The 2016 D.C. United season was the club's twenty-first season of existence, and their twenty-first in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer.
The 2016 season began in February 2016, with United playing Liga MX club, Querétaro, in the quarterfinal series of the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League. United ultimately lost 1–3 on aggregate to Querétaro and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the second consecutive season. United began the Major League regular season winless in their first five matches, before winning at home 4–0 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Through the spring and summer, United maintained a playoff bubble position in the Eastern Conference table. Additionally, during this time, United was bumped from the fourth round of the 2016 U.S. Open Cup by NASL club, Fort Lauderdale Strikers. In the fall, United went on a regular season surge, which saw the Black-and-Red win four of their final five games, allowing them to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference and tied for ninth overall. This resulted in United qualifying for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season. In the preliminary round of the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, United lost at home to Montreal Impact, 2–4. The late October loss in the MLS Cup Playoffs was United's last competitive game of the year.
United's top scorers during the campaign came from newcomers, both of whom had previous played for MLS franchises: Lamar Neagle from Seattle Sounders FC lead the team with 10 goals across all competitions. Mid-season signee, Patrick Mullins, from New York City FC had eight goals during the campaign. Additionally, newcomer Luciano Acosta, a loanee from Boca Juniors lead United during the 2016 season with 11 assists across all competitions.
Background
Preseason
January
D.C. United entered 2016 in desperate need of a makeover in midfield. The team traded winger Chris Pontius to the Philadelphia Union, they were unable to reach a new agreement with long-time central midfielder Perry Kitchen. Kitchen's central midfield partner, Davy Arnaud seemed unlikely to make a recovery from a concussion suffered in September 2015. Also Michael Farfan was released. Although the team traded for two wingers, Lamar Neagle and Patrick Nyarko, they were still in need of help in the center of the pitch. At the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, the team traded up two positions to select a Generation Adidas player from Syracuse University, midfielder Julian Buescher. The team then traded its own first round selection for a pick in the second round along with TAM money. The team used the pick to Select another midfielder, from 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Game runner-up Clemson University, Paul Clowes. However, the team was still in search of more experienced players, and stories began surfacing that the team was trying to sign various foreign midfielders, including Leonardo Gil and Antonio Nocerino. The biggest news of the preseason, though, was probably the announcement that the team's star player, goalkeeper Bill Hamid had reinjured his knee during the off-season and was forced to have knee surgery that was expected to sideline him for several months.
February
Having set their sights on A.C. Milan player Antonio Nocerino, D.C. United found their negotiation was undermined when Orlando City S.C.'s Kaka apparently convinced his former teammate to reject United's offer and pursue a contract with Orlando. Fortunately, a plan B quickly emerged. The team filled the holding mid slot by trading for MLS veteran Marcelo Sarvas, and got a bit of an unexpected boost when the name of a former acquisition target, Boca Junior's midfielder/forward Luciano Acosta suddenly showed up on the transfer rumor wires. Within a week, United had the diminutive midfielder signed and training in their Florida pre-season camp. The next day, Acosta even assisted on the lone goal in a match against Tampa Bay Rowdies. Reportedly, United agreed to a trade of a conditional draft pick to New York Red Bulls, who had gained discovery claim priority on Acosta, after United had relinquished its own. As preseason continued, the team released Conor Doyle to make way for a trialist from USL side Pittsburgh Riverhounds, winger Rob Vincent. United took to the pitch for the first time in 2016, with a 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series against Querétaro F.C. In a match in the Mexican mountain city, D.C. United mostly held its own. But, missed chances by the visitors opened the door for the home team, which scored twice in the final 20 minutes, to take a daunting 2–0 lead in the series.
March
For the second straight year, the D.C. team bowed out in the quarterfinals of CONCACAF play. An away goal in the 4th minute locked up the series for Querétaro, but United did manage to reclaim some dignity with an impressive late strike for a goal by rookie Julian Büscher. Unable to practice with the team because of lingering post-concussion symptoms, Davy Arnaud retired from playing and joined the coaching staff. Because he had a guaranteed contract, Arnaud's retirement was not expected to free up any salary cap space, but it did open a roster spot. United made a trade to acquire the rights to U.S. youth international goalkeeper, Charlie Horton, who had left his English team, Leeds United, to play closer to home.
MLS regular season
In its 2016 Major League Soccer season opener, D.C. United started off well with a goal by newcomer Lamar Neagle to take a 1–0 lead over the LA Galaxy in the fifth minute. However, the Galaxy stormed back in the second half, led by former MLS MVP Mike Magee, and crushed D.C. 4–1. As D.C. traveled to Foxboro to face the New England Revolution, Andrew Dykstra was forced to sit out with back spasms, and Fabian Espindola was nursing a tender hamstring. The match ended in a scoreless draw. Dykstra later turned out to need back surgery that would sideline him for 10–12 weeks, joining Hamid on the injury list and leaving the netminding duties up to sophomore keeper Travis Worra and the recently signed Horton.
DC hoped to bounce back in their home opener against the Colorado Rapids, but the team only managed a 1–1 draw thanks to Espindola coming off the bench and chipping a rebound into the net in the 80th minute. The following week, Steve Birnbaum and Álvaro Saborío were called up to their respective national teams in the US and Costa Rica. D.C. faced off against an FC Dallas side that was suffering even more losses from injury and national call-ups, but were crushed 3–0 after Dallas took advantage of multiple mistakes between Bobby Boswell and Kofi Opare, who filled in for Birnbaum.
April
D.C. United announced the signing of veteran MLS keeper Tally Hall to shore up their increasingly-wounded goalkeeping corps, which turned out to be a prescient move as Horton suffered a concussion during training and would not be ready in time for the next match. Still searching for their first victory of the season, D.C. instead found another draw in San Jose. Despite getting an early lead when Nyarko headed in a spectacular cross by Neagle, and seeing several miraculous saves from Worra, a mistake by Espindola late in the game quickly led to a game-tying goal by Adam Jahn. D.C. finally got its first win in 2016 when they returned home to face the Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. Espindola and Alvaro Saborio each scored a pair of goals, with the latter player's goals both assisted by Acosta late in the second half, to notch a 4–0 shutout. Unfortunately, the team's good fortune would be short-lived, when they allowed Sebastian Giovinco to score in the first minute of the very next game, leading to a 1–0 defeat against Toronto.
On April 20, the MLS Disciplinary Committee suddenly announced that they would suspend manager Ben Olsen and fine him $500 for stepping onto the field during the Toronto match. With Chad Ashton as their acting manager, D.C. bounced back in their very next match with a 3–0 victory against New England. Neagle opened the scoring for D.C. and Saborio closed it out with another late insurance goal, but the most memorable moment of the game came when Lucho Acosta scored a fabulous goal—a long distance chip over the goalie that struck the bottom of the crossbar and went in the net for Acosta's first goal in a D.C. United uniform. The goal also earned Acosta the MLS Goal of the Week honor. United closed out the month on the road against the Chicago Fire. The Fire scored first on a free kick late in the first half, but D/C was able to level the score when Nyarko headed home a cross from Acosta.
May
Despite missing several key players, D.C. United started off the month of May expecting three points in a home match against cellar-dwelling NYCFC, but the team missed some good chances to score in the first half and the visiting team punished them with 2 goals early in the second half, the first by Spanish star David Villa and the second by Khiry Shelton. 5 days later, D.C. hosted the other team from the New York region, the potent New York Red Bulls The biggest home crowd of the season turned out for this rivalry match, and the home team responded with a strong overall effort. Nyarko sent Sarvas in on goal with a terrific through ball, and Sarvas unselfishly sent a pass across the goal to a waiting Saborio, who had an easy tap-in to take the lead. Worra delivered with several spectacular saves to maintain United's lead, and the team closed out the first half with a spectacular goal, as Neagle served up a sharp cross that Nyarko was able to turn into a goal with an impressive outside of the foot volley shot that sealed the 2–0 win.
The team also made a couple of personnel changes during that short home-stand, acquiring a young striker from Sierra Leone, via Sweden, Alhaji Kamara. Kamara had been ruled out from UEFA competition due to the discovery of a congenital heart defect that was deemed to pose risk to the striker's life. However, cardiologists hired by both D.C. United and MLS decided Kamara was healthy enough to safely participate in the sport. To make room for Kamara, the team waived Clowes.
On the pitch, the team continued to struggle to produce offense, and dropped point when they surrendered a stoppage-point goal on a trip to the Philadelphia Union. Days after the 0–1 loss to the Union, the team announced that they had mutually parted ways with Markus Halsti, just as he was called up to the Finnish national team. Halsti had been plagued by injuries and fitness concerns, and only appeared in one match for the team in 2016, as a substitute in the second leg of the CCL against Querétaro.
On the 27th, despite furious storms that nearly scuttled the match, D.C. United managed to sneak away with a victory when the newly signed Kamara subbed in for Neagle in the 85th minute, and then scored his first goal for the team less than a minute later, giving his new team a 1–0 victory over Sporting KC.
June