From a mathematical standpoint, there is no such thing as a must-win match in playoff-friendly MLS until the final few weeks of the eight-month season. But given D.C. United’s winless start to the campaign and the road-treacherous stretch ahead, Saturday’s affair with the Columbus Crew at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium did not leave an inch of mobility.
Anything other than victory would not stand.
United could’ve tumbled after losing Paul Arriola to a red card early in the second half, but fortified by organization and grit, D.C. made Ulises Segura’s first-minute goal stand up in a 1-0 victory before 12,369 in Annapolis.