D.C. United made major progress in 2021, establishing a new style of play that won fans over while overcoming an almost comically high number of injuries. Their underlying numbers pointed to a club that was one of MLS’s best, but in the end they couldn’t fulfill that promise. The Black-and-Red came up just short in the climb back into the playoffs, missing the postseason by a single point after a late-season skid.
United attempted something of an overhaul this winter, with Kevin Paredes and Paul Arriola netting the team nearly $10 million in cash and assets, while they’ve replaced several outgoing veterans with a mix of Liga MX loans, MLS trades, and promising USL Championship players.