All that has unfolded with D.C. United this spring — some good, a lot bad — was put aside Tuesday for a competition untethered to the bumpy regular season.
The occasion was the U.S. Open Cup, a 111-year-old tournament featuring teams ranging from amateurs sponsored by a Mexican restaurant to billionaire-backed MLS bullies. It was a welcome reprieve from the weekly grind of league play but one that could not be taken lightly.
The round-of-32 affair with the second-division Charleston Battery remained scoreless through regulation before Jacob Murrell’s marvelous goal six minutes into extra time injected life into a dreary match and helped United prevail, 2-0, before a small crowd at Audi Field.