Separated by just one point in the MLS table, DC United and New York Red Bulls go head-to-head at the Audi Field on Sunday.
Both sides are also looking to put together a good run of form following a rough patch which has seen them win just one of their last five league matches apiece.
Match preview
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DC United failed to win away from home for the fourth game running as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Chicago Fire at the Soldier Field on Thursday.
Hernan Losada's men showed great resolve to come from two goals down, as late strikes from Kevin Paredes and Ola Kamara were enough to rescue a point.
The Black-and-Red find themselves three points behind the last playoff place as things stand, albeit having played a game more than New York City FC in seventh.
Their record against this weekend's opponents leaves much to be desired, as they have only tasted victory in two of the last 17 meetings between the teams.
Sunday's hosts have also failed to find the back of the net in each of the last four, which is something that must change if they are to turn their fortunes around.
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New York Red Bulls were denied a third home win on the trot following a 1-1 stalemate against Philadelphia Union on Thursday.
Despite playing the last 30 minutes of the tie with a numerical advantage, Gerhard Struber's men failed to make the most of it, as Sergio Santos's 85th-minute leveller cancelled out Patryk Klimala's penalty on the hour mark.
With 18 points from 13 outings so far, the Metro are only a point behind their city rivals, who currently occupy the last playoff berth.
However, only five of those 18 points have come on the road for Sunday's visitors, which is an area that needs a significant improvement.
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Team News
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Andres Reyes and Youba Diarra are both out with muscle injuries, but the former is nearing a return to action in the coming weeks.
Daniel Royer's thigh problem means that he is unavailable for the trip to Washington, while Aaron Long is currently nursing an Achilles Tendon injury.
DC United will be without the services of Paul Arriola and Donovan Pines, who are representing the United States at the ongoing Gold Cup.
Joined on the sidelines by Edison Flores, Brendan Hines-Ike is still struggling with a broken hip bone and will also sit out the contest.
DC United possible starting lineup:
Hamid; Alfaro, Brilliant, Najar; Mora, Moreno, Nyeman, Gressel; Asad, Kamara, Robertha
New York Red Bulls possible starting lineup:
Miguel; Tarek, Edwards, Duncan, Tolkin; Amaya, Davis, Yearwood; Fabio, Carmona, Klimala
We say: DC United 1-1 New York Red Bulls
The game promises to be an exciting watch, as both sides will feel that they have enough to pick up all three points. While we expect goals at both ends, we are also backing a share of the spoils, with the teams having to settle for a point apiece in the end.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a DC United win with a probability of 47.48%. A win for New York Red Bulls had a probability of 28.02% and a draw had a probability of 24.5%.
The most likely scoreline for a DC United win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.68%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.41%) and 2-0 (7.88%). The likeliest New York Red Bulls win was 0-1 (7.1%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.56%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 9.7% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for DC United in this match.
