An array of injuries to key players such as Steve Birnbaum and Patrick Mullins greatly affected D.C. United's form, as the team's scoring output and defensive performance suffered. United finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and second-bottom of the overall league table. United failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2013, and for only the second time in the last six seasons. United also had a short spell in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, where they were bounced in the fifth round proper by New England Revolution.
The season was also United's final season at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, ending a 22-year run for the club leasing the stadium. RFK Stadium was the final original stadium to be used by one of the charter franchises in MLS. It was at the time, the longest tenure for an MLS team in a specific stadium. Starting the following season, United moved into Audi Field, a soccer-specific stadium situated in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
D.C. United began the off-season by dealing a copy of international reserve players to gain spots on the expansion draft protection list for domestic players they valued more. Former draft choice Miguel Aguilar and Kennedy Igboananike were traded, with the team acquiring lower round draft picks. None of United's players were selected in the 2016 MLS Expansion Draft, allowing the team to focus on building on the foundation of the surprising 2016 team. Luciano Acosta's loan status ended as he was signed on a permanent transfer from Boca Juniors. Shortly after the expansion draft, the team announced it had acquired on loan from Club Sport Herediano a young forward, José Guillermo Ortiz who was transferred from Alajuelense, for whom he had scored twice against D.C. in CONCACAF Champions League play, to Club Sport Herediano, which turned around and loaned him out to D.C. United. In the 2017 MLS SuperDraft D.C. dipped into a familiar talent pool, selecting University of Maryland fullback Chris Odoi-Atsem in the first round, In the second round, the team selected goalie Eric Klenofsky and defender Jo Vetle Rimstad. Following the draft, the team signed a Homegrown Player deal with midfielder Ian Harkes, winner of the Hermann Trophy and son of former D.C. United captain John Harkes. Before the season started, the team also added some veteran depth, signing Sebastien Le Toux.
Early season
The month of March proved to be frustrating. DC opened the season with a scoreless draw at home against Sporting Kansas City, followed by 2 straight shutout losses against New York City FC and Columbus Crew SC, barely creating any chances. Finally, the United offense broke through in their fourth match as off-season signing José Guillermo Ortiz scored an early goal against the Philadelphia Union on a deflected shot. Luciano Acosta added a penalty kick goal to give D.C. a 2–0 lead, which held up for a 2–1 victory as United recorded first win of the season. D.C. followed that result with a surprising 2–1 victory over NYCFC, on goals by Lloyd Sam and Acosta. Despite a subsequent 2–0 loss at New York Red Bulls, United continued a good stretch of play with a 2–2 draw at New England Revolution, on goals by Jared Jeffrey and Le Toux. D.C. United's first ever trip to Atlanta resulted in 3–1 victory, as the visitors rallied after an early goal, evening the score on an own goal and sealing the three points on goals by Le Toux and Acosta.
D.C. could not sustain those results, though, and dropped the next three matches at home, once again failing to score in three straight matches, including losses to Montreal Impact, Philadelphia Union and Chicago Fire. D.C. went on the road to play Vancouver Whitecaps and earned another road win, on Lamar Neagle's penalty kick goal. that result was followed by yet another 3 game scoreless stretch including a loss to Orlando City S.C., a home draw with LA Galaxy, and a 2–0 loss to Toronto F.C. Following that loss, United added Deshorn Brown to try to inject some venom into the attack. United did get back on the winning side, with a 2–1 victory of goals by Acosta and Patrick Nyarko, as expansion side Atlanta United F.C. made its first visit to D.C. It would be two more months before D.C. United recorded another victory.
Shutout road losses in Philadelphia and Montreal were sandwiched around a 2–1 U.S. Open Cup loss in New England despite an early goal by Ortiz. A trip to F.C. Dallas produced a disappointing 4–2 result, despite goals by Harkes and Brown, the first goals for each in a United uniform. Another road trip to face Seattle Sounders F.C. resulted in a 4–3 defeat, with United becoming the first Major League Soccer team to lose after taking a 3–0 lead. Brown and Harkes got the side off to a fast start with goals in their second straight game, and Sam added what might have seemed a clincher, but the late collapse seemed to be the ultimate word on a disastrous 2017 season. However, it only got worse. United lost to Houston Dynamo by 3–1, despite what would prove to be Bobby Boswell's last goal for D.C. United. That would be the team's fifth straight loss, the last four with Travis Worra in goal because Bill Hamid was with the national team for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The first visit to Minnesota United marked Hamid's return to the lineup, but the defense was still wanting during a 4–0 thrashing by the previously struggling expansion side, the sixth straight loss for D.C. United.
Summer signings
Those losses provided the impetus for the front office to finally move to bolster the team. Boswell was sent to Atlanta to free up roster space. Neagle was returned to Seattle for the same reason, and Le Toux was given his release. Ortiz and Alhaji Kamara were released to free up international roster slots. D.C. added young Bolivian striker Bruno Miranda. That signing was followed in days to come by the acquisition of Hungarian international Zoltan Stieber, who was playing in the Bundesliga second-flight, and a dramatic move to sign U.S. international Paul Arriola, after dealing $500,000 in allocation funds to acquire his MLS rights from the L.A. Galaxy. In addition to Arriola, the team added a U.S. youth international, Russell Canouse. The Pennsylvania native left Germany to return and play for his boyhood favorite team. The wheeling and dealing also included the acquisition of former Columbus Crew standout goalkeeper Steve Clark, to provide insurance in case the team was unable to sign star goalie Bill Hamid to a new contract.
These moves really did seem to raise the play of the team. United almost took three points from league-leading Toronto after an early goal by Sam, but an own goal by Steve Birnbaum forced the team to settle for a draw. D.C. did lose two consecutive hard-fought 1–0 matches, against Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids. D.C. then completed a sweep of the season series with Atlanta United, winning 1–0 on an own goal. In the next match, the team earned the win over New England on a second-half goal by Acosta. Homegrown player centerback Jalen Robinson contributed to the consecutive clean sheets, going 90 in each, only his second and third appearance of the year.
While August had seemed bright for D.C., September saw the team suffer more reversals. Sloppy defensive play allowed Orlando City S.C. to take a 2–0 first half lead at R.F.K. Stadium, and a late goal by Kofi Opare was not enough to salvage a result. Despite a strong start in Chicago, an own goal by Harkes put the team behind the eight-ball, and the Chicago Fire sealed the deal with 2 second-half goals. However, the D.C. team rebounded before over 25,000 people in the next-to-last ever home game at R.F.K. Stadium, against San Jose Earthquakes. D.C. failed to convert on a number of early chances, but the second half produced the fastest four-goal outburst by one player in league history, as Patrick Mullins ended his long goalless start to the 2017 season, scoring a hat trick with 3 finishes in front of goal, followed by a stunning free kick goal to cap the 4–0 win. Mullins was the first player to score four goals in one half of a MLS match. New Designated Player Paul Arriola got his first two assists in his seventh game with the team. The game may have also been noteworthy for being Steve Clark's first match in goal for D.C. Clark was barely tested in turning in a clean sheet. The win did not move the team out of the Eastern Conference cellar, but it did move the team ahead of a pair of Western Conference teams in the league-wide table. It also raised questions as to what might have been for a team that never seemed to finish chances, wasting the frequent heroic efforts of goalie Bill Hamid throughout the season.
D.C. kicked off a three-game road trip with a midweek match against New York Red Bulls. As usual, NYRB dominated possession and took the lead when youngster Tyler Adams scored his first career MLS goal. D.C., however, drew even on a free kick in first half stoppage time, as Zoltan Stieber notched his first in MLS when the ball deflected off the wall past NY goalie Luis Robles. The home team constantly tested the D.C. goal but Clark (playing for an injured Hamid) proved up to the task, including stopping a point-blank shot by Bradley Wright-Phillips. Against the run of play, D.C. briefly took the lead, when Russell Canouse got his first assist, threading a pass to Mullins, who scored his fifth goal in five days. NYRB, however, regained the lead on another goal by Adams and penalty kick goal by Gonzalo Veron. D.C. seemed destined for defeat, but they struck again in stoppage time, the tying goal coming when a defender misplayed a cross by Canouse, resulting in an own goal, the fourth of the season that counted for United. Nonetheless, D.C. needed a full three points to remain in playoff contention, so the draw ended any possibility of post-season play.
With little to lay for on a trip to Columbus, D.C. United fell 2-0. A road game in Portland started brightly, but a giveaway in the box by Korb forced Clark to foul, and the resultant penalty kick put United in a hole. The Timbers added three goals in the second half, including one while defender Steve Birnbaum lay unconscious, suffering his third concussion of the season.
RFK finale
In the build-up to the final match of the season, the team sought to honor their history in R.F.K. Stadium. as they prepared to leave the stadium behind. First, came the announcement that longtime goalkeeper Bill Hamid would not return in 2018, having agreed to join a team in Denmark, F.C. Midtjylland. On the day of the game, players from the team's 21-year history came together for a "Legends" game, featuring goals by Marco Etcheverry, Luciano Emilio and Freddy Adu, among others. The main event was the deciding event of the 2018 version of the Atlantic Cup, against New York Red Bulls. One of the largest regular-season home crowds in team history came to celebrate history, but also had the pleasure of seeing the team take the lead before halftime on a scintillating cross by Acosta that was finished by Arriola, who scored his first ever MLS goal, which later captured Goal of the Week honors. The visitors tied the score in the second half and, after Acosta was ejected, it was probably only a matter of time before the Red Bulls took the lead. As it was, D.C. closed the season with yet another defeat—the third consecutive loss, and finished even on points with the L.A. Galaxy in the league cellar. Because D.C. had more wins, they would be drafting after the Galaxy in the league's 2018 pre-season drafts.
Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of 2017 MLS SuperDraft will be listed in the notes.
D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups, four Supporters Shields, three U.S. Open Cups and six Eastern Conference championships. In international competitions, the club has one CONCACAF Champions League title and one Copa Interamericana, being the only American team to win the latter. In terms of trophies won, it is the joint-most successful overall club in American soccer.
Sébastien Le Toux is a French retired professional footballer who spent the majority of his career in Major League Soccer, including six seasons at Philadelphia Union.
Abdul Bilal "Bill" Hamid is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.
The 2011 D.C. United season was D.C. United's 17th year of existence, their 16th season in Major League Soccer, and their 16th consecutive season in the top-flight of American soccer. D.C. United tried to salvage a poor showing last season where they finished at the bottom of the MLS standings. The season covers the period of November 1, 2010, through October 31, 2011.
Joseph Willis is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Nashville SC in Major League Soccer.
The 2012 D.C. United season was the club's seventeenth season of existence, and their seventeenth consecutive season of playing in Major League Soccer, the top division of American soccer. The club's season began on March 10, with a 0–1 home defeat against Sporting Kansas City, and culminated on November 18 with a 1–1 draw against Houston Dynamo.
The 2013 D.C. United season was the club's eighteenth, and their eighteenth season in Major League Soccer, the top division of American soccer. The regular season began on March 2 and concluded on October 27.
The 2014 D.C. United season was the club's nineteenth season of existence, and their nineteenth in Major League Soccer, the top tier of the American soccer pyramid.
Paul Joseph Arriola is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and the United States national team.
The 2015 D.C. United season was the club's twentieth season of existence, and their twentieth in Major League Soccer, the top tier of the American soccer pyramid. The club entered the season as the defending Eastern Conference regular season champions.
The 2016 D.C. United season was the club's twenty-first season of existence, and their twenty-first in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer.
Ian Andrew Harkes is an American soccer player who plays for Scottish club Dundee United. He previously played for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. Harkes is a recipient of the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the best college soccer player in the United States. He is the son of John Harkes, who captained the U.S. national soccer team during the 1990s.
Chris Odoi-Atsem is an American soccer player.
The 2018 D.C. United season was D.C. United's 23rd season of existence, and their 23rd in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer.
The 2018 Philadelphia Union season was the club's ninth season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The team was managed by Jim Curtin, his fifth season with the club. The Union reached the MLS Cup Playoffs as the bottom seed in the MLS Eastern Conference. The club also reached the 2018 U.S. Open Cup final for the third time in club history, but finished runners-up to Houston Dynamo. The 2018 season was the Union's most successful to date, earning the highest points total (50) and most wins (15). Additionally, the 2018 season transitioned Sporting Directors with Earnie Stewart accepting a general manager position with the United States Soccer Federation, and the Union hiring Ernst Tanner; former academy manager for Red Bull Salzburg.
The 2019 D.C. United season was D.C. United's 24th season of existence, and their 24th in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The campaign was the club's first full season playing in Audi Field. Previously, United spent 2018 split between the Maryland SoccerPlex, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and Audi Field.
Moses Blessing Nyeman is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Challenger Pro League club S.K. Beveren.
The 2022 season was D.C. United's 27th in existence and their 27th consecutive season in the top division of American soccer, Major League Soccer. In addition to MLS, D.C. United participated in this season's editions of the U.S. Open Cup. United also participated in the Coachella Valley Invitational and the Capital Cup friendly tournaments. The season covered the period from 1 December 2021 to 30 November 2022.
Kimarni Smith is an English footballer who currently plays for San Antonio FC in the USL Championship.
The 2022 Loudoun United FC season was Loudoun United FC's fourth season of existence, their fourth in the second-division of American soccer, and their fourth in the USL Championship.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
