D.C. United delivered a composed and commanding road performance to claim a 2-0 victory over New York City FC at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon, with forward Louis Munteanu scoring twice to move the Black-and-Red to 4-4-3 with 15 points in the Eastern Conference. The clean sheet victory was D.C. United's fourth shutout of the 2026 season and marked back-to-back wins for the club for the first time this year.
Head Coach René Weiler made one change to the starting XI from Saturday's 3-2 win over Orlando City SC, with midfielder Jared Stroud coming into the lineup in place of midfielder Aaron Herrera. D.C. United lined up with goalkeeper Sean Johnson behind a back four of Silvan Hefti, Captain Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, and Keisuke Kurokawa. Matti Peltola and Brandon Servania anchored the midfield, with João Peglow providing width on the left flank and Jared Stroud on the right. Jackson Hopkins and Louis Munteanu led the attack.
D.C. United were sharp from the opening whistle, creating a series of early chances and putting New York on the back foot. Servania tested goalkeeper Matt Freese in the 7th and 12th minutes with shots from outside the box, and Peglow threatened on the counter. The Black-and-Red's pressure paid off in the 29th minute when Munteanu finished from close range to put D.C. United ahead, capping a well-worked move in the attacking third. New York City pushed back as the half wore on, with Johnson making a sharp save on midfielder Nicolás Fernández in the 38th minute and again denying defender Kai Trewin in the 43rd minute to preserve the advantage. Midfielder Aiden O'Neill was forced off through injury in the 36th minute, a blow for the hosts that disrupted their rhythm further. D.C. United carried their 1-0 lead into the break.
New York City came out with urgency in the second half, generating corners and set piece opportunities as they sought an equalizer, but Johnson was equal to everything they threw at him, making a crucial stop on Fernández in the 58th minute to keep the Black-and-Red ahead. Weiler made a double change in the 60th minute, introducing defender Nikola Markovic for Jackson Hopkins and Arron Herrera for Jared Stroud. The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Bartlett won a penalty after being fouled in the area by midfielder Keaton Parks, and Munteanu stepped up to convert the spot kick in the 75th minute, drilling a composed finish to the centre of the goal to double the advantage and put the result beyond doubt. Weiler brought on forward Jacob Murrell for Munteanu in the 78th minute to protect the lead, and the Black-and-Red controlled the final stretch professionally. Fernández was cautioned in the 80th minute for a foul. Defender Conner Antley came on for Peglow in the 89th minute as D.C. United saw out eight minutes of stoppage time, with Johnson making one final save on Trewin to secure the clean sheet. Murrell was cautioned late in stoppage time.
Munteanu was the standout performer on the afternoon, scoring both goals and generating five shots in 78 minutes to earn his second consecutive multi-goal performance. Johnson was commanding throughout, making four saves to earn his fourth clean sheet of the season and deny a New York City attack. Rowles was dominant at the back with 17 defensive contributions and 12 clearances, while Servania was composed and industrious across 90 minutes, contributing six defensive contributions, nine recoveries, and six passes into the final third.
With the result, D.C. United have now won back-to-back matches for the first time in 2026 and have scored five goals across their last two road outings. The Black-and-Red return to action on Saturday, May 9, traveling to Nashville SC at GEODIS Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
New York City FC Lineup: Matt Freese, Nico Cavallo, Thiago Martins, Strahinja Tanasijevic (Keaton Parks 63'), Raul Gustavo (Jonathan Shore 81'), Kai Trewin, Maxi Moralez, Aiden O'Neill (Andres Perea 36'), Nicolas Fernandez, Malachi Jones (Hannes Wolf 63'), Agustin Ojeda (Seymour Reid 81')
Unused Substitutes: Maximo Carrizo, Tomas Romero, Arnau Farnos
Head Coach: Pascal Jansen
D.C. United Lineup: Sean Johnson, Lucas Bartlett, Silvan Hefti, Keisuke Kurokawa, Kye Rowles, Matti Peltola, Brandon Servania, Joao Peglow (Conner Antley 89'), Jared Stroud (Aaron Herrera 60'), Louis Munteanu (Jacob Murrell 78'), Jackson Hopkins (Nikola Markovic 60')
Unused Substitutes: Jordan Farr, Alex Bono, Caden Clark, Gavin Turner, Hosei Kijima
Head Coach: René Weiler
