Suddenly, United (3-1-1) finds itself humbled and shorthanded as the Montreal Impact (2-2-1) pay a visit Tuesday to Audi Field (8 p.m., FloSports).

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“This is the MLS season — buckle up,” United coach Ben Olsen said. “Everybody needs to work and other guys are going to have to play into this.”

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While Saturday’s matchup was billed as a clash of the top two teams in the MLS standings, United was thoroughly outclassed on its home field. After allowing just one goal in four games, D.C. had no answer for LAFC attackers Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi as the visitors grabbed a three-goal lead by the 32nd minute.

Hope of a comeback was extinguished early in the second half, when Rooney was ejected following video review for a lunging challenge on Rossi. That means United will be without the services of the English star Tuesday for the first time since he arrived last summer, ending a streak of 26 consecutive matches played.

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The natural replacement for Rooney is journeyman striker Quincy Amarikwa, who made his D.C. debut as a substitute Saturday after joining the club this past offseason. Known for his work rate and tenacity off the bench, the 31-year-old has scored 25 goals in 11 seasons — a respectable total, but a substantial drop-off from Rooney’s clip of 16 goals during his brief MLS tenure.

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“Having played as long as I have in the league, I understand that sometimes my opportunities are few and far between,” Amarikwa said. “But my job is to come out and perform and to show that I can be a valuable asset whenever called upon.”

The quick turnaround does give United an opportunity to quickly put Saturday’s shellacking out of mind. With a win Tuesday, D.C. would move back into a tie with Columbus for first place in the Eastern Conference.