Is D.C. United finally putting it together?

Less than ten games into the 2023 season, D.C. United has already accomplished something that never happened in 2022; they’ve won back-to-back MLS games.

On Saturday night, The Red and Black took down Orlando City 3-1 to win its third game of the season and the second in as many weeks. Last week, it was a 1-0 victory over CF Montreal.

“We’ve obviously got good players; we’ve made good signings,” D.C. United Manager Wayne Rooney said. “And as I said earlier in the season, it will take a bit of time for them to jel.”

Nine games in and DCU sits mid-table in eighth place out of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference with 11 points.

Christian Benteke has been the most impressive signing so far for D.C. United.

The 32-year-old striker came over to D.C. in August 2022 after 11 consecutive seasons in England’s Premier League, spending three years with Aston Villa, two with Liverpool and six with Crystal Palace.

Benteke’s best years are behind him, but he has already scored four goals in the young season, including the third goal on Saturday night in Orlando to put the game away. Nobody else on the team has more than one goal this season.

Besides Benteke, Mateusz Klich has been a terrific addition to the squad. He joined the squad in mid-January and has amassed a team-high four assists in nine games.

This week, D.C. begins U.S. Open Cup play in a match with the Richmond Kickers. This is the first week that the squad will play multiple games, as a MLS Saturday date with Charlotte awaits.

Last year, this was the worst team in the league and the squad is filled with new signings. Naturally, as Rooney said, it would take time to gel. Could this finally be the time that all the work Rooney and his staff have done finally begins to pay off?