D.C. United was the most dominant team in Major League Soccer’s first decade of operation. The club has four MLS Cup titles with three coming in the first four years of MLS’ existence (1996-97, ’99). The fourth title came in 2004. Some of soccer’s biggest names have been a part of D.C. United, including former U.S. men’s national team coach Bruce Arenas, who led the team to the first three MLS Cups and Jaime Moreno, who was a part of all four championships and ranks fourth all-time on the MLS goals list with 133.
Team Introduction
D.C. United hasn’t won a playoff match since 2015 and hasn’t reached the postseason since 2019, and 2022 will extend both of those streaks. Wayne Rooney was head coach during the team’s previous two playoff appearances and took over the job again in July 2022.
The team has particularly struggled on defense, allowing the most goals per match and the fourth-most shots per match in the MLS.
As of September 2022, the goals allowed and goal differential figures are the worst in the league.
| Team | Points | Goals Allowed | Goal Differential |
| Chicago | 32 | 38 | -10 |
| Kansas City | 30 | 51 | -18 |
| San Jose | 30 | 55 | -11 |
| Houston | 29 | 48 | -12 |
| D.C. United | 26 | 59 | -27 |
The Team
Taxiarchis Fountas leads the team with 11 goals and three assists through 20 games of the 2022 season. Ola Kamara has nine tallies, and Chris Durkin leads the club with five assists. After hiring Rooney, the team was busy in Summer 2022 acquiring players who will help the club in 2023. Jamaican international midfielder Ravel Morrison, who played under Rooney in England, was acquired along with striker Miguel Berry, who came over in a trade with the Columbus Crew. Goalkeeper David Ochoa was also brought in via a trade with Real Salt Lake. Finally, ex-Liverpool striker Christian Benteke was signed from Crystal Palace of the English Premier League.
D.C. United Predictions
While the 2022 season will be quickly forgotten by D.C. and its supporters, the club hopes that the moves made by Rooney will lead to immediate success in 2023. The club did reach the postseason in both of Rooney’s years as head coach his first time around, and there was a big drop-off after his departure. The club will also likely have the second pick of the MLS Superdraft in January behind expansion side St. Louis City SC.
While the odds are not yet out for the 2023 MLS season, we do expect improvement out of D.C. United. Rooney has been known as a defensive-minded head coach, and an improvement on that end of the pitch could result in a return to the playoffs in 2023.
The Schedule
The 2023 MLS schedule has not been released yet, but the regular season will run from late-February through mid-October with the MLS Cup wrapping up the playoffs in early December. MLS plays 34 matches in the regular season along with exhibitions during the year against European sides and other competitions like the U.S. Open Cup.
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FAQ’s
You can buy D.C. United season tickets or single-game tickets on the team website. The D.C. United Store, run through the MLS Store by Fanatics, can be accessed here.
Matches are broadcast locally on NBC Sports Washington and in Spanish on TeleXitos. If you’re not living in the Maryland or D.C. area, you can see the matches live on ESPN+, and if you are in the area, you may be able to stream the matches on the club’s website.
As explained here in greater detail, the state of Maryland does not yet have online sports betting in 2022. Currently, you can only bet on D.C. United in person at casinos, but Maryland is expected to have online sports betting ready by Jan. 1, 2023. That means you will be able to wager online from a device anywhere in the state of Maryland for the 2023 MLS season.
In Washington, D.C., sports betting is permitted in-person and online while in certain locations. Audi Field is one of those locations. FanDuel Sportsbook opened at Audi Field, becoming the first in-stadium sportsbook in MLS. The sportsbook can be accessed through Gate A and is open daily — not just during matches—between 10 a.m. and midnight and also has a full kitchen and bar.
