When D.C. United acquired Gordon Wild off waivers from Atlanta United in late July, he had seen his goal scoring numbers gradually drop since signing a Generation Adidas contract upon leaving school in early 2018; he scored 7 in his first pro season with the Charleston Battery, then Atlanta made an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to convert him to fullback and wingback, before waiving him to make room for Mo Adams. So when D.C. General Manager Dave Kasper said, “...we believe a change of scenery will do him well,” the intent in retrospect was to give Wild a chance to regain his form and confidence by allowing him to play his natural attacking role for D.