At the very start of MLS, there was one club that defined the league: D.C. United.
After the collapse of the NASL, many people had serious doubts over Major League Soccer’s chances of survival. However, in Washington D.C., the newly founded soccer team was paying zero attention. They played with creativity and ruthlessness, and had a swagger that was incredibly entertaining to watch.
Perhaps this is why D.C. United also created what was arguably MLS first real supporter culture. The fans were wild, the football was thrilling, and the trophies came thick and fast.
This was a team that felt like it belonged to a much older league with an already established football culture. They became the first MLS dynasty. Back in the 1990s, it felt as though the Black and Red could never be knocked off their perch. But times change, players and coaches come and go, new teams joined the league.
These days, D.C. United are still defined by those early years. Still struggling to live up to their initial success. They have had brief periods of resurgence, but have never looked as dangerous as they did at the beginning.
One thing has stayed constant though, and that is their fan base. They are still some of the most passionate fans in major League Soccer.
Club Statistics and Key Info
Date founded: 1994
First Game: April 6, 1996 vs San Jose Clash
Stadium: Audi Field
Capacity: 20,000
Nicknames: The Black and Red, The Eagles, United
Rivals: New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union
Biggest Win: 7–1 vs Toronto FC – July 3, 2021
Biggest Loss: 0–7 vs Philadelphia Union – July 9, 2022
Player With Most Appearances: Jaime Moreno (427)
Top Goal Scorer: Jaime Moreno (162)
Most Notable Players
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Bill Hamid (2010–2017, 2018–2022) Nick Rimando (2000–2006) |
| Defenders | Eddie Pope (1996–2002) Jeff Agoos (1996–2000) Bobby Boswell (2005–2007, 2014–2017) Steve Birnbaum (2014–2023) |
| Midfielders | Marco Etcheverry (1996–2003) Ben Olsen (1998–2009) Christian Gómez (2004–2006, 2007–2009) Luciano Acosta (2016–2019) |
| Forwards | Jaime Moreno (1996–2002, 2004–2010) Raúl Díaz Arce (1996–1997) Roy Lassiter (1996–1997) Wayne Rooney (2018–2019) Christian Benteke (2022-2025) |
Trophies Won
| Trophy | Years |
|---|---|
| MLS Cup | 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 |
| Supporters’ Shield | 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007 |
| U.S. Open Cup | 1996, 2008, 2013 |
| CONCACAF Champions’ Cup | 1998 |
| Copa Interamericana | 1998 |
Setting the Standard
D.C. United were not just one of MLS founder clubs, they were the league’s first superpower.
Between being awarded the franchise in 1994, and kicking off the first season in 1996, United had created a remarkable inaugural squad. What’s more, they had a head coach who would go on to be the most successful the league has ever seen: Bruce Arena.
At the league’s start, there was a focus on American talent, but D.C. United had a great mix of American national team players for stability and Latin American stars for flair. It was a potent combination.
Marco Etcheverry was a key part of that team. A Bolivian playmaker whose vision and creativity made him a legend of the club, Marco also lit up the league itself, and was always exciting to watch. In front of him were a couple of goal machines in Raúl Díaz Arce, and Jaime Moreno – still the club’s record goal scorer. At the back, USMNT mainstays Eddie Pope and Jeff Agoos held the defensive line.
Funnily enough, despite having an incredible sqaud their first season started badly: D.C. United lost their first four games and looked a real mess doing it. Once they were comfortable with Bruce Arena’s system, though, everything came together. The team surged up the table, through the playoffs, and into the MLS Cup final – and they made it a thriller.
2-0 down against LA Galaxy after 56 minutes, D.C. United looked finished. Then, late goals from Anthony Sanneh and Shawn Medved brought them back to life, before Eddie Pope got the Golden Goal in the 94th minute.
Oh, and they won the US Open Cup, too. D.C. United had arrived.
MLS’s First Dynasty
D.C. didn’t rest on their laurels. In fact, the next season they went one better, winning their conference, the Supporter’s Shield, and the MLS Cup again in 1997.
They were runners up in 1998 but won the lot again in 1999. Plus, in 1998 they achieved something arguably even more impressive – they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The competition was dominated by Mexican teams, and in fact, D.C. United became the first club from the United States to lift the trophy. The LA Galaxy did it again in 2000, but it would be 22 years before another North American club would do the same.
This earned United a shot at the Copa Interamericana, taking on Brazilian champions, Vasco da Gama. They lost the first leg 1-0, but but won 2-0 in the second, giving them an aggregate score of 2-1, so they took that trophy home too. The first US team ever to do so, and the last, as the trophy was discontinued.
So in their first four seasons, D.C. United had won three MLS Cups, two Supporter’s Shields, a CONCACAF Champions Cup, a Copa Interamericana, and a US Open Cup.
They won everything going, and they did so by playing highly entertaining football too. For a league searching for credibility like MLS, D.C. United were a dream come true. They became the league’s flagship club, and it’s first dynasty.
However, over time, as more clubs joined the league and it became more competitive, D.C. lost their grip. Bruce Arena moved on, the line up changed, and despite another MLS Cup win in 2004 that reminded fans of the old magic, the club eventually became just another contender.
They have won trophies since, but sporadically, and they have never again been the unstoppable force they once were.
Wayne Rooney
After spending years struggling to keep up with the pace of change in the league, D.C. United signed Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney.
It was one of the most high profile signings in league history, bringing D.C. back into the spotlight, and giving fans something to get excited about again. A boy did Rooney deliver.
The club may not have won anything during his two seasons in Washington, but Rooney created some of the most memorable moments in league history. Two in particular stand out: the last gasp tackle that led to an extra time winner in 2018, and the goal from well inside his own half in 2019.
Have a look at these:
Both against Orlando interestingly enough.
The club enjoyed an undeniable boost in form during Rooney’s time, it’s just a shame his tenure at the club was short lived.
His impact was immediate on and off the field, it just didn’t last as long as the club had hoped. Rooney ended his contract early citing home sickness.
The RFK Fortress and Supporter Groups
Part of what made D.C United such a special team in the early days of MLS was the atmosphere at their home ground, the RFK Stadium.
The stadium was decades old, built for baseball and American football, but when the Washington Redskins moved on to pastures new, D.C. fans made it their own.
Parts of the stadium would actually bounce if fans jumped up and down, and United fans made sure they jumped up and down a lot. It was an intimidating place to play for opposition teams, especially with supporters groups like the Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava in the stands.
In many ways, they showed fans of other clubs what supporter culture could look like in the US, and they are known as one of the most passionate, vocal, and engaged fan bases in Major League Soccer.
D.C. United left the RFK Stadium ahead of the 2018 season, as it was scheduled to be demolished and replaced with something more modern. United moved to Audi Field instead, a newly built soccer specific stadium just a few miles away in Buzzard Point.
It’s a much easier stadium to fill, and with supporters brining the same energy to the smaller space, you could argue it’s even more atmospheric than RFK.
A Club In Search of a Future
So D.C. United have a new permanent home, but they are still searching for a new identity. So much of what they are is tied up in their past.
The challenge facing D.C. is one shared by many historic clubs: their past is enormous. It’s almost impossible to live up to for any new coach or player coming in. This makes it more difficult to achieve but also to form a modern identity.
That early dynasty was incredible. It shaped the club and the league, and was so successful that D.C. are still one of the most decorated teams in Major League Soccer, despite no longer winning trophies on a regular basis. However, it is also a reminder of how much things have changed.
The league today is unrecognisable from the league that the Red and Black used to dominate. It is much larger and far more competitive, with new clubs throwing huge sums of money at global stars and home grown talent coming through in spades. For D.C. United, remembering their history is important, but building a new chapter is arguably even more so.