With Chicago Fire coming off a win in Miami, the Black-and-Red have work to do to flip the script on two losses to the team last season.
Wayne Rooney and his coaching staff have been building something very special in the District, but as with all great things, need time to shape the team into a new style and mentality of play. Disappointing losses and draws so far this season, even when D.C. has clearly been the better team on the pitch, could impact morale if not countered. A win in Chicago could be just what the doctor ordered to inject more confidence.
We’re hoping three available DPs will give D.C. United sharper teeth against the Fire, despite a thin roster. Expect to see a 4-4-2 or 4-4-3 from Rooney tonight and the familiar building out of the back. The Black-and-Red will have to be tenacious on the attack to overcome Chicago’s strong defense.
Check out everything Wayne Rooney had to say:
Ezra Hendrickson will want to make a statement at home against D.C., so we can expect to see him look to transitions to take advantage of the Black-and-Red. Hendrickson is known for shoring up the backline, and tonight it will be even more critical against Benteke, Fountas, and Klich. The expected XI for the Fire are Chris Brady, Miguel Ángel Navarro, Rafa Czichos, Carlos Terán, Arnaud Souquet, Mauricio Pineda, Gastón Giménez, Chris Mueller, Brian Gutiérrez, Maren Haile-Selassie, and Kei Kamara.
We’re going to be watching assistant coach Fred Brillant on repeat to get pumped for this evening. Join us!
Key Player: Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke has been an absolute danger man for D.C. United, finding opportunities in the box at every turn and putting away three goals so far this season. With the return of Taxi Fountas the Black-and-Red will look to add to the danger with hopefully DPs on the field – Benteke, Fountas, and Klich.
Watch Out For: Kei Kamara and Brian Gutiérrez
The veteran Kamara secured Chicago’s first win of the season in stoppage time. The Black-and-Red will want to watch out for this difference-maker and not get complacent with a lead. Gutiérrez has slotted into the #10 with Shaqiri’s absence and is making a name for himself in the Windy City.
Challenges: The Black-and-Red have a thin roster due to illness and injury and seek to build some confidence on the road. Three points at Soldier Field would go a long way toward boosting D.C.’s morale and standing.
Previously: Last season, Chicago won home and away against the Black-and-Red. D.C. United will need to flip the script to move up the Eastern Conference table.
Chicago Fire Availability:
Out: Jairo Torres (right upper leg), Victor Bezerra (left upper leg), Federico Navarro (left upper leg)
Questionable: Xherdan Shaqiri (right upper leg)
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Brendan Hines-Ike (foot), Martin Rodriguez (knee), Andy Najar (thigh), Matai Akinmboni (head), Mohanad Jeahze (thigh)
Questionable: Pedro Santos (knee), Nigel Robertha (illness)
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Kickoff time: 8:30 pm ET
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Interesting lineup. As good as Pines is as a defender he’s a gamble in this system. I still think he’s a decent CB. Also, of all the things to change in this formation, why not try an actual winger on that right flank? Seeing Ruan be a mediocre winger or Durkin a mediocre RB just makes zero sense to me. All that being said, DC should get points tonight against Chicago.
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Let me know when you no longer think Pines is a decent center back. You know, what minute.
And before my cynicism gets major rebuke, I guess I have to write a long thing clarifying everything behind it. He’s got good plays in him. He can run down a player in behind and get in that tackle really well. He’s big on defensive set pieces due to his size. But there’s nothing else going for him, and there’s another 73% of duties relating to being a CB he will never be great at. His center of gravity is unfortunate, his touch and passing are erratic, his fine motor skills for defending in the box occasional. In the last ten years, we would never have made the playoffs with him as a starting CB. The overall quality is absolutely not there.
Sometimes I think he just lacks confidence and the decisive action that comes with it. The physical gifts are obviously there. It’s just putting it together with the mentality.
Disagree. As I said, he’s got the physical gifts for some aspects, woeful for most. You don’t get a better touch after around 18, really, and physically, his height and balance make him unstable.
Those who wanted Canouse benched got their wish, but I’m going to make a prediction- that the Klich-Palsson partnership is going to indicate the fallacy that Canouse is the problem. In the same way that ww2 planes were proven to not need armor on the parts where the bullets hit the most- those were just the planes that made it back. And if this particular partnership gets the plane back in the bunker, I’ll be surprised.
About ten minutes in. It will surprise nobody that we look faster and more dangerous with Taxi, to my eye, our rest defense looks even worse.
Taxi receiving treatment. I swear to Buddha, soccer gods, don’t.
First shot on target, but Benteke too causal on the spin
Taxi gets an actually controversial yellow card according to the real definition. To my mind, harsh, but Taxi tempted it a bit with a half field shot well after the whistle
Durkin has done zilch so far, I’d rather have Hopkins for consistent contributions on the right. I don’t particularly like waiting for the rabbit out of the hat, especially when it only comes sparingly throughout the season.
Ruan is playing in front of Durkin according to Fox Sports, but the league site has Durkin in front of Ruan. But it definitely looks like the later.
He’s clearly a RM in this game, which spares us defensive weakness at RB, but provides us minimal kernels of value going forward.
We haven’t really threatened all that much so far.
This ref is doing a terrible job at controlling this game. Refs that call literally everything just encourage a frustrating atmosphere form both teams which usually leads to these dust ups we’re seeing.
Taxi on a yellow, Klich and Benteke getting chippy out of play, they need to be careful
I think we need to sub out and protect Taxi, he’s having non contact problems with his legs
Even from an objective viewpoint this was a rough half of soccer. Both teams essentially by passing the midfield with long balls. DC just chucking it forward and hoping Benteke can do something. Pretty ugly watch so far.
Maybe the second half is different, I think I’d be happier about being a Chicago fan, and not just for tonight. They have a bunch of talented players that are playing and young enough to develop, this is going to come together at some point.
I don’t see the same from us, genuinely, and not just because we are playing Durkin and Asad instead of Hopkins and Fletcher. This is a rickety team of “not quite” players that are getting older. By the time we play the younger players, I’m doubtful they’re playing for anything.
Obviously, Taxi is a really good player in the league, and Benteke and Klich have more quality than those without their salaries for the most part. To what end, I’m not sure
Kei Kamara coming in, the script seems written for him. The current Chicago CF has been their worst performer
Maybe I’m biased. But that’s 100% a pk
If one of our defenders had done that, I’d be whistling with relief that we got away with one
That should be a VAR PK for Taxi
I tend to be pretty conservative about when VAR should be used to overturn an on-field penalty call or non-call—basically it should only be in instances where the on-field ref is missing some kind of factual information that might have changed the call. I’m pretty shocked they didn’t even seem to look at this instance though because surely the ref thinks Taxi initiated the contact there, that’s the only way he could possibly have given a foul _against_ Taxi. This should be a case of providing the referee with objectively factual information that would change the call.
I’m less conservative on it, I think putting the subjectivity on VAR instead of the on field ref is usually the problem. If the ref doesn’t see something, it shouldn’t be up to the ref to find an ironclad case to look at it again
Right, that’s what I’m saying. I don’t think VAR should be in the business of changing subjective decisions. In this case though, the ref has clearly missed something objectively verifiable (which player initiated the contact) that is exceedingly obvious with just one look at pretty much any angle, which is exactly what VAR should be there for.
Maybe we’re talking past each other, I think “clear and obvious” forces VAR into a stupid and unfair position, which is why any call with a hint of subjectivity, no matter how small, is allowed to rule the day. I think VAR should be respected as the legit point of view, and the center ref should take a look when the VAR has a clear opinion.
Sure, I think we’re mostly in agreement here. This just felt about non-subjective as it gets given that the referee has clearly based his entire premise on something that’s objectively wrong and can easily be shown to be objectively wrong. The referee’s premise is clear because he’s whistled Taxi for fouling the defender; if he had just waved play on, it would be a lot easier to hide behind subjectivity. The ref could say “I saw the defender kick out at the attacker but I don’t think the attacker needed to go down,” or “he wasn’t getting to the ball anyway,” or something else that’s just a matter of opinion. But giving the foul against Taxi indicates the referee’s thinking is “Taxi initiated contact with the defender,” which is just factually wrong. Given that, I’m just surprised VAR didn’t think it warranted a second look.
But yeah, either way, it’s a pk
Taxi off the post!
Klich gets a needless yellow
Fletcher about to make an appearance, and I could be wrong, isn’t this the second appearance for him at all after the opening win?
Have to say, that’s a great play on Mueller by Birnbaum, start to finish
Miller with an amazingly strong save overt the top. Well done
The missing ingredient for clean sheets were Donovan Pines and Hayden Sargis, evidently.
Rooney looks to be killing time and hoping for draw with Taxi for Sargis. And it works.
Think we’re lucky Taxi didn’t crumble earlier
0-0 seems fair. If only DC played the entire game like those last 20. DC just doesn’t look confident or organized when they have the ball. There’s just zero fluidity. The fire weren’t the most threatening, but the defense did it’s job. Greene looked fantastic on the left side. He’s earned that spot when Jeahze comes back in my eyes. Miller earned that first clean sheet. What a save at the end.
I think/hope O’Brien will help a lot with converting change of possession into final-third entries, which has been a huge problem for this team thus far. When’s he expected to join the fray? We signed him two weeks ago but I haven’t seen any update since.
O’Brien has to wait for his Visa. Rooney said he should be ready for next week’s game. In my head he replaces Durkin, but Rooney seems to have his name written in Sharpie on the team sheet for whatever reason.
We’re definitely not creating enough triangles of passing amongst our players, our one win arguably came because of the triangular play of Jeahze, Fletcher, and TKD on the left side late. Agreed that Greene has looked good, has speed and tenacity that Jeahze arguably doesn’t
I am glad for the clean sheet and the fight down to the end of the game. I hope Pines gets more minutes as his liability on distribution has been minimized by him being able to pass back to the keeper. He is an excellent pure defender as always, just don’t ask him to distribute the ball.
I thought that Paulson was not good. He did not move to create windows between him and whoever had the ball. When DC United had the ball, they usually only had one choice when the defensive center mid is supposed to be the one who provides a second choice out of pressure. Klich also needs a square option so the other team can’t just clog up the forward channels on him as well as double team him.
The Fire are a much improved team. I hope they can pull it together enough to get to the playoffs, hopefully at the expense of NYC who are just not good without that crazy home field (they listlessly lost at Houston last week, another vastly improved team). The Fire haven’t put it together yet but having Kamara up there as a super sub will make them more dangerous. They are much more cohesive on defense than last year too.
Midfield needs some work and Benteke and Fountas will get to know each other. It’s clear they mutually recognize each other’s quality and are looking for each other. I hope Fountas is not injured.
At the end of the day, it’s a road point and those are hard to come by in MLS.