“I’m mostly satisfied with the team’s performances,” Coach René Weiler says, “but there is still a gap to the other teams.”
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It is undeniable that D.C. United has improved in 2026.
Last year, the club finished last among the 30 MLS teams with a 5-18-11 record and just 26 points. This year, United has 24 points through its first 21 games. There should be little question that, with 13 matches remaining, D.C. will be able to finish with more points than it did last season.
But it is also undeniable that, despite the steps forward, there’s still a large gap between United and the true playoff contenders. The MLS postseason format changes often, but even as the league continues to expand the field, United hasn’t qualified since 2019. This year, the team is tied for the Eastern Conference’s ninth and final playoff spot but on the outside looking in because of the tiebreaker (wins).
“It’s so difficult to win games for us this season,” Coach René Weiler said ahead of Los Angeles FC’s visit to Audi Field on Saturday night. United has lost its past two games and has just one win in its past 10, dating back to early May.
“Of course, we want to have better results,” Weiler added. “Maybe we need a little bit more time. Maybe we need to be a little bit more composure. I’m mostly satisfied with the team’s performances, but there is still a gap to the other teams. I know what we can and what we can’t do today. But that is the next step we want to go. We want to turn tight games in better results.”
LAFC, sitting third in the Western Conference, has visited Washington just once — a 4-0 rout of D.C. in April 2019. This will mark United’s first match against that opponent since LAFC signed Son Heung-min, the South Korean forward who starred for English Premier League club Tottenham before arriving in MLS last summer.
“Of course, we are much stronger than we were last season, but we are still struggling,” Weiler said. “We have to play on our limits. Everybody has to play on their limits. We need top performances. It should be better for us to have the entire squad on board.
“Now, we are missing again some starters and, of course, there’s an impact in our team.”
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With defender Kye Rowles and forward João Peglow both questionable to face LAFC with thigh injuries, Weiler noted the impact such absences can have on the “fine line” between winning and losing.
“We are unfortunately closer to defeats than we are to victories today,” Weiler said. “That is a fact that we have to accept, and, of course, we try to change it. The reasons? There are many reasons. We are making too many mistakes. … We are not finding it, the right decisions. We are not efficient enough. That, we want to make better in the next game.”
Weiler has been focused on turning around United since he took over as coach in July 2025. Several offseason acquisitions have paid dividends this year: Striker Tai Baribo has scored a team-leading 12 goals, fellow forward Louis Munteanu has chipped in six and right back Silvan Hefti is tied for the team lead with four assists.
Always quick to address United’s need for more high-quality players, Weiler said Thursday that he’s both pleased with the progress and keenly aware of how far his team still has to go.
The summer transfer window remains open, though Weiler allowed that it’s unlikely United will complete any further moves before it closes Wednesday.
“At the same time, it is our job, my job, to make the players daily better,” Weiler said. “I think when the best players are on the field, when we are in full strength, then it’s really complicated to play against us and we are really close to win games.
“At the end, quality always decides. We have to bring it into the team with transfers, and I have to try to get out more of all our potential we have into the team today.”
