| Several top European football (soccer) clubs | | | | process, the tall Boswell learned something |
| are playing exhibition games around the world | | | | about Chelsea. "I was actually really |
| to help prepare for the coming season, and to | | | | surprised at how big they were. I did not |
| increase the popularity of the sport. | | | | think they were nearly as big as they were |
| Defending U.S. Major League Soccer champion | | | | going to be," he said. "I am usually one of |
| DC United hosted English Premier League | | | | the bigger guys on the field. And I think, |
| champion Chelsea in one of those games | | | | tonight, I was probably in the middle of the |
| Thursday. | | | | pack. So, I was really surprised." |
| | | | |
| Chelsea has become the most expensive | | | | Teenage phenom Freddy Adu also learned first |
| football team in the world, signing its | | | | hand about some of the great names he has |
| players to huge contracts worth millions of | | | | followed. |
| dollars each. So it came as little surprise | | | | |
| that the more than $200 million squad became | | | | "When you watch these guys on TV, they are |
| the top English team last year. The scale is | | | | made out to be invincible, so to speak. And |
| much smaller in U.S. Major League Soccer. DC | | | | when you are playing with them out there on |
| United won its league title last year with a | | | | the field, you play them just like anybody |
| total payroll of just $2.2 million. | | | | else. That is just the way you have to think |
| | | | about it," said Adu. "We were able to play |
| But the clash of the champions in an | | | | and hang with them. We just got unlucky that |
| international friendly Thursday near | | | | they beat us, because we had some chances." |
| Washington provided some lessons for the | | | | |
| respective teams. | | | | While DC United was unlucky in a 2-1 loss, |
| | | | the team and more than 31,400 fans were |
| Earlier in the day, in Tokyo, the Japanese | | | | treated to some spectacular playmaking by |
| J-League leaders Kashima Antlers upset | | | | Chelsea. Irish forward Damien Duff showed the |
| English Premier League football power | | | | touch of a world-class player, when he |
| Manchester United, 2-1. Spanish giant Real | | | | left-footed a waist high ball from the corner |
| Madrid lost an exhibition game this week, | | | | of the box. His curling shot across the goal |
| while AC Milan of Italy had a much tougher | | | | ended just inside the right post. Hernan |
| time beating the MLS Chicago Fire than the | | | | Crespo of Argentina made his empty net strike |
| 3-1 score would suggest. | | | | in the 56th minute look easy when DC United |
| | | | substitute goalkeeper Troy Perkins was drawn |
| Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho did not | | | | out of position. |
| underestimate DC United's talents, and made | | | | |
| certain his players did not either. "I was | | | | U.S. soccer fans near New York will get |
| speaking with the players before the game. | | | | another look at Chelsea and AC Milan when the |
| And I was asking them if they could answer | | | | two teams face each other Sunday in East |
| the reasons why Manchester United lost in | | | | Rutherford, New Jersey. Both squads will then |
| Japan, Real Madrid lost, the reason why AC | | | | return to Europe with undoubtedly a new |
| Milan had it so difficult against Chicago, | | | | perspective of soccer in the United States. |
| and they told me, because of motivation, | | | | Several of the MLS players for both |
| because of attitude, because of no respect | | | | Washington and Chicago are also part of the |
| for the opponent." | | | | U.S. national men's team, which is enjoying |
| | | | its all-time highest world ranking at Number |
| Chelsea quickly found respect when DC United | | | | Six, and is wrapping up qualification for |
| defender Bobby Boswell headed in the first | | | | next year's World Cup in Germany. |
| goal of the game in the 31st minute. In the | | | | |