D.C. United

Team information

Inaugural season: 1996

Home field: Audi Field

Owners: DC United Holdings

Team colors: Black, red, and white

Overview

D.C. United is a soccer team based in Washington, DC. It is part of the Major League Soccer (MLS) and was one of the inaugural ten teams to form in the league. The team was established on paper in 1994 but took two more years of preparation before it was ready to play. The team debuted on April 6, 1996, in a winning effort against the San Jose Clash. Although this first game took place in San Jose, D.C. United was based at Washington, D.C.’s Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, which holds nearly 46,000 spectators. (The team played out of this stadium until they constructed their own soccer field, Audi Field, which opened in 2018.)

Under head coach Bruce Arena, D.C. United proved to be the top team in the league in its first several years of activity. It won the inaugural MLS Cup competition in 1996, held at the Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, by beating their neck-and-neck rivals the Los Angeles Galaxy in a dramatic rainstorm. In 1997, D.C. United again won the MLS Cup, this time bringing down the Colorado Rapids at a Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium packed with more than 57,000 fans—also in a rainstorm. D.C. United gained its third MLS Cup in 1999 in a match that closely mirrored its initial win in 1996, in Foxboro Stadium against the Los Angeles Galaxy. The D.C. team did not return to the championship scene until 2004, when it won its fourth MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, defeating the Kansas City Wizards. Along with its four MLS Cups, D.C. United also holds three U.S. Open Cup championships, a CONCACAF Champions Cup, the 1998 Copa Interamericana, and the most Supporters’ Shields of any team in MLS.

History

In 1994, the US Soccer Federation began to formulate a new, US-based professional soccer league that would be known as Major League Soccer (MLS). In June 1994, MLS officials reviewed applications from twenty-two cities requesting permission to start their own MLS teams. The officials ultimately chose ten of these to start the league. One of the chosen ten was Washington, DC. The new Washington, DC team took on the name D.C. United. The name referred to the district’s full title (“District of Columbia”) plus the word “United,” which has long been associated with soccer teams, especially in Great Britain.

The new team, owned at the time by an investment group called Washington Soccer, LP, underwent almost two years of preparation. D.C. United officials invented an image for the team that included uniforms that were black, white, and red, leading to the team’s nickname “The Black and Reds.” The team also established its home in the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, a property of Washington, DC, which was able to hold almost 46,000 fans. The team would remain at that stadium from 1996 until 2018. D.C. United also engaged in draft events to fill out the roster of their new team. One vital choice was head coach Bruce Arena.

Their preparations paid off. The team’s debut game took place on April 6, 1996, and saw D.C. United defeat the San Jose Clash in the latter’s home venue, the Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California. This initial victory established the winning ways of D.C. United, which would quickly prove themselves to be one of the best, if not the best, team in the MLS.

By the end of their first season of play, D.C. United was lined up in the finals of major tournaments. The first was the MLS Cup of 1996, to be contested at the Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. D.C. United, representing the Eastern Conference, faced off against the Los Angeles Galaxy, representing the Western Conference. Both teams had the same playoff results, and their ultimate meeting took place in a dramatic downpour from Hurricane Lili. Although Los Angeles got off to a strong start and led in scoring, D.C. United rebounded later in the game and dominated the second half, ultimately winning the game—and the MLS Cup for 1996—with a close score of 3–2. The same year, D.C. United also won the U.S. Open Cup following a victory over the Rochester Raging Rhinos.

The path to soccer glory continued in 1997, with defending champs D.C. United again winning the MLS Cup on October 26 of that year following a home-field defeat of rivals the Colorado Rapids. Some 57,431 fans packed the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium to see the victory, the second-largest crowd ever to assemble there for a soccer match. Despite a rainstorm—similar to the one that hit during the 1996 championship game—D.C. United won by a score of 2–1.

Although D.C. United did not contend for the MLS Cup in 1998, it was back in the championship spotlight the following year. MLS Cup 1999, the fourth-ever MLS Cup event, took place at Foxboro Stadium, just like the inaugural MLS Cup three years earlier. Also mirroring that first event, D.C. United faced their long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Galaxy. And, again, D.C. United prevailed, defeating the Galaxy soundly with a score of 2–0.

The strong momentum of D.C. United that carried it to three championships in four seasons cooled somewhat, and the team faced some mixed results in coming seasons. However, some big wins in the 2004 season summoned D.C. United back to the MLS Cup. This ninth MLS Cup contest took place at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, on November 14, 2004. There, D.C. United faced a strong challenger, the Kansas City Wizards. The Wizards gained an early lead in scoring, but later in the game D.C. United made a stronger showing and ultimately won with a score of 3–2. This marked the team’s fourth MLS Cup. Although now MLS legends, D.C. United did not return to the same levels of championship play, and as of 2021 their record has been capped at four MLS Cup victories. In addition, D.C. United has won three US Open Cup championships, the most Supporters’ Shields of any team in the league, a CONCACAF Champions Cup, and the 1998 Copa Interamericana.

D.C. United experienced many changes in its long tenure as an MLS team. Its original owner, Washington Soccer, LP, sold the team in 2001 to Anschutz Entertainment Group. In 2006, an investor named William Chang of D.C. United Holdings purchased the team. In 2012, Chang was joined by co-owners Erick Thohir and Jason Levien. In 2018, ownership shuffled again, with Patrick Soon-Shiong, Jason Levien, and Steven Kaplan taking the helm. Just one year later, Soon-Shiong departed the group, leaving Levien and Kaplan in charge. D.C. United also underwent another transition in 2018, at which time it moved from its long-time home field of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium to Audi Field.

During the 2021 season, United hired Hernan Losado as head coach. Losada implemented a style of playing that different from the path, having players focus on fitness and speed and pulling intense pressure on the defense. However, Losado often disagreed with the front office and his strict dietary regulations caused tension between the players and his coaching staff. He was fired in 2022 after only fourteen months. United hired former English international player Wayne Rooney to take his place. However, the team had a terrible season that year. They improved somewhat during the 2023 season but did not make the playoffs. Rooney was also fired.

Notable players

Many notable players have appeared on the field in D.C. United’s distinctive red and black uniforms. One of the most successful of these is Bolivian-born player Jaime Moreno, who has smashed many team records with his offensive feats. Across 329 games, he scored 131 goals as well as 102 additional assists. On forty-two occasions, he made penalty kicks, and twenty-six of them were game winners. Other team records belong to goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who boasts 38 shutouts and 50 wins.

D.C. United has a Hall of Tradition to honor the fine players who have appeared with the team. Many members of the inaugural 1996 team have been memorialized there. Among these are defenders Jeff Agoos and Eddie Pope; forward Raul Diaz Arce; and midfielders Marco Etcheverry, Richie Williams, and John Harkes. Ben Olsen, a D.C. United standard from 1998 to 2009, was not among the players of the fabled first two seasons but also has a spot in the Hall of Tradition thanks to his many contributions to the team over more than a decade.

Peter Nowak of Poland had a noteworthy, if controversial, career with D.C. United. After playing with Chicago Fire in 1998—and helping the team to an MLS Cup win that broke D.C. United’s streak—he later became a head coach of D.C. United. As such, he helped the D.C. team win its comeback 2004 MLS Cup, and thereby became the first person to win the MLS Cup as both a player and a coach. However, his reputation in the team and in the sport overall suffered due to allegations that he was abusive toward players.

Some of the largest signings for D.C. United over the years have included Wayne Rooney, Lucas Rodriguez, Dwayne De Rosario, Edison Flores, Paul Arriola, and Eddie Johnson. In 2021, the D.C. United Roster included a wide range of players, both homegrown and international. They include midfielder Felipe Martins, defender Steven Birnbaum, goalkeeper Chris Seitz, and forward Ola Kamara.

Bibliography

Black and Red United Website, 2024, www.blackandredunited.com. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“D.C. United.” MLS Soccer Website, 2024, www.mlssoccer.com/clubs/d-c-united/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“DC United Profile.” Planet Sport, 2024, www.planetsport.com/soccer/usa/dc-united. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“D.C. United Team History.” Sports Team History, 2024, sportsteamhistory.com/dc-united. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“DC United.” The Athletic, 2024, theathletic.com/team/dcunited/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“D.C. United.” Transfer Markt, 2024, www.transfermarkt.us/d-c-united/startseite/verein/2440. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

D.C. United Website, 2024, www.dcunited.com. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.