DC United went to Citi Field — historically one of their least favorite venues in MLS — and won 2-0. Louis Munteanu scored twice. It is the first time DC United have won back-to-back games since October 2024. They are fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Jon and Ted are back together and taking full credit for the momentum shift. As Jon put it at the end of the episode: if this team gives you a couple of weeks to be happy, take it. Hold onto it. Treasure it.
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The Performance
DC United were the better side for most of this game — a sentence that has not been written very often in recent years. They had stretches of 70%+ possession on a narrow baseball field that typically stymies them, pressed effectively in transition, and capitalized on an NYCFC side that looked genuinely flat.
Brandon Servania had arguably his best game of the season. Matti Peltola was solid and unspectacular in the best possible way. Keisuke Kurokawa and Jared Stroud combined on a long throw set piece that set up one of the goals — a combination nobody had on their bingo card heading into the match. Silvan Hefti continued his remarkable season without generating much national attention, which Jon attributed entirely to DC United’s public reputation rather than anything to do with his play.
Sean Johnson was largely untested but made the saves that were asked of him. The defensive low block was organized and disciplined, collapsing effectively every time NYCFC tried to find space.
Louis Munteanu
Two goals. A penalty and an instinctive positioning goal that showed exactly why DC United spent the money they spent. Neither was a worldie, but both were the product of a player who knows where to be and has the composure to finish. Jon noted that Renée Weiler spent the early part of the season protecting Munteanu from the spotlight — giving him time, managing expectations, letting the injuries delay full deployment — and now he’s fully deployed and scoring. The question going forward is what the attack looks like when Tai Baribo returns and the two have to coexist for extended minutes.
The Pirani Situation
Weiler called out Pirani in the pregame press conference for the second time this season — this time essentially describing him as a player only concerned about himself. Jon’s read: Pirani is not playing for DC United again. He’ll be moved on in the summer. The locker room appears to have checked out on him. The only debate is what kind of fee, if any, DC United can recoup. Jon thinks the odds are long given how publicly the coach has buried him.
What’s Next
Four games before the World Cup break: Nashville away, Chicago at home, St. Louis at home, Montreal at home. Jon predicted four points. Ted agreed the Nashville game is likely a loss but the home run against St. Louis and Montreal should yield wins. If DC can steal something in Nashville on national TV on FS1, that changes the narrative around this team considerably.
Washington Spirit
The Spirit are flying. Claudia Martinez continues to look like a generational talent — Jon and Ted both struggled to contain their enthusiasm about what she’s going to become. Andy Sullivan is back and sliding in alongside Hal Hirschfeld, which is the partnership both hosts believe unlocks the best of both players. Sandy McIver has tightened up her game significantly. Adrian Gonzalez won manager of the month. The vibes at the Spirit are as good as they’ve been at any point in recent memory.
Kwasi came off the bench this week — the fact that she’s a substitute option on this team tells you everything you need to know about where the Spirit are right now.
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RFK Refugees is a DC United and Washington Spirit podcast hosted by Jon Hoffman and Ted Meyer.