MLS Season Preview: D.C. United

With the MLS season set to begin on Friday, theScore runs down everything you need to know about each team heading into the league's 20th campaign. Here, we head to the capital and take a look at D.C. United.

Ben Olsen's time at the helm of D.C. United has been a roller coaster. As with any wild ride, the contrast between the ups and downs have been extreme.

The downs - a 2013 season in which the club captured only 16 points, the lowest total in the league since 2001 - was offset by a remarkable turnaround in 2014. Olsen orchestrated a worst-to-first transformation that saw his team top the Eastern Conference with 59 points, which was enough to see the 37-year-old receive MLS Coach of the Year honors.

Heading into 2015, he'd almost certainly like some continuity. No more violent swings in the opposite direction of the table. Slow, steady and stable. 

It won't be easy.

D.C. United will be without star striker Fabian Espindola for the first six matches of the season, as the Argentine will serve a suspension relating back to an incident with a referee following last year's playoff loss to New York.

How important was the newly-minted Designated Player to the club last season? Have a look:

(Courtesy: Pablo Maurer, MLSSoccer.com)

With Eddie Johnson's status unclear due to undisclosed "medical reasons," Olsen will need to figure out a way to put his team in positions where they can craft chances despite lacking legitimate scoring weapons outside of Espindola.

The defense, the league's joint-best last season, should be strong again. What can they conjure up in attack?

2014 season: 1st in Eastern Conference

Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference semifinal (New York Red Bulls)

Head coach: Ben Olsen

Stadium: RFK Stadium

Season Opener: Saturday, March 7: D.C. United vs. Montreal Impact (RFK Stadium) - 3 PM EST

Key Arrivals

Markus Halsti (free transfer), Jairo Arrieta (Orlando City), Michael Farfan (free transfer), Miguel Aguilar (SuperDraft)

Key Departures

Lewis Neal (Orlando City) Joe Willis (Houston Dynamo), Samuel Inkoom (Houston Dynamo), Jeff Parke (option declined)

Player to Watch: Markus Halsti

Halsti arrives at the club from Swedish side Malmo, where he brings considerable experience, having played in the Champions League just last season, and winning pedigree - Malmo has won three of the last five Swedish championships. Those intangibles will likely be harked endlessly on as the season goes along, despite the fact that they mean little. 

Rather, what is exciting about the 30-year-old is his ability to play multiple positions, offering Ben Olsen a versatile option that is invaluable during the slog that is the MLS regular season.

"Markus can play as both a central midfielder and central defender, and this was quite attractive to us," general manager Dave Kasper said when the signing was made official. "He is a tough competitor and another very good character piece for our club. We look forward to having him join our family."

For D.C. United to be successful once again, the Finnish international will need to be a leading figure in that family.

Keep an eye on: Luis Silva

Projected Starting XI

(4-4-2) Bill Hamid; Taylor Kemp, Bobby Boswell, Steve Birnbaum, Sean Franklin; Chris Rolfe, Perry Kitchen, Markus Halsti, Nick DeLeon; Chris Pontius, Fabian Espindola

Season in a Sentence

Not as good as last season and certainly not as bad as two seasons ago, D.C. United should be fighting for a playoff spot in 2015, though their reliance on Fabian Espindola to score the overwhelming majority of their goals is a tad concerning.