Fresh from helping D.C. United hoist the U.S. Open Cup for a second time on Wednesday night, defender Gonzalo Martinez claims the triumph could pay extra dividends as they head towards the MLS playoffs.

The capital crew will now return to league play with an even Steven record that puts them in the middle of the East pack with eight games remaining.

"This is a great boost of confidence for the group, because it was a difficult tournament," Martinez told reporters.

"At the beginning, we struggled a little bit and it was very difficult for us, but this lets us know that we were able to overcome that."

"It gives us the security and confidence to keep working hard because we know that we can achieve great things when we work hard together."