Viktor Claesson scored the game's only goal in the fourth minute as D.C. United lost their preseason opener 1-0 to IF Elfsborg. The Swedish side, who finished in 4th place in last year's Allsvenskan (a.k.a. the Swedish top flight), made their early lead stand up in a game that featured few shot attempts and generally looked like a preseason match featuring a bunch of unfamiliar players on both sides finding their legs.
With Bill Hamid and Chris Korb recuperating from knee injuries and Markus Halsti's wife giving birth just hours before kickoff, United started out the game in what appeared to be a nebulous 451 formation.