D.C. United’s 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night turned swiftly and severely, from a deficit at even strength to a tied match with a man advantage and, before long, a lead that would hold up through an uncomfortable second half.
Washington, D.C
D.C. United holds on tight to hold off shorthanded Sounders in 2-1 win
United (3-3-4) ended a three-game winless streak (0-2-1) and won for just the second time since opening day.
It did not come easily. Despite playing a man up for more than 60 minutes, United performed as if it were the shorthanded team. The Sounders applied enormous pressure in the second half and threatened to sneak out with a point. Alex Bono’s sensational save in the 88th minute preserved the victory.
“We could have managed the game much better,” said Benteke, whose eight goals are one behind MLS leader Lionel Messi. “This is a part of the game where we have to improve, to complete our game and to manage the game.”
After a subpar performance at New York City FC last weekend, United had reason for optimism Saturday. Right back Aaron Herrera and midfielder Mateusz Klich returned from yellow-card suspensions, and rookie forward Jacob Murrell, a first-round draft pick from Georgetown, made his first start after five quality appearances as a sub.
United answered Coach Troy Lesesne’s call for a better start than its slumber in New York, playing with purpose and passion. Opportunities, though, were unfulfilled before and after Seattle’s icebreaker.
In the 14th minute, at the end of a long possession that began in Seattle’s end, Jordan Morris crossed to Léo Chú for an uncontested header past Bono.
“Even though we give up the early goal,” Lesesne said, “I still feel like we were pushing the game in the right way.”
The game flipped dramatically when Jared Stroud got behind defender Cody Baker on Christopher McVey’s long ball and was taken down by Frei. Not only did United receive a penalty kick — Benteke converted easily — but Frei was sent off. Andrew Thomas, who started three matches for the injured Frei early this season, entered. With the Sounders (1-5-3) needing to remove an outfield player, Chú was sacrificed.
United took advantage in the 45th minute. Herrera crossed to the back side of the six-yard box. Positioned behind 5-foot-8 Cristian Roldan, the 6-3 Benteke won the aerial battle as if no one was there and powered a six-yard header over the leaping Thomas.
For a team playing with an extra man, United conceded too much space and possession early in the second half, leading to some anxious moments.
“It just was kind of a choppy game,” Lesesne said. “A lot of set pieces, too many fouls from us. That breaks up the rhythm. So that’s something we have to be aware of. We want to be aggressive, but we don’t want to create fouls that slow the game down and then allow them to put balls in our box that are really dangerous.”
Benteke threatened to complete a hat trick in the 59th minute with a booming side volley that skipped over the crossbar, but United continued to struggle keeping possession. João Paulo hit the near post. Martín Rodríguez’s timely tackle in the box prevented Seattle’s Raúl Ruidíaz from shooting deep in the box.
In the waning moments, Bono extended himself to his left to touch aside Albert Rusnak’s header and Cristian Roldan failed to make solid contact inside the six-yard box.
“He’s been phenomenal all year,” center back Lucas Bartlett said of Bono. “We love the relationship we have built. We trust him, and he trusts us.”
The end of six minutes of stoppage time brought relief to the antsy crowd and to a D.C. squad that was clinging desperately to three points.
Here’s what else to know about United’s victory:
During the pregame team photo, players held up Russell Canouse’s No. 6 uniform — a show of support for the 28-year-old midfielder, who is expected to miss the season after having his colon removed last month.
When the sixth minute passed, fans in the supporters’ groups held up small “6” posts and unfurled a banner that read: “Husband. Father. Fighter. 6 Get Well Soon Russell.”
Captain Steven Birnbaum was in uniform for the first time this season — his 11th with the club — after undergoing knee surgery in February. Still about a week from being fully ready, the center back did not play.
Forward Ted Ku-DiPietro (adductor) and defender Conner Antley (calf) remain sidelined. Lesesne said they would need to make “a lot of progress” to return next week against visiting Philadelphia.
With Tyler Miller (25 starts in 2023) back from last fall’s shoulder surgery, Luis Zamudio will go on loan to a team in the second-flight USL Championship. Miller’s return will “create competition [for the starting job], and that’s a good thing,” Lesesne said.
D.C. released draft plans for the community surrounding a new Washington Commanders stadium at the former site of RFK Stadium.
Renderings included with the draft plan show the idea is to have a community with open spaces, parks, retail and housing. Walkability and access to the Anacostia River were essential for many who weighed in.
“We’ve been working throughout the development of this master plan with WMATA and the District Department of Transportation, and in this project, as all projects, having lots of ways for people to get to one place is really important, whether on foot, on bike, you’re in a vehicle, you’re taking transit, you’re taking Metrorail or the bus – all of those are provided for,” Office of Planning Director Anita Cozart said. “So, the big part of the master plan is making sure that there is space for those.”
The master plan includes space for a grocery store and as many as 6,500 new houses with 30% of those houses dedicated as affordable.
The community will develop around the stadium after it’s built, Cozart said.
The plan includes the visions and desires of thousands of people and agencies who weighed in on it, but it’s not final. The public is invited to inspect the plan and comment until Aug. 14.
“What did we get right about this master plan; what are some things that we might need to tweak,” Cozart said. “The next step after that is the master plan goes to the City Council.”
Club exercises Tamara Bolt’s 2027 option, extends Madison Haugen through end of season
Washington, D.C. (06/30/2026) – The Washington Spirit has made two midseason roster moves ahead of the resumption of the regular season early next month, the club announced today. The club has exercised its 2027 option on forward Tamara Bolt’s contract and extended short-term injury replacement (STR) player Madison Haugen through the end of the 2026 season.
“As we look ahead to kicking off the second half of the season, we’re confident in the group of players we have together and our midseason roster moves reflect that,” said Sporting Director James Hocken. “Our roster is constantly evolving to best serve the club’s aim of bringing trophies home to DC.”
Bolt signed with the Spirit in January 2025 before spending the calendar year on loan with Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League. Since returning to DC prior to this season, the Salvador, Brazil native has appeared in five matches for the Spirit. Bolt played three seasons with top-flight Brazilian side SC Internacional before joining the Spirit, appearing in 36 matches and tallying six goals in the process.
Haugen joined the Spirit as a short-term injury replacement player this past preseason, adding depth to the team’s roster in the absence of its players out on maternity leave. The defender has yet to appear in a match for the Spirit this season. Haugen most recently competed for Portugal’s Sporting CP, scoring five goals across 21 appearances.
The Spirit maintains ongoing conversations with all players that will be free agents following the 2026 season. Updates will be provided as they occur.
The Spirit will next take the pitch at Audi Field on Friday, July 3 when the side returns from the NWSL-wide June break to host the Houston Dash. Kicking off the holiday weekend at 8 p.m. EDT, tickets are available at WashingtonSpirit.com/tickets.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
This year’s Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, D.C. — marking the nation’s 250th birthday — will include hours of military flyovers and a massive fireworks display that could stretch late into the night, with some of the tightest security in decades, officials said Monday.
This Fourth will include “the largest display of fireworks our city has ever seen,” D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Interim Chief Jeff Carroll said at a news conference. Usually the fireworks begin at around 9 p.m., but this year, they are expected to begin at 11 p.m. and are “going to be longer than in previous years, we are told,” Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters.
President Trump has said he plans to speak at 9 p.m., ahead of the fireworks. Starting at 1:15 p.m., hundreds of planes will participate in a “Fourth of July Airshow,” the president said. The National Mall also is hosting a daily event called the Great American State Fair that will run until July 10, and some local neighborhoods are hosting parades and other events on the Fourth.
The main festivities have been deemed a National Special Security Event, a designation used for massive events like Super Bowls and presidential inaugurations. Security measures will be more extensive than for any Fourth of July event in D.C. since shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Carroll said, with more blocking vehicles, more fencing, concrete barriers and other security measures that aren’t employed for a typical Fourth of July celebration.
The FBI isn’t tracking any credible threats to the Fourth of July, but “we always remain vigilant,” said Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office.
Those planning to view the fireworks show from the Washington Monument grounds should expect “TSA-style” security, with magnetometers screening guests, according to Tara McLeese, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington field office.
Guests can arrive as early as 1 p.m., and should enter on the east side of the Washington Monument at Constitution Avenue and 14th St. NW, or at Independence Avenue and 14th Street SW, McLeese said.
McLeese said each guest in the restricted area is allowed only one clear bag no larger than a gallon, or a small clutch purse. There will be no storage for prohibited items.
The capacity of the primary viewing area at the Washington Monument is set at about 150,000, according to Secret Service Special Agent in Charge David Yamen, who runs the agency’s dignitary protective division. It is expected to hit capacity.
Attendees of the Great American State Fair at the National Mall are encouraged to remain there to watch the fireworks show, rather than attempting to enter the primary viewing zone on the Washington Monument grounds, said Scott Brecht, chief of the U.S. Park Police. Leaving one zone and moving to another will require additional security screenings, and reentry may not be possible.
To get to the National Mall on the Fourth, public transit use is encouraged. The D.C. Metro will be free after 5 p.m., Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Randy Clarke said, “to really make sure people can not only enjoy the festivities all over the region as a community, but also make sure from a safety point of view we can get people going through.”
“If you’re going downtown for the fireworks, plan ahead, be ready for an increased security presence, crowds, and road closures,” D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Director Clint Osborn said. “I would say that if you’re going downtown and you’ve done this before, don’t assume you know what it’s going to look like.”
Join CBS for “The Great American Block Party 250,” a primetime special on Saturday, July 4, hosted by CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil and Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner, featuring live musical performances, celebrations around the country, and the largest fireworks show in history in the skies over the nation’s capital. Tune in July 4 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and stream it on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7.
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