Major League Soccer’s 25th season officially kicks off at Audi Field this Saturday afternoon when D.C. United hosts the Colorado Rapids.
It’s somewhat of a new era for the Black-and-Red, since Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta are no longer leading the attack. The team addressed those needs with the acquisitions of Edison Flores, Julian Gressel and Yamil Asad, the latter two becoming even more important when Paul Arriola suffered a potential season-ending knee injury in preseason.
It’s also somewhat of a new day in Colorado following the retirement of legendary goalkeeper Tim Howard. Under the tutelage of head coach Robin Fraser, Colorado closed out the 2019 season as one of the most entertaining sides in the league. The Rapids also made important moves to shore up the defense, signing Lalas Abubakar after he played on loan from Columbus Crew SC last season, and trading for Austin Trusty from Philadelpha. Their crown jewel, though, might be Younes Namli, a Designated Player who plays in the No. 10 role.