After 21 years of playing in the familiar confines of RFK Stadium, D.C. United’s 2017 season opener against Sporting Kansas City begins the team’s final season in which they'll call the historic venue home.
With ground now broken on Audi Field in Southwest Washington, United will look to kick off their last season at RFK on a high note as they try and build on an impressive second half of the 2016 MLS campaign where they lost only twice after July 23.
The inter-conference clash against Sporting KC is the fifth time the Black-and-Red have hosted their fellow founding MLS member in a home opener and have a 2-2-0 record, scoring eight and conceding nine against their Western Conference opponent. While there is much history shared between the two clubs, including an MLS Cup final in which United defeated Kansas City in 2004 3-2, the Black-and-Red will also look to extend their slim lead in the all-time head to head matchup; they have won 21 matches to Kansas City's 20, with 12 draws. Last season, D.C. United and Sporting KC met once in the 2016 regular season. The game was decided by an 86th-minute game-winner from D.C. United and MLS debutant Alhaji Kamara. The 22-year-old scored 33 seconds into his debut to secure the fastest-ever debut goal in MLS history and secure the Black-and-Red their first away victory of 2016.
Many familiar faces, as well as some new ones, are set to highlight the two teams’ rosters in their upcoming campaign after productive offseasons that had themes of continuity more so than dramatic changes.
Sporting KC are returning most of their starting unit that led them to a 13-13-8 record last year, good for fifth in the Western Conference. The US international trio of center back Matt Besler, creative midfielder Benny Feilhaber and winger Graham Zusi once again make up the core of KC’s roster, while new Designated Player Gerso Fernandes, from Portuguese club Belenenses, brings an exciting new dimension to Sporting's attack with Dom Dwyer.
Trying to build on a season where they never lost consecutive matches and finished with wins in four of their last five matches before the playoffs, United also retained two of the club's biggest players, re-signing US international center back Steve Birnbaum and bringing offensive catalyst Luciano Acosta back permanently to the team in a club record transfer after his loan from Argentinean side Boca Juniors ended following last season. The team’s offseason acquisitions were headlined by the additions of exciting young Homegrown midfielder Ian Harkes, the Hermann Trophy winner out of Wake Forest, and the striking duo of proven Sébastien Le Toux (57 career MLS goals) and promising José Guillermo Ortiz (24 years old), on loan from Costa Rican side CS Herediano.
"Everybody is excited for next year, but the season starts this week, and we have a job to do," United head coach Ben Olsen said. "We've got a lot of work to do this year, so come out and support us at RFK; the [players] deserve it, they've been working hard."
