Mora, who couldn’t eat solid foods early in his recovery, finally returned to the field this month for the pair of U.S. Open Cup games and now for the second half of United’s MLS slate, which begins Wednesday against Orlando City.

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“Those were some tough days for me and not moments that I like to look back on,” Mora said through an interpreter after he played more than 90 minutes June 12 against Philadelphia, a game United won in extra time. “But luckily we’re past that. I’m able to eat normally, and I’m trying to get back to my full fitness and get back to the level that I was before. Again, I’m glad that I’m done with it.”

Before Mora’s absence — the first three games of the season and then during his brief appearance against Orlando City — United did not concede a goal. In those four matches, the club called upon the same 11 starters, and in doing so, earned three wins and a draw. Since then, United Coach Ben Olsen has needed to use backups to patch various holes in the lineup, and without Mora, the back line shuffled through a handful of combinations.

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The first-choice defensive corps — Mora, Steven Birnbaum, Frederic Brillant and Leonardo Jara — played together again against New York City FC last week, a loss in the round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup. Mora returned the previous week against Philadelphia, but Jara moved from right back to defensive midfield, which lacked depth without Junior Moreno (Copa America), Russell Canouse (minor injury) and Chris Durkin (suspension).

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With Mora back, Birnbaum said the group quickly reestablished chemistry and “it's good to have that connection that we had at the beginning of the season.”

After the game against Philadelphia, Olsen said of Mora, “We’ve missed him in a big way.”

The U.S. Open Cup has no implications on the MLS standings, but the games against two teams in the top half of the Eastern Conference helped fill a void in the schedule. Olsen could ease injured players back onto the field and be cautious with others.

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Canouse played 20 minutes against New York City after being held out against Philadelphia. Canouse called it “a good run to get back,” adding that he felt tired after the short appearance, which “was definitely needed going into our next stretch.”

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Defender Donovan Pines has missed more than a month with a sprained knee ligament, but he was on the game-day roster last week and will be available for selection against Orlando City, Olsen said after the game against New York City. Starting goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who had dealt with knee soreness, didn’t play in the U.S. Open Cup, but Olsen frequently gives the nod to the backup goalkeeper during this midseason tournament. Hamid should be ready to play against Orlando City.

“Health-wise, I think we’re in a good spot,” Olsen said Monday. “We haven’t been for about two months. … We certainly don’t have any excuses.”

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United will still be without winger Paul Arriola, who’s representing the United States at Gold Cup and has scored twice in two games, and Moreno, the Venezuelan midfielder. But the team has had plenty of time to train without those two regular starters and has managed their absences through the two U.S. Open Cup games. United has three matches before both continental championships conclude July 7.

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United (7-4-6, 27 points) begins the second half of its MLS season third in the Eastern Conference. At this date last year — the tail end of the pre-Wayne Rooney, pre-Audi Field era — United was in last place and had just two victories.

Even with United’s much-improved start this season, it hasn’t won a league game since May 12 and has settled for draws in its past two outings at home. After the loss in the U.S. Open Cup, Canouse said the club wants to push not just for the playoffs but for a top spot in the conference. Rooney said “recent results aren’t good enough,” stressing the importance of winning against Orlando City (5-7-3, 18 points).

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“There’s urgency, for sure,” Olsen said. “Every time we’re at home, and [with] the beginning of the second half of the season, you want to get off in the right way. We have two good chances to do that at home, and the expectation is to maximize our points.”