During this season of thanks we at D.C. United have plenty to be grateful for. In our club's 19th season, we set a team record for most points in a season and earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs. While we lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, RFK was rocking for our home playoff game - our supporters' tifo was absolutely incredible - and it reminded all of Major League Soccer how amazing the atmosphere is at our games. It capped a memorable year, and we couldn't have done it without you! Your passion and commitment helped drive a double-digit increase in attendance and we are extremely thankful for you, our most loyal fans. Your support this season, and over the years, has helped us progress in our quest for a new soccer stadium, and the momentum continues to build. We look forward to working with Mayor-Elect Bowser and Chairman Mendelson, along with Mayor Gray and his team to help move this across the finish line.
Our offseason will also be short. Outside of the regular season, the Black-and-Red went 4-0-0 in the group stage of the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League and finished the stage with the No. 1 overall seed. In the quarterfinals set for late February, United will face Alajuelense of Costa Rica. Thanks to our first place finish in the East, we look forward to competing in the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League as well.
With our success on the field, we have also continued our deep and lasting commitment to the D.C. community. We are now preparing for our United Soccer Club end-of-season tournament this weekend and couldn't be more proud of the partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation that allows us to bring the beautiful game to children in the District that might not otherwise have the means or access. We are thankful for our coaches who dedicate so much time in teaching the technical skills of soccer to these children but more importantly they are teaching them life skills, how to communicate, collaborate, work toward common goals, and what it means to be part of a team. We couldn't execute this program without them and we are so grateful for their efforts.
With the holidays drawing near, D.C. United has also teamed with Shoppers and Sasha Bruce Youthwork to provide 100 families with a complete Thanksgiving meal. Sasha Bruce Youthwork is one of the largest and most experienced providers of services to youth in Washington, D.C. The organization's work helps young people find safe homes, achieve and maintain good health and mental health, create and strengthen supportive and stable families, and explore opportunities in education and careers to become tomorrow's leaders and we are proud to be partnering with them to deliver these meals.
Thank you for helping us create these 2014 memories, and we hope you have a very joyous holiday season. We look forward to exciting things to come in 2015!
Tom Hunt
Chief Operating Officer, D.C. United
