D.C. United welcomes Inter Miami to Audi Field for the teams’ second meeting of the 2023 regular season. Last time, the Black-and-Red got the better of the Herons, winning 1-2 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. D.C. United will have to watch it’s back though, there have been major shakeups happening with Miami.
While Leo Messi and former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have yet to arrive, Miami recently announced another consequential new addition. New head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino will take full charge of the team on Monday, and he is expected to be at Audi Field tonight. Javi Morales will likely handle the sideline this evening. Martino has already been leading practices. Tata Martino previously coached Messi, Busquets and Alba at Barcelona, and Josef Martínez at Atlanta.
The Black-and-Red will have to contend with a Miami team that is more aggressive and with a renewed energy, while dealing with key players out injured and on suspension. Mateusz Klich is serving a suspension for yellow card accumulation and will not feature in tonight’s match. Additionally, Lewis O’Brien and Donovan Pines are both one caution away from suspension and will need to take care during tonight’s match.
Coming off a hard to find win (0-1) in Dallas, D.C. United heads into tonight’s match with morale high. For Miami, they are looking to shake off a 2-2 draw with Columbus and finally snap their winless streak.
Will the Black-and-Red overcome an amped up Miami side under new leadership? We’ll see tonight!
Vamos United!
Key Players: Christian Benteke and Taxi Fountas
The Black-and-Red will look to Benteke and Fountas up top to put Miami to the test. Benteke leads D.C. United in goal scoring. Christian Benteke will participate in the MLS All-Star match against Arsenal on July 19 under head coach Wayne Rooney.
Watch Out For: Josef Martínez
Martínez continues to be a player to watch in MLS for his exciting style and playmaking ability. Back under Tata Martino who guided him and Atlanta United to an MLS Cup win over Portland in 2018, we’re looking to see an even more dangerous Martínez as the season wears on. Additionally, Martínez was just named to MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 23 alongside teammates Benjamin Cremaschi and Leonardo Campana.
Challenges: The Black-and-Red will have to dig deep on this multi-match week in the intense summer heat when fatigue is sure to be at a high. D.C. United will be missing high impact players like Mateusz Klich and Pedro Santos this evening, reducing the depth Rooney is able to draw from against Miami.
Previously: D.C. United bested Inter Miami back on June 3, going 1-2 at DRV PNK Stadium.
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Martin Rodriguez (knee), Mohanad Jeahze (leg), Ted Ku-DiPietro (ankle), Pedro Santos (thigh), Jacob Greene (hip), Mateusz Klich (yellow card accumulation)
Inter Miami CF Availability:
*Waiting on official availability from the club. This section will be updated if necessary.
Out: Gregore (Lisfranc), Franco Negri (ACL), Jean Mota (LCL), Corentin Jean (ACL), Robbie Robinson (hamstring), DeAndre Yedlin (international duty), Kamal Miller (international duty)
Questionable: Ryan Sailor (hamstring)
Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
The LWB spot tonight will be “interesting.” DCU is down to Samake as the last “true” LWB which mean they actually don’t have one. Rooney probably will start him, but he will be torched so many times in the first half he will need treatment for 3rd degree burns. Expect to see one of Dàjome, Robertha or Ruan out there at some point. Missing Klich will be a problem, but Miami will be missing both Miller and Yedlin so their less than stellar defense will be even less so. Expect Miami to park the bus and try to drop a long ball to Martinez. Benteke and/or Fountas need to strike early to stop that tactic.
Currently watching the Major League Rugby Championship between New England Free Jacks and San Diego Legion. Game is on regular Fox, or available free streaming on The Rugby Network with an account. Game just started.
In a tight game that went to the wire New England won 25-24. San Diego rues a missed penalty kick goal attempt as well as a knock on turnover in the 78′ that led to a NE scrum that killed the clock.
Solid lineup except for Asad. I’m hoping his passing is a lot cleaner today. Benteke and Taxi up front should I make a lot of noise and Dajome and Najar bombing down the flanks should be interesting. Vamos!!
Well, they apparently know that Asad is our last hope at that position, cuz they just killed him on a reckless, cynical play in his back on a header
Still going after him, yellow card this time for Inter Muggery
Taxi with a wide open opportunity, shockingly bad decision making to shoot right at the keeper from too far out
Despite neither team really having any opportunity, the commentary team seems to think that DC are “playing right into Miami’s hands”. Interesting take.
You know you can listen to Dave Johnson for home games, right?
Totally forgot about that, actually. Thank you, sir.
No problem, I look forward to home games for this aspect, Apple commentators serve up mind bendingly bad takes on the regular
Dave and Bruce for the win! I keep them in my ears even in the press box.
Injured Miami player making sure there’s about a million minutes of stoppage time with that wait
Now both Benteke and Fountas have blown it… don’t like what that could mean later
They better check that Najar goal disallowal, Najar 💯 on
I’m sorry…that’s NOT VAR worthy? This f***ing league man. Najar was on by a country mile!
No wonder Rooney thinks the league has it out for him.
On a second look, I guess Williams or whoever that was probably touched it a little from that offside position
I don’t buy interference, one tends to have to interfere for that to be the case 🤦♂️
Never mind, Williams fucked the play
Wow.
The Benteke header and Dajome miss. So ineffectual
Najar just got robbed
Not a poor first half but certainly a frustrating one. Wouldn’t be suprised if the ball was in play for only 30-35 minutes of that first half.
My main takeaway is, we should be getting in behind with balls over the top a lot more often with their high line. They’re playing a straight across, five man line that should be easy to beat. We had three or four big chances that were flubbed, and the soccer gods detest that shit.
This should 💯 be a win
DC could, and should, be up 2-0 or 3-0 going into half. Defense has done well in transition. Taxi and Benteke have been uncharacteristicly poor in front of goal thus far. Need to kill the game early in the second half. Miami have good players that can steal points.
Taxi has been drawing the ref’s ire for some pretty benign “fouls”. Miami is getting upset over several shoulder-to-shoulder challenges, in my opinion.
Taxi… for fuck’s sake.
Pines with a tremendous tackle, dribble, and pass. I never thought I’d say this, but Taxi: be as good offensively as Donovan.
How did Martinez not finish that? Never mind, keep it up
Whelp that was coming.
Hate being right sometimes. DC squanders chances and Miami capitalizes. Ridiculous.
1-0 Miami. Good shot; should be irrelevant in a lopsided score line.
What is Canouse doing? Completely gives up on marking his man in favor of trying to double team with Najar. Palsson is right inside of Najar so there’s no need to move into that position.
CDM needs to always watch the top of the box there.
Yeah. No need to drop in and provide help for Najar. Not good defensive positioning.
Fountas, this is not a seven course meal. Finish. Your fucking. Chances.
What is taxi doing tonight? So many wasted chances. Then passes right to Miami when he had a clear shot on goal.
Has anyone tried turning Taxi on and off? Shocker.
Apparently someone did
Finally, Taxi is awake.
1-1
Eighth bite of the apple and Taxi cashes in. 1-1. Still need another.
Beautiful, simple interplay between Asad and Dajome to give Taxi an open look in the box and he finally finishes it.
Not even trying on that’s et piece. Embarrassing. 2-1
Well shit
A part of me wants to see this team punished and not come back from that Bullshit. Just sit in their mess and think about it.
This is a must win
Akward one and no DC player can get a foot on it for the clearance. Calamity of errors for DC on the defensive side of things.
Why is it the announcers are Miami homers?
Switch to Dave Johnson if you’re watching at home
I want to watch the Dajome foul that led to the second goal again. It seemed to me live that the Miami player threw his leg into Dajome path, but the AR was right there so he probably got it right.
Unlucky goal but DC needs to do better with their chances.
I only got to see it live, but I didn’t think it was a foul, and had a really bad feeling about a free kick in that position.
Immediate sub impact!
Well those were probably the best timed subs I’ve ever seen. 2-2, but still need a third.
First touches from Ruan and Robertha fire it in!
2-2
Excellent substituion from Rooney. Imagine that was exactly as intended 😉 Hopefully Robertha can find more regular minutes and regular goals. Always been a player I’ve rated.
He’s spent so much time here injured. Hopefully he’s finally over the injury blues.
Robertha is definitely a second striker that has routinely been put into the role of either hold up striker or winger, neither of which suits his strengths. Playing off of Benteke will suit him much better and hopefully he can stay healthy.
Totally agree. I think during the Dallas game, one of the Apple TV commentators erroneously said that he would provide a “physical presence” or something of the sort upon coming in. I just grit my teeth since it’s clearly not his style and comes off as lazy commentary (or worse).
Damn that was so close to header chip the goalie…
Benteke and Taxi would both have hat tricks tonight if they could finish.
Benteke has… not been sharp
Had to win this game and we didn’t.
Taxi and Benteke need to buy the rest of the team a nice dinner, and never, ever be that sloppy overall again.
Wasteful again from DC. Poor defending and countless squandered chances. Hard to feel good about this one despite the comeback. They had an oppurtunity, yet again, to move into a more comofortable playoff position and have shown, for now, that 8th-9th place is about all this team deserves. Improvement over last year, but constantly left wondering what this teams ceiling really is … And maybe more importatnly whether this veteren side, with a coach who has eyes for European football, will ever hit that ceiling.
This team always seems too comfortable in games they have no right to be. Up until Miami’s goal, DC’s body language was essentially “We haven’t won yet, but we will. Don’t worry.” At least that’s how it read to me.
Yeah especially in games they “should” win…but that’s cost us a bunch of points this season.
No matter the result, this is not a result to be proud of. Miami is in the basement and DC had every opportunity to win this game in the first 45 and didn’t. Maybe I’m overreacting, but this team is consistently inconsistent.
I just thought this game was all about Taxi and Benteke thinking they could coast in terms of finishing sharpness against a lowly team. Looking back, I think that’s pure arrogance. They didn’t wake up till goals were conceded. Bad defensive plays, as well, but if those two have a professional mindset with their chances in the first half, we’re fine. We tempted the soccer gods, and Ruan and Robertha came to the rescue.
Taxi’s celebration after the first goal kind of speaks to that. Left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. An important player and excellent finish, no doubt, but he needs to either start producing more consistently or just keep his head down a bit and keep putting in the hard work, stay fit and get back to last year’s form.
I think the whole team was arrogant. They looked too comfortable at 0-0 for absolutely no reason. I’m sure Rooney will tell them he’s happy with the mindset to fight back, but I hope he chews them out.
We get one more game with O’Brien and that’s next week. Tonight’s game showed that without O’Brien and Klich our midfield is going to be hurting something fierce.
O’Brien is good going forward but he got his pocket picked in the defensive third and nearly gave up a goal. That isn’t the first time, either. He’s been careless on the ball recently.
Despite all those mistakes the game was at least exciting.