5 Best D.C. United MLS Players, Ranked

D.C. United was one of Major League Soccer’s founding franchises, and it immediately experienced significant success.

The Black and Red won the inaugural MLS Cup in 1996 and added three more titles during the league’s first decade. The club has also claimed four Supporters’ Shields, three U.S. Open Cups, and a CONCACAF Champions Cup (formerly, the CONCACAF Champions League).

Despite that distinguished history, D.C. United has recently sat near the bottom of the MLS odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook after failing to win a trophy over the last decade and missing the postseason each of the last five years.

To rank the five best players in D.C. United’s MLS history, it’s no surprise that I’ve had to look back at the club’s early glory days.

5 Best D.C. United MLS Players, Ranked

D.C. United All-Time Greatest Players

1. Jaime Moreno

When I look to bet on soccer games, I’m often targeting teams with players like Jaime Moreno.

The Bolivian forward set the standard for MLS strikers, scoring 131 goals and dishing out 102 for D.C. United across a pair of seven-year stints with the franchise. Moreno was the first player in MLS history in the 100-100 club and retired as the league’s all-time leading scorer (133 goals). He now sits fifth on that decorated list, but remains by far and away the club’s top scorer.

Widely considered one of the league’s best players, Moreno helped D.C. to 12 trophies, was a four-time All-Star, and was included in the MLS Best XI on five occasions. He also won 1997 MLS Cup MVP honours after scoring in a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.

2. Marco Etcheverry

Etcheverry scored far fewer goals than his Bolivian compatriot, but the left-footed midfielder had a flair for the spectacular. He earned MLS Goal of the Year honours twice in his career, producing a long-range strike from the midfield circle to capture the second award in 1999.

Etcheverry scored 34 goals and produced 101 assists in MLS play, often linking with Moreno at the top end of the pitch. He helped the club to eight trophies in his eight seasons and was recognized as MLS MVP in 1998 after scoring 10 goals and providing 19 assists.

An All-Star and MLS Best XI inclusion from 1996-1999, Etcheverry played a vital role in D.C. United’s early success.

3. Christian Gomez

After signing from Arsenal de Sarandi in his native Argentina in August 2004, Gomez made an immediate impact, helping D.C. to its fourth MLS Cup triumph. He scored a pivotal goal in the Eastern Conference final clash with New England, a tie United ultimately won via penalty shootout.

The midfielder scored double-digit goals in each of his first three full seasons and won 2006 MLS MVP honours after leading the team to the first of two straight Supporters’ Shields with 14 goals and 11 assists.

Gomez tallied 45 goals and 33 assists in 124 MLS appearances for the club and was one of its best players in a shorter period of success.

4. Eddie Pope

Pope was D.C. United’s first MLS SuperDraft selection, and the American defender paid almost instant dividends by heading home the golden goal in MLS Cup 1996, giving his team a 3-2 overtime win over the LA Galaxy.

The North Carolina native won MLS Defender of the Year honours the following campaign, also earning the first of four All-Star and MLS Best XI recognitions in his career. Pope played his first seven seasons in D.C., helping the club lift eight trophies before moving to the New York Red Bulls.

5. Ben Olsen

Olsen is synonymous with D.C. United, a club where he spent more than two decades as a player and coach.

The American midfielder started his career with United in 1998 and would go on to make nearly 300 appearances for the Eagles across all competitions, ranking only behind Moreno in that category.

He won eight trophies during his playing days before leading D.C. to its 2013 Open Cup triumph — its most recent trophy — from the touchline.