Washington Spirit seize the moment as DC United stumble in city of unrest

The rise of the NWSL's Spirit and fall of MLS's United are emblematic of the two ownership groups' commitment to fans and the culture of a unique city

Even by the city's own high standards, things have been strange in Washington DC lately.

On U street Friday night, the usual throngs of drunken party goers were decidedly smaller. Lines outside clubs and bars were nonexistent. The week prior, residents of the District watched as the reality of US president Donald Trump's crackdown" unfolded in front of them. Police set up checkpoints in some of their city's immigrant strongholds and approached other people at random. The mere presence of the military on the streets of the US capital has been an uneasy sight for many longtime Washingtonians, who already lack voting representation in Congress and are so frequently at the mercy and whim of the federal government.