For all of the talk surrounding D.C. United, their MVP nominee Wayne Rooney, their brand-new home at Audi Field, and one of the best runs of form they’ve ever been on, all they’ve gotten is one tangible thing: a home MLS playoff game against Columbus Crew SC. That’s how this league is set up. You can be brilliant, you can change how your fanbase and how the world define you, and you can still end up done for the year with one bad night.
2018 is going to be a benchmark year for United in so many ways, but ultimately all the good times and positive changes are about one thing above all others: winning a fifth MLS Cup.