Union takeaways: Jack McGlynn and Leon Flach played key roles in the win at D.C. United

WASHINGTON — Here are our day-after takeaways on the Union’s 3-1 win at D.C. United on Saturday, a result that moved them up to second place in the Eastern Conference with 10 games to go in the regular season.

Jack McGlynn. There was his well-taken goal in the 13th minute that put the Union up 2-0 early, and a lot more. Playing on the left side of a diamond midfield in a 4-4-2, he completed 50 of 54 passes, making 10 passes into the attacking third of the field. He also had four defensive recoveries and won three of the five duels he contested.

This game marked the first time all year that McGlynn played 90 minutes in back-to-back contests for the Union. That’s a sign of his continued improvement and, more important, Union manager Jim Curtin’s willingness to let McGlynn run for longer stretches.

» READ MORE: Union’s first-half romp propels a 3-1 win at D.C. United in return to regular-season action

4: The number of shots taken by striker Mikael Uhre. Two were on target, including his fifth-minute goal; one was off target; and one was blocked. His long scoring droughts this year were tough to watch, but as long as a striker keeps shooting, the odds are good that the ball will go in eventually. Now Uhre has goals in back-to-back games for the first time this year.

3: The number of interceptions by Leon Flach, who had to sub in earlier than planned when José Andrés Martínez left with a hamstring injury in the 26th minute.

“Sometimes you have [a] dip in form. And listen, if I had all the answers, then, yeah, it would be an easier game.”

— Uhre on scoring in the second straight game, after an eight-game scoreless drought before then.

“He felt his hamstring just tighten up on one of those longer runs that he had in the first half. To his credit now, I think he’s being a little smarter than maybe in the past where he would push through it and maybe make it worse and aggravate it. So he was proactive, let us know on the bench. … I don’t think it’s too serious with José. Obviously, we have two games before the international break. I hope he can make it by Red Bull [at home on Saturday].”

— Curtin on Martínez’s hamstring injury.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing serious. I will recover as soon as possible.”

— Martínez, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) after the game.

» READ MORE: The Union return to MLS action six weeks after pausing for the Leagues Cup

Atlanta United 4, Nashville SC 0. Atlanta star midfielder Thiago Almada delivered three assists and a fantastic goal to lay a pounding on what had been MLS’s stingiest defense.

Most fans were watching Lionel Messi delight a Red Bull Arena crowd that cheered more for him than the home team — a lot more, in fact. But as teams sit down to watch rivals’ tape this week, you can be sure they’ll be paying attention to Almada, MLS’s other World Cup-winning Argentine.

The Union have a short turnaround to a Wednesday game at Toronto FC (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, free), the last-place team in the Eastern Conference. Toronto is once again embroiled in chemistry problems, as The Athletic reported that star forward Lorenzo Insigne walked out of a practice session on Thursday over a disagreement with interim manager Terry Dunfield.

» READ MORE: Lionel Messi has transformed last-place Inter Miami into an MLS Cup betting favorite