Six matches remain for D.C.United in league play and the once-proud club has two primary targets circled:
One isn’t actually in the league, it’s the U.S. Open Cup final coming up early next month. The problem is, Real Salt Lake hosts that contest, so that’s already an uphill climb. But, as Ben Olsen’s team understands that is the only way to salvage a thing from this season gone seriously askew, they will draw a circle around it and pour out the entire bag of tricks for the long trip into Utah.
What else for United? Well, avoiding some marks of ignominy is about it. And there is still some work ahead.
After drawing with the LA Galaxy on Saturday, Olsen’s team has three home matches remaining, the best opportunities to pick up wins. With a 3-19-6 record, United needs two wins to keep from drawing level on fewest wins over a season in league history.
Tampa Bay (in 2001, the year before it disbanded) and Chivas USA (in 2005, its expansion season) also won just four matches over the entire campaign.
Olsen’s team would actually have to win half its remaining matches just to match United’s poorest season, a 6-20-4 mark in 2010. (That’s the year Olsen took over in mid-season for Curt Onalfo.)
With a couple more goals Saturday, the team does have a good shot at avoiding the league mark for fewest goals. That’s 21, also set by D.C. United in 2010. This year’s United had 18 goals with those six matches remaining.