Damn, son.

Wow.

Last night DC United put a hurtin' on CD Olimpia. The Black-and-Red curb stomped "Los Leones" by a score of 4 - 1. This puts DC in a great position to advance to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

Luciano Emilio, the former Olimpia player who joined United this off-season, had a brilliant back heel/flick goal in the first half to silence the crowd in the same stadium he used to call home. If Emilio can play like that during the MLS season, DC will be back in the MLS Championship hunt for sure.

As good as Emilio looked in his debut, the man of the match was without question Christian Gomez. Last year's MLS MVP scored two goals, including an absolutely beautiful strike to open scoring in the 29th minute.

In only the first game of 2007, DC already has two strong candidates for Goal of the Year. Facundo Erpen added a goal late in the 2nd half to seal the deal.

Overall, DC United looked amazing for a team in pre-season form. This was the best possible outcome for the match. In all likelihood DC should advance to the second round for a showdown with CD Chivas de Guadalajara. The return match in this series is March 1st at RFK, and a celebration is in store.

***
I watched the game at Finn macCool's on 8th Street SE in the Barracks Row area of Capitol Hill. There was a nice and boisterous crowd comprised of Barra Brava members. Loud pops for all of DC's goals, and sporadic cheers throughout.

The Irish-themed bar was very nice. It has the restaurant feel of the Dubliner as well as a nice pub atmosphere a la Irish Times. In my opinion it would fit quite nicely located between the two on Mass Ave NW. One of the nicest aspects of the bar was the bar itself. MacCool's has a beautiful mahogany bar spanning almost the entire length of the establishment. It very much reminded me of my time in Ireland, which usually isn't the case with Irish-themed bars.

This was my first venture into Barracks Row and it's quite nice. The area was formally a hotspot in DC before the race riots and white flight. I'll definitely be going back in the future.

Irish Channel & Billy Goat Tavern

This past Sunday was the perfect time to drink some beers, watch some sports, and relax while snowflakes fluttered down from the sky.

Early in the morning I headed over to the Irish Channel on 5th and H Streets NW to watch the Manchester United/Arsenal match. Since it's located in Chinatown, the Irish Channel is the closest bar that shows Premiership Games. I never went in before because it's on the groud floor of a Red Roof Inn and seemed kind of lame. Turns out the Irish Channel is a very nice place to down some pints and catch some soccer. The barstaff was very friendly and most seemed to actually be from Ireland, which is always a nice touch.

The game itself was fantastic. Arsenal conceded a goal early in the 2nd half to Wayne Rooney, but scored two late to sweep the season series from Manchester United. Thierry Henry scored in extra time to break the tie and thrill the home crowd. There were a handful of people there to watch the game, but it wasn't packed. I would definitely go back to the Irish Channel, even for reasons other than EPL games.

Later on in the afternoon I headed over to the Billy Goat Tavern & Grill on New Jersey Avenue NW. This is a small, little bar on the ground floor of the National Association of Realtors building. (Right across from Georgetown Law School.) The Billy Goat is a "Chicago" franchise bar, named for the infamous "Billy Goat curse" on the Cubs, that caters to displaced Chicagoans.

This was my second time there. I went for the Bears-Cardinals Monday Night game a couple of months ago and for the NFC Championship Game between the Bears and Saints yesterday. (Note to self: Never watch a Bears game at this bar again.)

I thought the allure of watching a Bears game in a Bears friendly bar and receiving free Bear shots every time the Bears scored would be fun. Instead it was unbearable. Bears fans are loud, obnoxious and gross. If you recall, I don't care too much for Chicago Cubs fans, but Bears fans are easily worse. I'm never going back there for a Bears game again.

Although the Billy Goat might be small, it's a very nice spot for some happy hour drinks or an occasional non-Chicago sporting event. This bar has incredible cheeseburgers, or "cheezborgers" from the late John Belushi/SNL clip that the original Billy Goat inspired. I like the Billy Goat, just not as a spot to watch NFL games.