Instead of singing in the rain, D.C. United would like to do some winning in the rain.
Forget earning a playoff spot, forget the supporters shield, for United (13-12-6, 45 points) the mission on Friday is simple: win the match. That might be easier said than done as they host New York City Football Club (10-14-7, 37 points) on Friday night (UNiMas 7PM).
Despite Major League Soccer’s unbalanced schedule and the relative proximity of one another this is just the second match that the two have played against one another this season. In the first match at Yankee Stadium D.C. struck early thanks to a goal by Alvaro Saborio. But NYCFC came back late thanks to the heroic effort by Kwadkwo Poku who scored and assisted on goals by Thomas McNamara and David Villa.
In the return match D.C. will have to cope with one of the rising attacking threats of Major League Soccer. NYCFC have won their last three matches in rather convincing fashion scoring seven goals during this period. While David Villa (17 goals) is obviously the talisman up front for NYCFC it has been the play of Patrick Mullins of late that has helped spark NYCFC’s late run. Mullins, the former Maryland Terrapin Herman Trophy winner, is second on the team with 8 goals and has provided a late spark as a super-sub (23 games played, 11 starts).
With teams focusing on NYCFC’s star players like Villa, Andrea Pirlo, and Frank Lampard it has opened up opportunities for the likes of Mullins, Poku, and Grabavoy. Much of the credit should go to coach Jason Kreis who has found the right players to fit into his 4-5-1 formation. It will be interesting to see if Kreis continues to rely on Grabavoy like he did in last week’s 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps or if he goes back to Thomas McNamara.
The concern for D.C. continues to be the defense. With Saturday’s 2-1 loss against Columbus Crew SC United continued their spiral downward in the Eastern Conference. The team has been outscored by their opponents 11-3 during their last five matches. Their lack of communication and inability to make even the most basic clears has cost this team the opportunity to solidify their lead in the East. The issue cohesion is startling considering that United brought back the same four defenders from last season (Taylor Kemp, Steve Birnbaum, Bobby Boswell, and Sean Franklin). The return of midfielder Perry Kitchen from yellow card accumulation should help in limiting Pirlo and Mix Diskerud’s influence on the match.
Saturday’s match will provide Olsen a unique opportunity to tinker with his lineup. With Steve Birnbaum out due to yellow card accumulation, Kofi Opare will step in as his replacement. Opare was excellent for the club during their 2015-2016 CONCACAF Champions League run using his strength and speed to limit their competition to just three goals. What is more important is that in his 12 starts this season he has shown good communication with Boswell. With Pirlo and Grabavoy placing diagonal balls into Villa Opare will need to work with Boswell to ensure that there are no gaps in the D.C. defense.
The real test for both sides will be which team blinks first: United on the attack or NYCFC on defense. D.C.’s attack has been brought to a crawl this week, scoring just 37 goals during the 2015 campaign. That is the second-lowest among all playoff teams (Portland has the lowest with 31) and have scored more than two goals just three times this season.
But by the same token NYCFC’s defense has not looked particularly fearsome either. While their 51 goals allowed is pedestrian by MLS standards their road form leaves a little bit to be desired. The club’s 28 goals allowed on the road is third-highest in the league. But much like their season NYCFC have improved as the team has gotten to know one another through the season. Center-back Shay Facey and right-back R.J. Allen showed signs of their potential against Vancouver, using their speed to mitigate Kekutah Manneh’s influence on the match and by showing patience late in preserving the victory.
For D.C. to break down the NYCFC defense they will need Chris Rolfe to provide service in for Saborio and Fabian Espindola. In their previous match D.C. found success by sending diagonal crosses into Saborio. NYCFC has one of the more underrated goalkeepers in Josh Saunders (1.67 Goals Against Average, 113 saves-most in MLS) but lack the depth along the back four to keep teams at bay for the full ninety. Facing a team that has produced just two shutouts the season, United is faced with the perfect opportunity to break their longest losing streak since the 2013 campaign.
Friday night’s conditions might not be the most apt conditions for a quality match (Washington D.C. is being pummeled with rain and Friday’s match might be postponed due to pitch conditions). But supporters for both D.C. United and NYCFC will not take any excuses with the playoffs forthcoming and spots on the line.
