Until posting their come-from-behind win against the New England Revolution in last year's MLS Cup Final, the Houston Dynamo had never won at RFK Stadium.
For much of the last two years, D.C. United have been one of the league's best teams record-wise and they have certainly played the Dynamo well in their home stadium.
So instead of the venue, maybe it has a little something to do with the team that plays there.
Even Dynamo midfielder Craig Waibel has his own ideas, saying the fans there are among the best and most passionate in Major League Soccer. Either way, the Dynamo will have their hands full when they make their first regular season visit to RFK Stadium since winning their second consecutive title there last fall.
"The atmosphere there is ridiculous, because their crowds are always awesome," Waibel said Tuesday, before having lunch with teammate Brian Mullan ahead of the team flight to the nation's capital.
"The key this year I think is to jump on them early. They are a team that maybe has struggled a little bit defensively, so if we can make them start questioning their defensive line early, I think we will be all right."
D.C. United are still looking for back-to-back wins following last year's campaign that produced the Supporters' Shield. They had the lead last week on the road against the New England Revolution, only to give up the tying goal. D.C. United sit in the cellar of the Eastern Conference and have only 10 points in 11 matches.
A win on Wednesday, however, would propel the team past the New York Red Bulls and Kansas City Wizards.
Asked if he thought his team might overlook the opponent ahead of Sunday's match against Toronto FC, Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear said his team would not make that mistake again. He and several of his players point to a May 22 loss at San Jose as an example of what not to do when preparing for an opponent.
"On any given day, any team in this league can win," Kinnear said. "Right now consistency is a very crucial thing to come by. D.C. looked really good recently against Toronto (May 24). They were down 1-0 and then 2-1 and came back to win. I know that was a real emotional lift. They got ahead in their match against New England, but that team clawed their way back into what was a well-played match.
"D.C. United is a good team and I know we are not going to take them lightly at all."
Last Saturday, the Dynamo played without several key players and still found their way to a 1-0 win against New York. Wednesday, they will have Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad back, both of whom played with the Canadian national team in a friendly against Brazil.
But the team will still be without captain Wade Barrett, who continues to struggle with a groin injury. He is able to run without problem, but the team wants to ensure he has a full range of motion before stepping back onto the field.
The team could also be without defender Eddie Robinson, who found out after the New York match that he would be suspended for an additional match for his actions against FC Dallas on May 28.
Robinson, however, has appealed to the MLS Disciplinary Committee and is still awaiting a decision.
Asked if he agreed with the decision to suspend Robinson another match, Kinnear was coy with his response.
"I will put it this way. Eddie asked us if we thought he should appeal, and he received the backing from the coaching staff," Kinnear said. "Eddie is traveling and we should hear something when we are flying over."
The Dynamo hope their troubles are mostly behind them.
A good May followed a slow April and things have gradually gotten better for the team since a 3-0 loss at New England on March 29. Waibel said winning two consecutive championships has sent expectations through the roof.
"Most people forget that we were 3-1-1 last month," Waibel said. "And that is funny because when you are used to excellence, you look at the big picture and sometimes you forget the small one.
"3-1-1 is a pretty darn good record for a month and right now all we are hoping for is to duplicate that. I think we play five more games this month, so the possibility is there and that is something to shoot for. But first, we have to worry about D.C. United. We need to get the win there and then starting thinking about Toronto and the rest of the matches that we'll play in June."
