FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A gorgeous autumn night in New England began with D.C. United below the MLS playoff line, Christian Benteke a goal from equaling a long-established team record and Troy Lesesne’s team winless at Gillette Stadium in a dozen years.
By the end of Saturday evening, all three elements had changed, and with one match left in the regular season, United stands in prime position to end a five-year postseason drought.
Buoyed by two early goals, including a thunderbolt by Pedro Santos in the third minute, United defeated the New England Revolution, 2-1.
Benteke, MLS’s leading scorer, added his 23rd goal in the eighth minute, tying D.