This day has always hovered in front of D.C. United, a real-life version of those “chase the carrot” cartoons, a new stadium hung by a string in front of a franchise that would never catch it.



The reward wasn’t just a new building, of course, it was all that was supposed to come with it: A bigger budget, star players, a consistently competitive team that didn’t need to be rebuilt every year, and, most tantalizingly, a potential return to the glory days of Major League Soccer’s first dynasty.



The promise has been hovering for years, and for those who have spent any time in D.C., there has been more disappointment around a potential stadium than excitement. No one thought this day would actually come.



The stadium was finally delivered on Saturday, and it was supposed to be a celebratory day. The team even provided a resounding 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. And yet there was as much to rue about the situation in which D.C.