D.C. United, now under Coach Troy Lesesne, begins new MLS season

The new coach, Troy Lesesne, entered MLS circles as an assistant just two years ago before temporarily overseeing the New York Red Bulls last year. The new general manager and chief soccer officer, Ally Mackay, was an assistant GM in Nashville.

The club did not make any blockbuster trades, sign any MLS free agents or promote any academy players. It filled the lone high-end designated player slot with its only international acquisition, Matti Peltola, a 21-year-old defensive midfielder from Finland.

Anyone excited for radical change probably fell asleep before training camp even opened.

Absent such noisy moves, United will begin the 34-match campaign against the visiting New England Revolution in a quiet place. It sits near the bottom of preseason power rankings and is universally expected to miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive autumn.

Nonetheless, United’s new guard has remained steadfast in its approach to establishing a fresh culture, identity and playing style — one that Lesesne promises will be aggressive and proactive — before counting on results to fall into place.

“We are still in that building process, and it’s going to take a little bit of time to get things in the place we want them to be in,” said Lesesne, who, at 40, is MLS’s second-youngest coach behind New York City FC’s Nick Cushing. “But I’m hoping we take a really positive first step and a really important first step this weekend.”

In other words, don’t expect United to sprint to the top of the Eastern Conference standings this spring.

But will it become a good team?

“I can tell you that in July,” midfielder Mateusz Klich said. “I don’t know. I think we have the tools to be a good team, but at the same time we have players who haven’t played much or are not experienced. It could go both ways. It could go very good or not. So let’s wait and see.”

United will use the first segment of the season to evaluate the roster, particularly the 18 holdovers, Mackay said. The trade and transfer deadline will remain open until April 23, then reopen July 18 for four weeks.

“The thing that excites me the most right now is that it’s like preparing for a test,” said Mackay, who at 37 is among the league’s younger decision-makers. “Now that we can start games, we can begin to analyze where the team is, where are the pitfalls, where are the individuals we have, how they contribute, and is that enough?”

Aside from match results and the eye test, Mackay said he will lean on analytics. The new assistant GM, Caleb Shreve, was Orlando City’s head of analytics, and United will soon add a data engineer and a data scientist, Mackay said.

“Data allows you to make more informed decisions” about the roster and future recruitment, Mackay said. The current group has “the first audition, and then with that, we learn through ’24 and take it from there. … We’re trying to put things in place that are sustainable.”

A tight salary cap and guaranteed contracts limited United’s winter options.

“We have added value in certain positions,” Mackay said. “Is it perfect? No. But it’s heading in the right direction.”

Five newcomers could start Saturday: Peltola, center back Lucas Bartlett and midfielder Jared Stroud (both from St. Louis City), center back Christopher McVey (Inter Miami) and right back Aaron Herrera (CF Montreal). Defender-midfielder Conner Antley (second-division Tampa Bay Rowdies) is also in the mix.

The team used a 17-day training camp in Saudi Arabia to build unity on and off the field. With that foundation taking hold, Lesesne began implementing an up-tempo style that pressures the opponent and seizes opportunity in transition.

“The application has been not always perfect, but the intention behind it is exactly what I’d like it to be,” said Lesesne, who succeeded Wayne Rooney. “It’s not going to be perfect on Saturday. There’s going to be moments where we don’t get everything exactly right, but what I love to see from this group, in a short amount of time, is how they respond.”

Lesesne’s message has come through loud and clear, goalkeeper Alex Bono said.

“There’s no gray areas about it,” he said. “The buy-in from the group has been really good.”

Bono marvels at Lesesne’s commitment, saying: “I’d like a count on the number of coffees he has by the time we have our meeting in the morning. It’s impressive the energy he brings. He’s hungry to bring this club to where everyone wants it to be. He’s been a breath of fresh air.”

Lesesne will not be on the sideline Saturday, though. Because of a red card in the Red Bulls’ playoff finale last fall, he will watch from an Audi Field suite. On-field duties will fall to Zach Prince, who assisted Lesesne on second-flight New Mexico United and the Red Bulls.

Nonetheless, it will be Lesesne’s ideas on display.

“There’s a high degree of appetite to really bring D.C. United back into the direction it needs to be and has been in the past,” he said. “We are moving forward, and I’m excited to do so. That’s what we’ve been doing since Day 1 — moving forward in a direction we can all get behind.”

Notes: United’s longest-serving players, center back Steven Birnbaum and defensive midfielder Russell Canouse, are sidelined with knee and ankle injuries, respectively. Goalkeeper Tyler Miller continues to rehabilitate a 2023 shoulder injury. …

Birnbaum will remain the team captain, Lesesne said. Christian Benteke, Canouse and defender-midfielder Pedro Santos were named vice captains.