D.C. United ended its 2023 season in disarray. After missing out on the playoffs for the fourth straight season, head coach Wayne Rooney parted ways with the team while multiple players entered the offseason unsure if their contracts would continue into the next year.
Change was needed, and ownership responded with the hiring of Ally Mackay as its first general manager in over a year. The former agent and Nashville SC assistant GM quickly got to work by first declining nine contract options, losing multiple players to free agency and trading others for younger prospects and cash.
After the new year, Mackay finished his coaching search, landing on former New York Red Bulls manager and South Carolina native Troy Lesesne to lead United into its new era.
With an eventful offseason and a rebuilt roster, D.C. United is looking forward. Saturday’s home opener will look to set the building blocks for future success.
“There’s a high degree of appetite to really bring D.C. United back into the direction that it needs to be, and it has been in the past,” Lesesne said. “We’re moving forward, and I’m excited to do so. I think that’s what we’ve been doing since day one, since I’ve been on the job, is moving forward in a direction we can all get behind.”
New faces, different approaches
United added 10 new players to its roster using various mechanism, including signing draft picks, interleague trades and picking up free agents. Five defenders were added, helping a unit that only had two returning players (Steve Birnbaum and Pedro Santos) that played double-digit matches last season.
D.C. did spend money as well, turning Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Pirani’s loan deal into a permanent one after United paid a reported $1.3 million transfer fee to Brazilian side Santos. United then acquired Finnish midfielder Matti Peltola as its young designated player — high-priced talents whose wages don’t entirely count against the salary cap — after it paid Minnesota for his discovery rights.
Veteran goalkeeper Alex Bono told WTOP it was time for United to bring in new faces and leadership to the club. Following a season-and-a-half under Rooney, it was clear that the “old English style” of coaching did not catch on with players and bring results on the field. Now, under Lesesne and Mackay, everything feels like a “real breath of fresh air.”
“It’s very hands on, it’s very intense in your face, high focus, high intensity all the time, so it has been kind of two opposite ends of the spectrum in a way,” Bono said. “There’s a discipline to this group that I haven’t seen before and I think that’s going to equate to results on the field.”
Under Lesesne, United will looked to pounce on opponents’ mistakes with a pressing approach for its attack, with the hope to create more scoring opportunities. Last season, D.C. created chances but only 34% of its shots were on target and one player, striker and designated player Christian Benteke, scored double-digital goals (16).
New defender Lucas Bartlett said it will be important for the defensive line to make turnovers higher up in the field in order to keep the ball on the opponents’ half while giving Benteke and other attackers more space for better chances to score.
“I think this is going to be a really exciting style for a lot of fans to watch,” Bartlett said. “We’ll be on the front foot; we will be high pressing team, high energy team, and a team that wants to really get after teams when they come into our stadium.”
Another change will be how goalkeepers will be utilized. Last year’s starter Tyler Miller and Bono assisted with attacks as a “sweeper keeper,” a role calling for goalkeepers to play outside their penalty area as an extra field player. While Miller and Bono helped United restart attacks with long-range passes and restarting possession higher up on the field, the strategy had its downsides, including leaving D.C. vulnerable for counter attacks and shots from midfield.
Bono called the “kamikaze” strategy aggressive, but this season, goalkeepers will be more traditional and focus on keeping the ball out of the net.
“Our job is to help the defense with through balls that for sure we can get to it, and help clear out a danger,” Bono — who will start in goal Saturday in place of Miller — said. “So, that’s been that’s been really nice, [and] it’s been refreshing to kinda feel like I’m doing the job that I signed up for.”
Unknown expectations
When asked about expectations for his squad, Lesesne said it will take time to implement the team’s style of play. However, he said he welcomes “the unknowns,” believing it will allow the coaching staff to see what progress has been made since the preseason and what kind of mentality his players have to earn a result.
“We are still in that building process, and it’s going to take a little bit of time to get things in the place that we want them to be in,” Lesesne said. “But I’m hoping we take a really positive first step and a really important first step against New England this weekend.”
United’s new roster will be tested early as six of its first 10 matches are with teams that reached the playoffs last season.
After Saturday’s opener against New England, D.C. hits the road for its next two matches, including facing off with last season’s Supporter Shield winners FC Cincinnati, before returning home for an afternoon matinee against Inter Miami and Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Despite the growing number of international players joining MLS and more eyes watching the league via Apple TV, Bono said he believes this roster won’t be star-struck. Instead, he called the rebuilt roster “special,” saying fans should expect the new group to battle through the tough summer months and battle for 90 minutes “game in and game out, without fail.”
“I think there’s a new era coming,” Bartlett said. “We’re excited to progress that and show that.”
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