D.C. United may have taken a massive step toward post-season football in Major League Soccer tonight.

Away from home against New England Revolution, the Black-and-Red bagged two goals inside the opening eight minutes of action at Gillette Stadium.

First, it was veteran Portuguese left-back Pedro Santos to fire the Eagles in front after just three minutes with a thunderous near-post hit inside the box after winning the foot race to a bouncing ball before smashing it past Aljaž Ivačič.

And then, who else but Christian Benteke to double D.C.’s goal advantage in the eighth minute after a simple ball over the top from Lucas Bartlett confounded New England’s defence before the Belgian slotted home from just outside the box.

That goal puts the former Belgian international forward on 23 league goals and all but guarantees a golden boot sitting on his trophy mantel while D.C. jumps up to ninth in the table in the live table.

It also means Benteke has equalled Raul Diaz-Arce’s single-season club scoring record set back in 1996.

Feature image credit: © Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images