He’s Not Rude, He’s Just Swiss: DC United Fall 1-2 to Inter Miami in Baltimore
70,000 fans. Lionel Messi. Wale at halftime. DC United lost 1-2 to Inter Miami at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and Renée Wilder answered every postgame question like a man who has somewhere better to be.
He’s not rude. He’s just Swiss.
Jon and Ted break it all down on the latest RFK Refugees — the Baltimore spectacle, what it actually meant for the club, and whether any of those pink jerseys are going to show up at Audi Field on a Wednesday night against New England. Spoiler: probably not.
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The Baltimore Spectacle
From a business perspective, Jon and Ted both agreed: it was probably a smashing success. DC United filled roughly two and a half Audi Fields with 70,000 fans and generated the kind of attention the club rarely gets. The harder question is whether any of it converts — whether a single person who showed up in a Messi jersey is going to drive down to DC on a cold Tuesday night to watch DC United vs. Chicago Fire.
Jon’s read: almost certainly not. Ted’s take: unless the club follows through on the Baltimore academy and MLS Next Pro presence, this whole exercise risks looking a little silly in hindsight. Renée Wilder, for his part, was characteristically blunt in the buildup — essentially acknowledging publicly that this was about money and he’d have preferred Audi Field if the choice were his. The most candid thing he’s said in a press conference so far.
The Game
DC United came out cagey in the first half, sitting deep and inviting Inter Miami to come at them — the same pragmatist approach that backfired at Austin. It didn’t work here either. Gabriel Pirani was borderline invisible throughout. The press never really got going. By halftime it was 2-0 and the task was almost impossible.
The first goal is on Lucas Bartlett — he got bodied off the ball in possession and left his team exposed at the worst moment. Jon and Ted were less critical of the Messi goal. Some things are just Messi things. Trying to find a defender in MLS who handles that situation cleanly is a short list.
Sean Johnson made some good stops in the second half but his box management continues to be a talking point through three games. Not yet a crisis, but something to monitor.
The Second Half Story: Markovic and Munteanu
The good news came off the bench. Nikola Markovic came on for Brandon Servania and immediately looked like he belonged — calm in possession, physical, and able to play the kind of ball-splitting passes that opened up DC’s attack. Jon was ready to hand him a start against Chicago on the spot. Ted wasn’t far behind.
Louis Munteanu had his best showing in a DC United shirt. He dropped into space, demanded the ball, linked up with teammates, and — yes — attempted a bicycle kick that may or may not have been the right decision but was absolutely the right energy. No goals, no assists yet, but the performance was enough for Jon to go on record: Munteanu starts next week.
Jackson Hopkins picked up a semi-assist on Tai Baribo’s goal — the move that got DC back to 2-1 and briefly made things interesting. Which raised the question Jon and Ted spent some time on: Hopkins is out of contract and has appeared in every game. Do you extend him now? Both hosts said yes, immediately, on a U22 deal while he’s still 22 this summer.
Caden Clark also came on and looked lively — pressing, direct, wanting the ball. He’s alive. After the mystery of not even making the bench last week, that’s something.
What’s Next
The circus is over. Chicago away and Atlanta away are next — two winnable games against teams that haven’t found their footing either. Jon’s prediction: a win at Chicago and a draw in Atlanta. Ted flipped it. Either way, both agreed this team needs to come away from these two games with points. Three games in with three points, the margin for error is getting thinner.
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RFK Refugees is a DC United and Washington Spirit podcast hosted by Jon Hoffman and Ted Meyer.