WASHINGTON, DC - It’s hard to believe, but according to the internet, DC United of Major League Soccer has only played Loudoun United of USL Championship one other time, a 5-1 win for the MLS club, back in 2021. Last week, on a miserably hot and wet day in the nation’s capital, the former second team, Loudoun United, took on the four-time MLS Cup, four-time Supporter Shield, three-time US Open Cup, one-time CONCACAC Champions Cup, and one-time Copa Interamericana Cup winners.

Loudoun United scored first when Úlfarsson found a goal just 10 minutes into the friendly - Thorleifur Úlfarsson signed for Loudoun at the beginning of the year and is just 4 goals off the pace for the USL Championship’s Golden Boot. DC United erased the early advantage with three first half goals of their own.

Loudoun’s Head Coach, Anthony Limbrick, made several changes at the break, to give players not usually featured, a chance for minutes. “Academy Player” scored Loudoun’s second goal in the 66th and it turned out to be the final goal for either side as it ended 3-2 for the legacy MLS side.

The friendly was packed in between two meaningful league fixtures for the USL club; Loudoun United won at home over Hartford Athletic on Saturday, August 1st then lost to Charleston Battery (a lot of clubs do, to be fair) the following Saturday. Loudoun are four points out of the playoff picture and are away to 3rd place Detroit City FC on Saturday the 15th. They’re going to have to start playing desperate for points soon, as we’re entering the home stretch of the USL Championship season, with just 12 games left to go and only 5 of those are at home.

Photographer Shawn Payne was on assignment for Protagonist Soccer and able to share his work from the evening.

Visit Shawn’s Website to see more of his work https://paynesonphotography.myportfolio.com/featured-work

written by Joshua Duder
photos by Shawn Payne