D.C. United’s match Sunday against the New York Red Bulls marks both the end of a critical homestand and the start of an onerous stretch, a late-summer overlap that promises to set the tone for the MLS club’s playoff push.
It’s the last of four consecutive dates at RFK Stadium and the beginning of four games across 12 days against Eastern Conference opponents. Given the current circumstances and imminent demands, United is famished for three points against their archrivals.
“You’ve got to focus on both aspects” of the next two weeks, Coach Ben Olsen said Friday, “but most of that focus is on Sunday and taking care of business here at home, putting up another win and continuing to improve because each of the last three games we’ve taken a step forward.