As D.C. United transitioned from struggling to score goals in the first half of 2016 to becoming one of the highest scoring teams by season’s end, the wide midfield positions were one of their biggest strengths. Patrick Nyarko and Lamar Neagle were productive offseason signings, and the midseason acquisition of Lloyd Sam was another in the line of shrewd MLS pickups by Olsen and General Manager Dave Kasper.
By the end of the season, United was so well set on the left and the right, that Neagle, who ended up as United’s leading scorer in 2016, was regularly featuring as a substitute, with the occasional start on short rest.