In the spring, when the oddest of MLS schedules commenced, D.C. United knew that by surviving the road-heavy months of matches, multiple western swings and several three-game weeks, a precious gift awaited on the back end.
Six months later, bruised but unbowed, United is eager to collect.
Locked in a tight race for the last playoff berth, D.C. will play seven consecutive matches at its new home on Buzzard Point, starting Wednesday against Minnesota. It will not have to travel again until the regular season finale Oct. 28 at Chicago.
That’s 49 uninterrupted days of sleeping in their own beds, avoiding airports and embracing a normal routine.