on aggregate. The United also played Guadalajara in late September in the Copa Sudamericana final stages, where they would fall on a 2-1 aggregate score-line. To date, it was the last time an MLS club played in a South American tournament, which they were invited to as third-place finishers in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The United also participated in the inaugural North American SuperLiga, and had a very brief stint in the U.S.  Open Cup. In the SuperLiga, the United would make it to the semifinals before losing to cross-nation rivals, L.A. Galaxy on a 2-0 defeat. They would also lose their first third-round proper in the Open Cup 1-0 to Harrisburg City. Standings. Major League Soccer. D.C. United's twelfth season in Major League Soccer began on March 27 and ended on October 23, 2007. United finished in first place in both the Eastern Conference and the overall standings, clinching their second-consecutive Supporters' Shield.