Plots thicken for Union in opener

If the Union needed a little extra push after a season-opening 2-0 loss at Seattle, this could do it.

More than 25,000 tickets have been sold for the club’s home opener against D.C. United. That’s already a lot of pressure. But there will be even more heaped on Union midfielders Andrew Jacobson and Fred, who played for D.C. United last season.

“It’s been a great new chapter in my life,” Jacobson said of being selected by the Union in the expansion draft. “I’m really excited to play. My attitude is to help my new club as much as possible. I don’t feel any animosity toward them or anything like that. I’m just excited to play.”

Fred will be making his Union debut on Saturday. He was forced to sit out the Seattle game while serving a one-game suspension from an incident last year.

“I’m ready to play,” said Fred, who scored 11 goals in 72 career appearances for D.C. United.

But the plot thickens. In 2004, Union manager Peter Nowak guided D.C. United to an MLS Cup title in his rookie season as coach. So far, his new club has been impressed with Nowak.

“Peter expects a lot out of us and so do we,” Jacobson said. “We feel like we have a good group here and we’re expecting to do well.”