D.C. United grabbed a golden opportunity to jump above the red line by the scruff of the neck and defeated Orlando City SC 4-1 in front of the biggest crowd of the season (25,842).
In an Eastern Conference tilt between teams fighting to jump into the playoff picture, Patrick Mullins bagged two goals on either side of a Lloyd Sam header and Julian Büscher added his first career MLS goal late in regulation.
Orlando trailed for much of the match, falling behind 3-0 early in the second half after D.C. added insurance goals in the 51st and 53rd minutes, but the visitors' task was made all the more difficult by Antonio Nocerino's 66th-minute ejection. Nocerino was sent off with a straight red card for elbowing Mullins in the chest right in front of referee Sorin Stoica.
The Lions pulled one back via a Júlio Baptista free kick, but it wasn't enough to overcome the surging Black-and-Red, who have scored 2+ goals in five straight matches.
The victory saw D.C. United move into sixth place in the east, leaving the New England Revolution and Orlando City in the rearview mirror. D.C. have 37 points now through 30 games while the Revolution and Lions have 36 and 34, respectively, in the same amount of matches. United return to RFK Wednesday to play Columbus Crew SC in another vital Eastern Conference matchup.
