D.C. United was the first Major League Soccer powerhouse, winning three of the first four MLS Cups and two of the first three Supporters’ Shields (1996-97, 1999). United also won the Cup in 2004 and the Shield in 2006-07, plus Open Cup championships in 1996, 2008 and 2013. The club had fallen on hard times in recent years and 2013 was an especially rough year for the club, finishing last in the league despite winning the Open Cup. After finishing 3-24-7 for just 16 points in 2013, United manager Ben Olsen led the club on a worst-to-first journey in 2014. The club would finish 2014 with a 17-9-8 record, good for 59 points and first place in the Eastern Conference.
Smart and shrewd personnel decisions prior to the 2014 enabled the team to complete the league-record turnaround of 43 points. Olsen brought in players such as Sean Franklin, Bobby Boswell and Fabian Espindola. Injuries and lack of quality had caused the team to fall, so the added veteran presence really helped.
Key Losses: GK Joe Willis (traded to Houston), D Jeff Parke and D Conor Shanosky (options declined), MF Lewis Neal (taken by Orlando in the expansion draft)
Key Acquisitions: M-D Markus Halsti (free transfer), F Jairo Arrieta (trade from Orlando), M Michael Farfan (free transfer)
Projected Starting XI (4-4-2): Hamid; Franklin-Birnbaum-Boswell-Kemp; DeLeon-Halsti-Kitchen-Rolfe; Espindola-Pontius
Olsen made a few smart moves this offseason knowing he did not need to make a lot of changes to his team. Adding Arrieta to the attack is hugely important given that Espindola is suspended for the first six matches due to an incident at the end of last season. Arrieta’s experience and offensive abilities will be needed to fill the gap left by the suspension and Eddie Johnson’s lingering health issues. Halsti is a good central midfielder who can also play in central defense, providing some depth there. Halsti, from Finland, spent the last seven seasons playing for Sweden’s Malmo and is expected to replace Davy Arnaud in the starting lineup. Farfan is a good depth signing who can help close out matches as a late substitute. Farfan is returning to MLS after trying his luck in Mexico last season. He spent three seasons with Philadelphia prior to his move south of the border.
United have a solid roster with a strong core of veterans that will keep the team near the top of the standings. As long as the team avoids lots of injuries they will do fine. Having Chris Pontius and Chris Rolfe healthy again will help take some of the pressure off of Espindola and Arrieta. Having Bill Hamid in goal makes the defense that much stronger and they were just eliminated this week from the CONCACAF Champions League by Costa Rican side Alajuelense in the quarterfinals. This will allow United to focus solely on MLS and the Open Cup. Fewer games and distractions will help keep the team fresh and healthier. The path to the playoffs and MLS Cup is much easier in the East due to Sporting Kansas City and Houston Dynamo being moved to the Western Conference to make room for expansion clubs Orlando City and New York City. The east is weaker, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Any of the ten clubs could make the playoffs, though really only a few teams look strong enough to challenge for the championship. United will be one of the teams expected to compete for the Eastern Conference title, along with New England and Toronto.