DC United hosts the Philadelphia Union for the first time ever and need a win against the second worst team in the league if they want to show their battered fans and beleaguered coach at least one afternoon of happiness in this dismal season.
DC United’s magical misery tour this season is not only well past being the worst team in this once proud franchise’s team history, it is rapidly and maybe inexorably becoming a real contender for the title of worst team ever in MLS history. Photo: Martin Fernandez.
DC hasn’t won since June, while FC Dallas hasn’t lost since May. DC has a mere three wins and Dallas has only two losses to date. Something’s gotta give this weekend at RFK. Either DC United pulls it together and stuns a Dallas side beginning to dream of being a serious contender for an MLS Cup, or United continues its death spiral towards the worst team in MLS history.
Barely nine months from his retirement, DC’s newly promoted Ben Olsen (right) leads United in his first match in charge, against the team that suffered his last MLS goal, longtime eastern conference rival, the New England Revolution in Foxboro. Photo: Martin Fernandez.
With DC United mired in an epically bad season, the team fired coach Curt Onalfo and replaced him with recently retired Ben Olsen (right) as interim coach. PHoto: Martin Fernandez.
It’s a league match not played on a Wednesday night, so expecting a United victory this year in this match is a stretch to begin with, but against the defending champs in their house where DC hasn’t won in five years stretches the realms of what is possible in this current reality, but this is MLS after all and RSL hasn’t looked sharp, while DC is grudgingly looking respectable.
No rest for the wretched as DC United scheduled an exhibition with Portsmouth of the English Championship in their only week off for the rest of the season. Both teams have had dismal seasons in their league play and will be simply playing for some respect and (hopefully) to put on a show for whoever braves the searing heat-wave expected this weekend.
With DC United’s MLS season all but over, they do still have one golden chance for a trophy as the host the Harrisburg City Islanders in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup. DC is overwhelmingly favored over the USL2 team, but Harrisburg is the last team to knock DC from this tournament before the final.
Two teams having completely opposite seasons meet in RFK this Sunday night as anemic cellar dwelling DC United host the league leading Galaxy juggernaut. United will be playing for pride as their season is all but over, while the Galaxy will be looking to get back to winning ways after a hiccup in NE last week.
Not so long ago, DC and Seattle were facing off for the Open Cup in RFK, but now, while there is no doubt some lingering animosity on both sides from their fledgling rivalry, both teams are likely far more interested in turning around their dismal seasons than continuing their past petty spats.
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