MLS: 3 winners of 2020 offseason
2. D.C. United
The looming exits of two of your three Designated Players and three of your four most influential attacking players should have left D.C. United lurching throughout the 2020 offseason. However, with Wayne Rooney ageing, Luciano Acosta desperate for an exit and Lucas Rodriguez underwhelming, their departures actually opened up space for great investment.
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D.C. United have made the most of that opportunity. Yamil Asad arrived from Atlanta United, Julian Gressel later followed him in a blockbuster trade, Ola Kamara was brought to the club to lead the line towards the end of last season, and then, to top it all off, Edison Flores was inserted into the heart of the midfield as the offensive spark and catalyst that Ben Olsen required.
The fact that Gressel might well end up playing right-back for some matches should Olsen want to field Asad, Flores, Kamara and Paul Arriola, who is already at the club, is a brilliant illustration of the offensive firepower that D.C. have added to their roster.
They already boasted one of the best defences in MLS, conceding only 38 goals on the year, the second-best figure in the league. Add in this offensive rebuild and Olsen might have a team to challenge the sharp-end of the Eastern Conference, if only he doesn’t mess it up.