Saturday brings a fresh angle to a fast-established story line: an early-season showdown between unbeaten MLS teams featuring the league’s highest-scoring side and the top two producing attackers, all presented on a rare, old-school TV broadcast.

“It’s an early sexy game,” United Coach Ben Olsen said of the 3 p.m. match against second-year Los Angeles FC. “It’s a great early matchup, and I expect that place to be bumpin’.”

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Guided by former U.S. World Cup coach Bob Bradley, the visitors lead the 24-team league with 13 points (4-0-1), though four other teams, including United, are undefeated after fewer matches. Two victories have come on goals in second-half stoppage time.

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With an MLS-best six goals and three assists, Mexican star Carlos Vela has been involved in more than half of LAFC’s league-leading 15 goals. On Saturday, he netted a hat trick in a 5-0 runaway at San Jose.

United counters with a 3-0-1 mark, impressive home victories against defending champion Atlanta and Real Salt Lake, a lone conceded goal, and Rooney, the English superstar who has posted four goals and three assists — a total amassed, except for one assist, in the past two outings.

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More so, at the nine-month-old venue at Buzzard Point, United’s ruthlessness and confidence have blossomed: 9-0-1 in the past 10 regular season matches (with a 27-7 goal differential) and a 14-2-1 record since the inauguration.

Across all regular season games, United has not lost since Aug. 29, a span of 14 matches (10-0-4). On Sunday, with Rooney scoring and assisting at Orlando, D.C. won on the road for the first time since last May.

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Since signing, Rooney has recorded 16 goals and 10 assists in 24 regular season appearances.

United enters the weekend tied for first in the Eastern Conference with Columbus (10 points from five games).

In preparing for the match, Bradley told reporters in Los Angeles, “When you look at certain games, you get excited when you know that it’s a real good football challenge, and I think this is one of those games.”

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In LAFC, United also faces a formidable task.

“They are riding high,” United defender Chris McCann said. But “we’re on a good run. And we’re playing at home. . . . Atlanta came here, and we played fantastic; it could’ve been more than the result it was [2-0]. Salt Lake came here, sent them packing as well” by a 5-0 count.

Olsen’s lineup will look a bit different after the same group started the first four matches. A broken jaw and concussion will sideline Joseph Mora for at least a month, leaving the team without a pacey left back who performed well defensively and contributed to the attacking buildup.

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McCann, who made his D.C. debut by replacing Mora in the 15th minute in Orlando, is the top candidate to complete the back line. The Irishman joined United from Atlanta, where he spent two seasons after many years in the English divisions.

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Olsen has not relied on depth thus far — only Ulises Segura and Chris Durkin have made multiple appearances off the bench — but Mora’s injury and a busy upcoming schedule have changed things.

“Games are going to come fast and furious over the next month — injuries and suspensions, it’s all going to pile up,” said Olsen, whose team will host Montreal on Tuesday and visit Colorado next Saturday. “It always does, every year, and you have to weather that and rely on everybody.”

The fast starts by United and LAFC were serendipitous for Fox, which had planned since the winter to carry the match. MLS matches on English-language national TV typically appear on cable outlets Fox Sports 1, ESPN and ESPN2.

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Fox’s lead-in programming is the Bundesliga blockbuster between first-place Borussia Dortmund and second-place Bayern Munich.

The MLS pregame, halftime and postgame shows will be conducted not on the edge of Audi Field or an upper level but in United’s rambunctious supporters’ section behind the north goal.

“It should be fun,” Olsen said. “Our guys are looking forward to it. I’m sure they are looking forward to it. . . . We’ll have our hands full, but hopefully so will they.”

Los Angeles FC at D.C. United

When: Saturday, 3 p.m.

Where: Audi Field.

TV: Fox.

Records: DCU 3-0-1, 10 points; LAFC 4-0-1, 13 points.

D.C. probable starters: GK Bill Hamid; Ds Leonardo Jara, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum, Chris McCann; MFs Paul Arriola, Russell Canouse, Junior Moreno, Luciano Acosta, Lucas Rodriguez; F Wayne Rooney.

LAFC probable starters: GK Tyler Miller; Ds Steven Beitashour, Walker Zimmerman, Eddie Segura, Jordan Harvey; MFs Carlos Vela, Eduard Atuesta, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Latif Blessing, Diego Rossi; F Adama Diomande.