The Eastern Conference side missed out on the playoffs on the final day of the 2024 season, but have stayed committed to a long-term vision
Most star players would have bought Rolexes – or maybe something nicer. But after D.C. United’s MLS Golden Boot winner Christian Benteke kept a promise he made at the beginning of the season, and took the squad to Miami for the weekend after becoming the league’s top scorer.
“That was a way to thank all of my teammates because, without them, I wouldn’t be the top goalscorer,” Benteke said at MLS media day.
The trip marked the conclusion of what was an admittedly mixed 2024 campaign. D.C. was good in parts, and woeful in others. It all culminated in the club missing out on playoffs on the final day of the season.
The response from the organization? Make a litany of roster moves, and address some key areas, but neglect to bring in another star player to accompany their big-name striker. Still, for those in decision-making roles, this has been a scientific offseason, one that prioritized depth over big names with a view to building a club that has significant ambitions.
“Part of it was just the lack of depth that we had,” Ally Mackay, the club's general manager and chief soccer officer, told GOAL. “And I think that's something we've been able to rectify in the off-season. Obviously, there were a lot of players at the last game of the season that are no longer with us.”
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The 2024 season was one of progress, head coach Troy Lesesne insisted. The former New York Red Bulls interim manager, who was in his first season in charge of the four-time MLS Cup champions, oversaw statistical improvement. D.C. United may have finished 10th in the Eastern Conference, but they improved from 12th the year before.
Spearheaded by Benteke and his 23 goals, the scored more — raising their tally from 45 goals to 52. A couple of rough patches in the middle of the season limited a playoff spot that might have been within reach.
But they were also woeful in some areas. Their 70 goals conceded was the third worst in MLS – and 21 more than the year before.
“We have to address the issue of the amount of goals that we gave up last year,” Lesesne said. “But it doesn't just come from the individuals that we moved on from.”
Still, there were some obvious factors to point to. The loss of captain Steve Birnbaum, who retired midseason after back-to-back knee operations saw him effectively unable to run. Also gone was Russell Canouse, an experienced defensive midfielder, thanks to a trio of stomach operations to treat ulcerative colitis – a serious condition of the digestive system.
But there were also broader issues. Lesesne admitted that he made some errors as a coach.
“When we got broken down in the first phase and how we recovered, that's not good enough,” Lesesne said. “And so that's on me. That's not on the players. They have their responsibility, but I have to give them more clarity. And then our structure with the ball, I think we had some ideas, but not clear enough ideas for us to be able to know how to manipulate the opponent.”
AdvertisementIMGANConvicing a star to stay on amid a clearout
The solution was a clear out. United made headlines when they released all four of their goalkeepers. Canouse was let go on a free transfer. Nine players had their 2025 contract options declined.
In addition, promising young defender Matai Akinmboni was sent to Bournemouth in a multi-million dollar deal, meaning the club had just 16 players on their senior roster.
In truth, though, this whole process started last March. Benteke went into Lesesne’s office and admitted that he wasn’t sure if he would sign a new contract. He wanted time to assess his options ahead of the season.
“He just said, ‘Hey, listen, I think there's a good relationship between us.’ And he communicated that he liked the identity in which we were trying to establish, both on the field and off the field. He could see how it would benefit him,” Lesesne said.
And then the goals started. Lots of them. Benteke accounted for almost half of United’s attacking production. It all looked like an elite striker finally finding his groove in his third season in the league. That helped negotiations, and the two sides finally came to an agreement at the end of the season.
“There was a lot of respect there. I thought we would always get it done. Once Christian made it known that he wanted to stay in D.C., and all of that came into fruition, it was pretty straightforward,” Mackay said.
Benteke, for his part, admitted that his relationship with his manager – and his vision for the future – was crucial.
“I’ve had a good relationship with Troy since Day 1. He gave me a lot of responsibility for the team, and he gave me also a lot of trust to lead this team. Me and him are on the same page for many, many things,” Benteke said at MLS's Media Day in Miami, FL.
GettyPiecing together a roster
It’s a vision that has become clearer throughout the offseason. After the sweeping roster moves were made, Mackay and Co. went to work. It was a meticulous process, piecing this whole thing together. Every conversation started with Lesesne outlining the needs at a given position. Then it was down to scouting, Mackay, and further conversations. And then, Lesesne has the final word.
“The game model is put in place by myself and our coaching staff,” Lesesne explained. “We have very specific profiles that fit this game model, then it allows our scouts to go and identify that. Then the last piece is I sit down with Ally, Eamon [Dunlavey] and Caleb [Shreve], and we review the ones that do, and then we make a decision.”
Crunch the numbers, run the finances, identify holes, and what D.C. ended up with was a number of key signings that are focused on improving the depth of the squad. Korean goalkeeper Kim Joon Hong, acquired from K-League side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC, seems to be the long-term option in between the sticks.
Kye Rowles was brought in from Scottish side Hearts, and projects to fill the void left by Birnbaum. Randall Leal, claimed off waivers after leaving Nashville, should offer a killer pass in the final third – and chip in with a few goals.
“I saw a lot of players coming in, but I don't really know them, but from what I can tell they are all young. For me, that aspect of being young, it doesn't really matter as long as you are good,” Benteke said.
GettyLetting the kids play
This is nothing new. Injuries across the squad forced D.C. to dip into the depths of their squad last year. Turns out, there’s some good homegrown talent – as well as acquisitions in their early 20s – to play with here.
“Matti Peltola, Jackson Hopkins, Ted Ku-Dipietro, Gabi Pirani, they had to step up. And maybe we don’t get that development from them individually, as well as some of the different assessments we were able to make throughout the season, to make some offseason roster decisions,” Lesesne said.
Mackay insists, too, that the local area’s talent will help. FC Dallas and Philadelphia Union have long been the gold standard for talent identification and development within MLS. But D.C. names such as Akinmboni, Kevin Paredes, and Moses Nyeman have all netted transfer fees in European deals.
The front office also hopes that the academy itself can provide further options for the first team in the years to come.
“We've just started a residency program, for example, that will get ramped up this year. I believe that the territory that we have in the DMV. It's one of the best in the country,” Mackay said. “So we have to bottleneck that through D.C., and we've already got some really promising players.”
