With their MLS season on the line, DC United will host New York City FC on Saturday at Audi Field in a must-win game for the Black and Red.
Earlier this week, DC suffered a 3-0 defeat at Austin FC, putting them a point back of the Eastern Conference playoff line heading into their final regular season encounter of 2023, while the Pigeons played Inter Miami to a 1-1 draw last weekend and are tied with CF Montreal on points but with three fewer victories in the race for the final postseason spot.
Match preview
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It is now or never for Wayne Rooney and DC United, who have cooled off down the stretch of the regular season, going winless in their last six domestic contests.
Their job this weekend, therefore, is simple as only a win will suffice, but even that may not be enough for them to end a three-year playoff drought as the three teams behind them (the New York Red Bulls, Charlotte FC and Inter Miami) all have games in hand on DC, who can at most end the campaign with 40 points, so they will need those sides along with NYCFC to slip-up even if they capture this fixture.
Defensively, this team have buckled under the pressure since being relatively solid in the early stages of September, conceding just once in their first four league contests last month before allowing 10 in their previous three encounters.
From the beginning of July until now, the Black and Red have only claimed three points in one of their six domestic encounters at Audi Field, conceding multiple goals in half of those games, and another defeat this weekend would mark the third time in the past four campaigns that they finish with a losing regular-season home record.
From the opening whistle, this group have often been chasing games, scoring first in only one of their previous 11 MLS affairs, having gone behind 1-0 within the first 15 minutes in three of their last four games, while they have gone on to lose all but two domestic fixtures this year when conceding a first-half strike (3-1 win at Orlando City and a 2-2 versus the Vancouver Whitecaps).
All of their league triumphs in 2023 have occurred when scoring the opening goal, while they have only been defeated once when doing so all season (2-1 loss to the New England Revolution).
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Throughout most of the 2023 campaign, New York City have been on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and they are in that position once again, trailing CF Montreal by the thinnest of margins for that final postseason berth.
As things stand right now, their playoff destiny is no longer in their hands even if they win their final two regular season fixtures, as Charlotte have a game in hand on the Boys in Blue and would overtake them by a single point should they triumph in their three remaining fixtures.
At Inter Miami last weekend, Nick Cushing's men were on the verge of winning on the road for just the second time in the 2023 regular season before conceding an equaliser in stoppage time, as they have now dropped eight points from winning positions away from home this year, which could have guaranteed them a place in the MLS Cup playoffs.
While they have scored the second-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference among the top 10 teams (34), New York City have made up for that with a solid defensive shape, conceding a mere two goals in their last six domestic affairs.
The best they can hope for in between now and the end of the regular season is a spot in the Wild card round, but even if they capture their final two encounters, it would still go down as the second-worst campaign for them in terms of points over a 34-game season.
NYCFC have won four of their previous five meetings against DC in MLS play, while losing only one of their last five away matches against them in all competitions (2-1 domestic defeat in 2021).
Team News
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On Wednesday, DC were without Tyler Miller because of a shoulder strain, Mohanad Jeahze sat out with an issue in his ankle, Martin Rodriguez was sidelined because of a sore knee and Brendan Hines-Ike was unavailable due to a head injury.
Mateusz Klich led the team with seven chances created versus Austin and 14 final third entries in 90 minutes, Eric Davis had a 100% tackle success rate and also has the most interceptions for the Black and Red (three), while Christian Benteke registered five shots and won seven aerial duels but failed to find the back of the net after scoring four times in his previous two matches.
Alex Bono has conceded 10 times in his last three matches played between the sticks, while Steve Birnbaum has a goal contribution in back-to-back contests versus the Boys in Blue.
NYCFC will be without Maxi Moralez for the remainder of the campaign after he injured his ACL, while Cushing went with the same starting 11 versus Miami that he had in their 3-0 triumph against Toronto, as Kevin O'Toole has started at left-back over the past three games in place of Braian Cufre.
Santiago Rodriguez had the only goal for NYCFC last weekend, his fifth of the year, while Matt Freese has only conceded twice in his previous six starts since replacing Luis Barraza as the first-choice keeper.
Rodriguez had a goal and an assist in their meeting against DC earlier in the season, with former Pigeons attacking midfielder Gabriel Pereira and current winger Talles Magno also netting on that day in a 3-2 triumph at Yankee Stadium.
DC United possible starting lineup:
Bono; Ruan, Birnbaum, Williams, Davis; Durkin, Canouse, Klich; Dajome; Hurtado, Benteke
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Freese; Gray, Martins, Risa, O'Toole; Sands, Perea; Ledezma, Rodriguez, Magno; Bakrar
We say: DC United 0-2 New York City FC
The Black and Red have crumbled defensively at the most inopportune moment of the season, and having to rely on a keeper like Bono to save the day seems like a recipe for disaster, given his recent track record in MLS.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
