2016 MLS Season Preview: D.C. United

With the MLS season set to begin on Sunday, theScore runs down everything you need to know about each team heading into the 2016 campaign. Here, we take a look at D.C. United.

Ben Olsen's D.C. United does a lot of things well, but scoring goals is, unfortunately, not chief among them. His side was the only playoff-bound team with a negative goal differential last season and while D.C. managed to win 15 matches, it did so in slim fashion.

It's why the Black-and-Red added a couple of key offensive players in the offseason in an effort to address scoring deficiencies. In Luciano Acosta, D.C. United has finally found its midfield maestro and its prized jewel.

"He's unpredictable, he's electric, and he's a lot of fun to watch," Olsen says of Acosta. "He comes with a bag of tricks and, when the ball hits his feet, good things happen."

That sounds fun. Unfortunately, the loss of defensive midfield stalwart Perry Kitchen certainly doesn't. D.C. will also have to do without star goalkeeper Bill Hamid for much of the start of the season as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

Olsen now has a bit of a balancing act to manage: Can D.C. United score more goals with its bolstered offense than its weakened defense concedes?

2015 season

Regular season: 4th in Eastern Conference

Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals to the New York Red Bulls.

Nuts and Bolts

• Head coach: Ben Olsen
• Stadium: RFK Stadium
• Season opener: Sunday, March 6: LA Galaxy vs. D.C. United (StubHub Center) - 10 p.m. ET

Key Arrivals

• Luciano Acosta (on loan from Boca Juniors)
• Lamar Neagle (traded from Seattle Sounders)
• Patrick Nyarko (traded from Chicago Fire)
• Marcelo Sarvas (traded from Colorado Rapids)

Key Departures

• Perry Kitchen (out of contract)
• Eddie Johnson (retired)
• Jairo Arrieta (option declined)
• Chris Pontius (traded to Philadelphia Union)

Player to Watch

Before Fabian Espindola made his way to D.C. United, he was the focal point of the New York Red Bulls. The emergence of Bradley Wright-Phillips pushed him out of the team and he now leads the line for Olsen's side. With two seasons of play under his belt, he's now ready to thrive at RFK Stadium.

He started 2015 well enough, having earned a Designated Player contract for his career-best 2014 offerings, but then ended up missing the first six games of the season for pushing a referee. Here's how costly his absences proved:

• Games with Espindola in 2015: 9-6-2 record with 1.65 goals per game.
• Games without Espindola in 2015: 6-7-4 record with 0.88 goals per game.

It's why D.C. United will want another 30 games out of this crafty Argentine striker in 2016. Those numbers don't lie.

Keep an eye on: Luciano Acosta

Projected Starting XI

Season in a Sentence

With a slate of new depth players, a new stadium planned for the team's supporters, a new attacking midfielder to build around, and a new season to compete in, it's fitting that D.C. United revamped its logo for the 2016 season. It is, after all ...