This is one in a series of team previews preparing fans for the 2023 MLS season. Check out the full list; teams will be revealed in predicted order of finish from Feb. 10-24.
What D.C. United did last year
They jettisoned manager Hernan Losada after just 15 months in charge then swooped in and brought Wayne Rooney back to D.C., this time as manager. Meanwhile, they underwent some significant changes in the front office while beginning their steady and ongoing string of well-aged additions like Christian Benteke.
Oh, and they won the Wooden Spoon. Really feel like I should mention that.
Key additions
Defender Mohanad Jeahze (transfer from Hammarby IF), midfielder Mateusz Klich (transfer from Leeds United), goalkeeper Tyler Miller (free agent), defender Pedro Santos (free agent), Defender Ruan (trade from Orlando City SC)
Key departures
Goalkeeper Bill Hamid (11/14/22 - out of contract), forward Ola Kamara (out of contract), goalkeeper David Ochoa (out of contract), defender Brad Smith (option declined, moved to Houston)
Making the case for D.C. United
There’s strength and wisdom in age? I mean that definitely sounds like something that *could* be true. Who knows how it applies to soccer teams, but I guess we’ll find out this year with D.C.
The Black and Red aren’t building for the future here. They’re actively doing everything they can to capatalize on the pull of Wayne Rooney. That means signing high-floor, know-what-you’re-getting veterans who can (theoretically) put it all together quickly.
Following up from signing 32-year-old Benteke late last year, they’ve added 32-year-old DP midfielder Mateusz Klich, 34-year-old wingback Pedro Santos and 30-year-old defender Derrick Williams this offseason. 27-year-old fullback Ruan and 25-year-old defender Mohanad Jeahze seem like children compared to D.C.’s other signings.
Is that strategy going to pay off? I have absolutely no idea. My gut says definitely not. But maybe D.C.’s experience wins the day here and we all feel a little silly for questioning it. Or they start fast and fade hard down the stretch as a full summer in the world’s most traveling league drains the life out of what feels guaranteed to be the oldest XI in MLS.
At the very least, they got rid of goalkeeper Rafael Romo and exchanged him for Tyler Miller. Romo might be the single-worst goalkeeper in MLS history. That’s not an exaggeration, the numbers suggest no one has ever been more terrible. Maybe that’s all D.C. needed to change in the end.
Players to watch
Benteke is obvious but needs to be said. We’ll see if he can keep it up over an entire season, but there’s no reason to think he can’t be a 15-goal player in MLS. Taxi Fountas is intriguing enough but it’s important to note that he outperformed his underlying numbers by a significant margin last year.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on Klich, who became a much-loved figure at Leeds before moving on this offseason. If he can dictate games for D.C. at the level they’re hoping, he may end up being one of the year’s biggest signings.
A nerdy tidbit
Fountas outperformed his expected goals numbers by a little over five goals. That’s good enough for fifth-highest in the league last season.
A fun tidbit
Wayne Rooney gives unique speeches.
Wayne Rooney delivered a swear-filled speech to his D.C. United side, telling them: “There’s no chance I’m finishing bottom of that league again"https://t.co/lpwih0OQVI
— Pro Soccer Wire (@prosoccerwire) January 12, 2023
Projected finish
14th in the East
There are so many unknowns with this team and the knowns just aren’t that exciting. Add in concerns about their ability to stay fit over the course of an MLS season plus the general feelings of disorginization surrounding D.C. United at all times and you have a recipe for a potential Wooden Spoon caliber year. Again.
The variance is high here. And when you’ve set the kind of precedent D.C. United has over the past decade-plus, you tend to think that the variance will skew toward the negative.
