D.C. United vs. Orlando City SC: Preview, time, and how to watch
D.C. United goes head-to-head with Orlando City S.C. tonight, facing off with the Lions for the first time in almost a year. Troy Lesesne’s side has been showing increasing promise with every match this season, solidifying their identity and, quite frankly, playing the most entertaining soccer we’ve seen in years.
While Orlando may be coming into tonight’s match well-rested from a bye week, the Lions haven’t emerged victorious against the Black-and-Red since 2021. Oscar Pareja’s men will need to stay sharp to beat a strong D.C. side at Audi Field if they hope to move above the playoff line.
The Black-and-Red have been finding a bevy of chances so far this season but have failed to convert most, missing the mark on clinical finishing. The season is still young, but to ensure a shot at the playoffs, D.C. United will need to remedy this issue soon.
Lesesne hasn’t shied away from acknowledging that D.C. must improve in finishing to capitalize on created opportunities. As the team prepares to face Orlando, he told the media, “We need more complete performances. Now we need to see everything all the way out.”
Hear everything head coach Troy Lesesne had to say in the pre-match press conference here.
Fullback Aaron Herrera backed up Lesesne, saying the team needs to “win games consistently. As good of a year as it seems so far, we’ve only won two games…for us, it’s starting to turn the draws into wins.”
Will the Black-and-Red overcome the Lions once again? We’ll find out tonight!
Key Player: Aaron Herrera
Orlando will need to pay special attention to Aaron Herrera tonight. The newcomer to the Black-and-Red leads the team in assists and provides critical support to D.C.’s attack. The fullback came to D.C. United in a one-for-one swap with CF Montréal for Ruan.
Watch Out For: Duncan McGuire
McGuire is an absolutely fierce striker capable of creating trouble from a distance if necessary. He holds the record at Orlando for the fastest goal in club history, slotting one in to shock Minnesota in the first 13 seconds of their matchup. The Black-and-Red will need to keep tabs on him tonight.
Challenges: D.C. United will face a well-rested Orlando City as the Lions come into tonight’s match off a two-week break.
Previously: The Black-and-Red won their last meeting with Orlando City SC, 3-1, on April 22, 2023, at Exploria Stadium.
Orlando City SC Availability:
Out: Ramiro Enrique (ankle)
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Steven Birnbaum (knee), Russell Canouse (not due to injury), Theodore Ku-Dipietro (hip), Tyler Miller (shoulder)
Questionable: Garrison Tubbs (thigh)
Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
I’m seeing this with my dad at Buzzard Point, and am pumped. We’ve got a better team dynamic going on than them, let’s not change that tonight. Vamos United!!!
Kudos to you, Talonesque, for citing Buzzard Point.
Not having KDP available is a big miss for the team. Hopefully someone else can start to step up as a secondary goal threat, can’t have all of our offense run through Benteke.
Maybe this is a golden opportunity for Fletcher?
Is everyone at the match? No in-match commentary.
I missed most of the first half trying to find a workaround for AppleTV not working for me. It’s still not working on my TV, but I finally got it on my computer
Rough first half. That reminded me of the Miami game for a few reasons:
1. DC are letting Orlando dictate the game and play on the counter. Orlando can’t build up but DC aren’t supporting the defense in transition. Orlando play with speed and DC are just letting them.
2. The general disorganization and feel of panic. The team needs to relax for second. So many bad touches and passes.
3. Questionable officiating. That Dajome yellow for delaying a restart, which Orlando also did but weren’t given a yellow, is particularly infuriating.
This ref has absolutely screwed us in this match. Let’s Orlando do fouls constantly while pulling cards quick and harshly on DC. That non-call in the box is especially egregious because it was so blatant. The inconsistency could not be more blatant.
There are obviously multiple intricacies to running a high intensity system like Lesesne has us playing, but two really stand out to me as issues that are keeping us from being elite in this league. One is that it’s hard to see off a game when we have a lead (we’ve seen this several times already this season). The other is that we collect way too many fouls and yellow cards because our players are going into tackles at high speed. This especially worries me because we do t have the depth to deal with that many suspensions.
I’d like to see keepers punished more for throwing their arms out blindly like that. Keeper does get the ball but he’s reaching between two players and his fist is right at head level.
Broadcast didn’t have a view of the offsides, which I’m convinced is why this goal stood. Officiating continues to be dogshit. Typical Orlando. Bad team that plays dirty. Worse part is THE REF FALLS FOR IT.
Shouldn’t need a camera angle to call that back. Middle school level triangulation could get you there.
Oh it did. If you pause it at the right time you can see he’s offside by not being in the shot. You can’t see McGuire at all in this shot, but you can see both defenders. He was off by a mile
Unfortunately, if he’s inside his own half he can’t be offside.
But you can’t tell where he is. That’s my argument. Even if his shoulder is in DC’s half he’s offsides but no camera in the stadium apparently had the angle. Embarrassing.
Rewatching the goal it does seem like there’s a chance he’s in his own half. It would be great to have a definitive angle, but it would be even better if we either managed to score while we had the ball or if the defenders had been marking Macquire better.
My question is why are the defenders 5 yards in front of the offensive player (regardless of whether or not he is offside). If they were in position, then this goal would never have happened. Late in a tied game, this is a clear mistake.
Also, there were two breakaways like this in the game. This is a risk of the high press, but it seems like DCU needs to clean up this part of their game.
DC needs to calm down in these types of games. Miami and Orlando sucked DC into getting emotional and playing way too fast.
Add the officiating on top of that and it’s a recipe for disaster. I need an explanation for Mcguires goal. I also need an explanation for the clear lack of consistency between the teams. Hopkins tugs OC players jersey and it’s a yellow. I get it. OC player rips Herrera down by his shirt and nothin.
What has DC done to receive the ire of officials?? I genuinely don’t understand. Year in and year out, DC seem to be on the losing end of bad calls. Benteke in particular gets singled out. Apparently he’s the only physical striker that NEVER gets fouled but is always fouling. Figure it out, MLS and PRO.
ARGH!!!!!
I’ve said many positive things about Lesesne and I don’t retract any of them. What is now clear is that–other than a lack of depth (which is going to be a killer for us soon, especially when yellow card suspensions accumulate), we have two major issues we need to find a way to deal with.
And until we get answers for those two issues, we’re going to bleed points. Which is a crying shame because this team is fun to watch, the metrics love us, has a big heart, is playing kids in key roles at key times. So much to like about this team.
I’m not sure Benteke is “streaky”. I saw an article the other day where it said many top-class strikers miss a lot of chances compared to goals, but that’s because they’re in the right place so often that they can miss that often. His xG isn’t far off from his actual production at this point from the stats I saw.