D.C. United is approaching, or even has approached, a window where they need to come away from games with all of the points, and not split them with anyone. Thankfully, they started early Saturday night, with two goals in 20 minutes in the first half, and they stood up uncontested in a 2-0 win over last year’s MLS Cup Champion Portland Timbers.
The more and more they did things, the strategy appeared simple: make Timbers right back Alvas Powell (who had to be stretchered off in their last game, a win over Sporting Kansas City) make a decision on who to cover, dividing him from his teammates, and conquering.