Which raises this question ahead of Sunday’s match against New York City FC at Audi Field: Will he go back to the tried-and-true arrangement or stick with the stopgap plan?

Olsen is not saying, but in all likelihood he will return to the original scheme. Or will he?

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“We’ve jumped into [the new look] a few times the last year and a half out of necessity, but it’s something we want to continue to build on,” he said Friday. “Is that this weekend? That depends on who we put out there, what the tactics look like and how we can be successful.”

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At the very least, a second system will keep opponents a bit off-balance in the buildup to matches. But all of MLS knows United has gained success — 11-1-5 in the regular season since Sept. 2 and 16-5-6 since Wayne Rooney’s debut in mid-July — by playing with four defenders, two defensive midfielders, a line of three attacking midfielders and a striker.

Last weekend, faced with a third match in eight days and several defensive injuries, Olsen shook things up by using three central defenders, two wide defenders who raided the wings, two defensive midfielders, two attacking midfielders and Rooney.

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United sputtered at first, hit its stride in a three-goal burst late in the first half, then survived an onslaught to escape with a 3-2 victory against the winless Colorado Rapids.

After returning home, United is fresher (eight days between matches) and healthier (right back Leonardo Jara has recovered from a shoulder injury). All of which suggests United will reprise the plan that elevated it to the top of the Eastern Conference standings before this weekend’s leaguewide action.

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“Last week was a little more out of necessity than tactical, but it’s nice to have that flexibility,” Olsen said. With the new system, “We would like to get it to the point where we are comfortable enough to, if the game needs those tactics, go into it.”

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United hatched the plan in the days leading to the Colorado visit; it was not something the team worked on extensively in training camp.

If Olsen goes in that direction again, defender Steve Birnbaum said, “we now have a better understanding of the way the game is going to look. It’s nice because we now have these two formations we can go in and out of. We have the pieces and players to suit that formation.”

But, he cautioned, “We have to be better with it if we play it again in the future.”

Leading 3-1 at intermission, United found itself pinned back and with little possession for 45 stressful minutes. Paul Arriola and Ulises Segura, the flank players, were instrumental in the attack in the first half but reduced to defending in the second.

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“It was a good learning curve for us,” Rooney said. “The next time we play that way, we’ll know what to do better.”

Even if he reverts to the original formation Sunday, Olsen could retain some of the new personnel. The biggest question is whether Donovan Pines, a 6-foot-5 center back who performed well in his MLS debut, returns to the lineup or yields to veteran Frederic Brillant.

Another position up for debate is defensive midfield, where Russell Canouse, Junior Moreno and Chris Durkin vie for two starting slots. Canouse and Moreno had started every match together until last weekend, when Durkin, 19, replaced Canouse and scored his first MLS goal.

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Jara’s likely return would allow Arriola to return to his natural position in midfield. At left back, injuries to Joseph Mora (broken jaw) and Chris McCann (strained hamstring) seem to leave Segura, Olsen’s most versatile player, as the top option for the foreseeable future.

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Mora was slated to return to training around May 1, but his timetable now seems longer. McCann should return in a few weeks, but in his two starts he lacked the pace for the position.

While he assesses his team’s options, Olsen is wary of a New York City FC side that is aiming for a breakthrough after one defeat and five draws. Last month, the teams played to a scoreless tie at Yankee Stadium.

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“Individually, it’s a super-talented team everywhere,” he said of NYC. “It’s probably just a matter of time before they start clicking. Hopefully it’s in a few weeks.”

D.C. United vs. New York City FC

Where: Audi Field.

When: 4 p.m. Sunday.

TV: ESPN.

Records: United 4-1-2, 14 points; NYC 0-1-5, five points.

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