Columbus Crew got their MLS campaign off to the perfect start as they comfortably saw off DC United 3-0 at RFK Stadium.

Jairo Arrieta put the Ohio side ahead inside 20 minutes when he latched onto a Josh Williams pass and his first-time effort was too much for Bill Hamid.

The Crew had the opportunity to double their lead from the spot eight minutes later when Michael Parkhurst was brought down in the area by Perry Kitchen.

Federico Higuain tucked away the resulting penalty as United looked set to make a miserable start to the season.

The home side struggled to compete with Columbus's passing game and failed to test keeper Steve Clark enough in a below-par performance.

United's best chance to get back into the game arrived just after the interval when Luis Silva's shot from the edge of the penalty area drifted just past the post.

DC's poor night was compounded when Higuain added a third in stoppage time when he diverted Justin Meram's cross beyond Hamid's grasp.