With three MLS regular season games remaining, D.C. United clinched a spot in the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs. After a 0-0 tie with Sporting Kansas City at RFK Stadium, United punched its ticket to the postseason, being the first Eastern Conference team to do so.
19,803 fans stuck with the Black-and-Red through the rain and nail-biting drama. Four yellow cards, 31 fouls and end-to-end action saw a gritty D.C. United team earn its 11th shutout of the season.
“There was a real edge tonight,” Head Coach Ben Olsen said. “We knew that coming in, that there’s six points between us, we had taken six points— the last one was 3-0 at their place. So, we knew they were going to come out with a real fire.”
But, United weathered the storm as a unit and took its chances when they came.
“I thought we held a fort in the first half,” Olsen said. “In the second half, I thought we were good. I thought overall in the game, we had better chances than them, but we weren’t able to finish any of them.”
While finishing a chance or two would have been satisfying for the club and fans, seeing this squad clinch a playoff spot is rewarding regardless.
“There’s not a better show in town when our fans show up and put on a performance like that,” said Olsen. “There’s nowhere else I want to play. It’s a great atmosphere, and I’m happy tonight that we were able to reward them.”
Back in preseason, the goal was to make playoffs. It was that simply stated. Olsen and General Manager Dave Kasper handpicked these players to fight for the badge. Tonight, they did just that.
“When we looked that board in the off-season, and we looked at the team that we had, we were pinching ourselves a little bit. We were excited; we knew it had potential to be a playoff team. I maybe underestimated the grittiness and the character this group would have, the way we get each others backs, but overall we were very excited about the group.”
Now, that goal accomplished, Olsen looks ahead.
“It’s good to get that out of the way,” he said. “Enjoy that tonight and then move on. I think the team fortunately has bigger goals now and there’s a feeling in that locker room that they can do something, whether its finish top three, finish first, make a run at this thing.”
