MLS Multiplex
Fansided

D.C. United: 2020 Preview – Struggles post Rooney and Acosta?

By Matt Coles

ATLANTA, GA MARCH 13: Atlanta's Julian Gressel (24) thanks the home crowd following the end of the Concacaf Champions League match between CF Monterrey and Atlanta United FC on March 13th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA MARCH 13: Atlanta's Julian Gressel (24) thanks the home crowd following the end of the Concacaf Champions League match between CF Monterrey and Atlanta United FC on March 13th, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
MLS, D.C. United, Brian Flores
MORELIA, MEXICO – OCTOBER 25: Edison Flores of Morelia celebrates after scoring the second goal of his team during the 15th round match between Morelia and Santos Laguna as part of the Torneo Apertura 2019 Liga MX at Jose Maria Morelos Stadium on October 25, 2019 in Morelia, Mexico. (Photo by Cesar Gomez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /

Offseason Summary

Squad Retention

The core of the D.C. United defence remains in the capital, with Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum and Joseph Mora all having played at least 50 games in the league for the club. The midfield trio of Russell Canouse, Paul Arriola and Ulises Segura also are all above that mark, having all been with the club for at least the past two seasons.

The club made the move for Ola Kamara, an MLS stalwart, late in the 2019 season, and he featured five times for the club over the last few weeks of the campaign. He will be the main man upfront for the 2020 term.

More from MLS Multiplex

Elsewhere, the likes of Felipe and Emmanuel Boateng have stayed with the club, as has Venezuelan defensive midfielder Junior Moreno, who has been a key man in the engine room for the last two years in D.C.

Transfers & SuperDraft Picks

Four of D.C. United’s main men left the club over the course of the offseason, with the biggest of those names being Wayne Rooney. His strike partner, Luciano Acosta, also left the club, making the move south of the border for the 2020 season, signing for Mexican side Atlas FC on a free transfer, while Lucas Rodriguez departed at the end of his season-long loan. The last man to leave the side was Argentinian defender Leonardo Jara, whose loan deal from Boca Juniors ended at the end of the 2019 campaign.

However, D.C. United have brought in six players, although one of those was goalkeeper Bill Hamid who is now in D.C. on a permanent basis. The club made a move for midfielder Julian Gressel. They signed the attacking midfielder from Atlanta United for a $1.1 million fee in a massive deal.

The biggest move of offseason, however, was adding Edison Flores. D.C. United spent $5million on the Peruvian forward in January from Monarcas Morelia, with an extra $2million going to the Mexican club through 2024. Flores arrives as a DP and is expected to be the creative spark in attacking midfield.

Two players have also graduated from the D.C. United Academy in midfielders Moses Nyeman and Kevin Paredes, while they signed Yamil Asad, on a permanent deal from Velez Sarsfield, having had the midfielder on loan in 2018.

United used three of their six available MLS SuperDraft picks, choosing two goalkeepers. Their first-round selection was Temple shot-stopper, Simon Lefebvre, before they also picked Andrew Verdi from Michigan. Sandwiched in between was their second-round choice, Loyola forward Josh Fawole.

Home/D.C. United