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The District’s Major League Soccer team is BACK.
D.C. United returns to action on Saturday night, hosting Toronto in the regular season opener. For the Black-and-Red, a new season cannot come soon enough.
DCU had the worst record in MLS last year and enter 2023 with a handful of new faces both on and off the field, most notably the new head coach.
Wayne Rooney played at D.C. United in 2018 and 2019 and is back to take over as the ninth head coach since the team was founded in 1994. Rooney replaces Hernan Losada, who didn’t even last two seasons in D.C.
Photo: Courtesy of D.C. United
Rooney was brought in on July 12, 2022. In 14 games, D.C. won twice, tied three time and lost nine. His task in the offseason was to try to bring in some pieces to get the team out of the basement of the league.
The team has missed out on the playoffs for three straight seasons and it’ll be up to Rooney and his staff to end that streak swiftly.
In this article, we take a look at D.C. United overall; where they were, where they are and where they’re going.
There’s only one way to go.
Up.
Nuts & Bolts:
2022 Record: 7-6-21 (27 points, 14th out of 14 in Eastern Conference)
8th worst season by any team in MLS history
Head Coach: Wayne Rooney (1st full season, 2-3-9 as head coach)
Stadium: Audi Field (Since 2018)
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV
History:
MLS Cup Champions: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004
Eastern Conference Champions: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004
Eastern Conference Regular Season Champions: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2014
Playoff Appearances: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019,
2022 Stats:
Full season stats available HERE
Goals for: 36
Goals against: 68 - T-10th worst of all time
Reserve Team: Loudon United FC - USL Championship
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Last Season
It’s a good thing for D.C. United that relegation doesn’t exist in American soccer because if it did the team wouldn’t be in MLS for the 2023 season.
The Black-and-Red had the worst record in the league last year at 7-6-21, which is also the eighth worst record by any team in league history.
Two of D.C.’s seven wins came in the first two games, with back-to-back shutouts over Charlotte and Cincinnati to open up the year.
It took seven games for the team to grab two more wins and before long the squad was dead last in the league, where they’d stay for the rest of the season.
Head Coach Hernan Losada was fired on April 20 after four straight losses and it wasn’t until July 12 that the club brought
in Wayne Rooney as its next head coach.
Rooney struggled as manager for the final half of the season, winning just two of his 14 games in charge.
United’s big splash came in the form of a transfer as the club brought in forward Christian Benteke from Crystal Palace in early August.
Photo: Wayne Rooney and Christian Benteke embrace after a game at New York City FC / Courtesy of D.C. United
Benteke spent ten seasons in England’s Premier League with Aston Villa, Liverpool and Crystal Palace, scoring 77 goals in what is widely considered the world’s best league across the ten seasons.
His best years are most assuredly behind him, but Rooney will need the 32-year-old Belgian striker to be the teams premier goalscorer in 2023.
“If we get him scoring goals and playing the way we know he can play, he will be a huge player for us,” Rooney said.
Who’s Out
Antonio Alfaro - Defender
Contract option declined, joined NYCFC in December 2022
Miguel Berry - Forward
Joined Atlanta United for 2023 season
Zoumana Diarra - Midfielder
Beginning 2023 season at Loudon United
Sofiane Djeffal - Midfielder
Joined Austin FC for the 2023 season
Michael Estrada - Forward
Loaned back to Toluca, out on loan at Cruz Azul
Edison Flores - Winger
Joined Atlas for the 2023 season
Tyler Freeman - Forward
Signed with Nashville SC on January 3, 2023
Julian Gressel - Midfielder
Traded to Vancouver Whitecaps in July 2022 in exchange for $900,000
Sami Guediri - Defender
Joined ES Setif for 2023 season
Bill Hamid - Goalkeeper
Transferred to Dundee United on February 23, 2023
Rio Hope-Gund - Defender
Beginning 2023 season at Loudon United
Dane Jacomen - Goalkeeper
Out on loan from Loudon United to Charlotte Independence
Jon Kempin - Goalkeeper
Contract option declined by D.C. United
Houssou Landry - Midfielder
On loan at Loudon United from ASI D’Abengourou
Skage Lehland - Midfielder/Forward
Joined Detroit City for the 2023 season
Azaad Liadi - Winger
Joined Huntsville City for the 2023 season
Moses Nyeman - Midfielder
On loan to Real Salt Lake from Beveren
David Ochoa - Goalkeeper
Joined Atletico San Luis for 2023 season
Chris Odoi-Atsem - Defender
Contract option declined by D.C. United
Adrien Perez - Forward
Joined Empire Strykers for 2023 season
Rafael Romo - Goalkeeper
Joined Universidad Catolica for 2023 season
Drew Skundrich - Midfielder
Joined Colorado Springs Switchbacks for the 2023 season
Brad Smith - Defender
Joined Houston Dynamo for the 2023 season
Kimarni Smith - Forward
Joined San Antonio FC for the 2023 season
Griffin Yow - Forward/Winger
Sold by D.C. United to Westerlo
Abdoul Zanne - Midfielder
Beginning 2023 season with Loudon United
Who’s In
Mohanad Jeahze - Defender
Signed on December 7 after a two-year stint at Hammarby IF in Sweden
Mateusz Klich - Midfielder
Transferred from Leeds United
Tyler Miller - Goalkeeper
Signed as a free agent on November 23, 2022. Spent last three years with Minnesota
Pedro Santos - Defender
Joined D.C. United after six seasons with the Columbus Crew
Ruan Gregório Gregorio Teixeira - Defender
Acquired in trade with Orlando
Derrick Williams - Defender
Acquired in trade with LA Galaxy, out with leg injury to start 2023
Who’s Back
Matai Akinmboni - Defender
The 16-year-old had two appearances for D.C. last season
Christian Benteke - Forward
Transferred from Crystal Palace in August 2022
Steve Birnbaum - Defender
Been with D.C. since 2014
Russell Canouse - Midfielder
Been with D.C. since 2017
Chris Durkin - Midfielder
Traded to D.C. in March 2022
Kristian Fletcher - Forward
Two appearances for D.C. in 2022
Taxiarchis Fountas - Forward
Transferred from Rapid Vienna in Spring 2022
Jeremy Garay - Midfielder
Third season with D.C. - Zero appearances with the club
Jacob Greene - Midfielder/Defender
Third season with D.C. - Zero appearances with the club
Brendan Hines-Ike - Defender
Second season with D.C.
Jackson Hopkins - Midfielder
Second season with D.C.
Ola Kamara - Forward
Fifth season with D.C. - 32 goals in 80 appearances
Theodore Ku-Dipietro - Midfielder
Second season with D.C.
Ravel Morrison - Midfielder
Second season with D.C.
Andy Najar - Defender
Third season in D.C.
Victor Palsson - Midfielder
Second season in D.C.
Donovan Pines - Defender
Fifth season in D.C.
Nigel Robertha - Forward
Third season in D.C.
Martín Rodriguez - Midfielder
Second season in D.C. - Out for the year with ACL Injury
Gaoussou Samake - Defender
Second season in D.C.
Hayden Sargis - Defender
Spent 2022 on loan at Loudon United and Phoenix Rising
Luis Zamudio - Goalkeeper
Spent 2022 at Loudon United
This Season
How do you measure success when you were the worst team in the league last year? D.C. United has done the opposite of sit on its hands, rather the club has found a new head coach in the form of a legendary player while acquiring on-field talent that has performed on some of the biggest stages in the sport.
Christian Benteke, along with Mateusz Klich and Taxiarchris Fountas are the highlighted acquisitions that will spend their first full seasons in D.C. The club added nine players overall this past offseason.
“Taxi [Fountas], and Christian [Benteke] got a taste of what the league’s like,” defender and team captain, Steve Birnbaum said. “[Mateusz] Klich coming in, he’s been really lively. He wants to be on the ball, he wants to create for us, and that’s what we want. He’s going to dictate the game a lot for us.”
In the 14 games that Rooney managed, D.C. used four different formation combinations, all with four defenders and usually running with multiple attackers up front.
I expect D.C. to come out with a point to prove early in 2023. The team was a laughing stock last year and is filled with players and coaches who are not used to being on losing sides.
The squad should have all the motivation it needs to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Prediction
12-9-13 MLS regular season record, 45 points, 9th in Eastern Conference, misses playoffs
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