D.C. United vs. FC Dallas: Preview, time, and how to watch
We’re back! The Black-and-Red are back in MLS regular season action tonight against FC Dallas and will host United Night Out at Audi Field.
After the ups and downs of the 2024 campaign, D.C. United will be chasing their 18th regular-season win against Dallas. Troy Lesesne’s men are still fighting to make their way into playoff contention, sitting in 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Dallas is 11th in the West.
Despite their ranking in the East, the Black-and-Red have been consistently improving and sharpening their play under Lesesne. It remains to be seen if they will fight above the playoff line.
Dallas has consistently hovered mid-table and will look for breakout performances to round out their 2024 season and lock in a playoff spot. Petar Musa and Jesús Ferreira have consistently been ones to watch, leading Dallas’ goalscoring efforts.
We’re all locked in for an exciting match tonight!
Hear everything head coach Troy Lesesne had to say at the pre-game press conference here.
Let us know your thoughts about tonight’s match in the comments below, and be sure to join us live here during the game to chat with your fellow supporters.
Key Player: Christian Benteke
Veteran striker Christian Benteke has been chasing the Golden Boot and is locked in contention for second place. He just signed a new contract with the Black-and-Red that will have remaining with the team through 2025 and a club option for 2026. Benteke has notoriously been D.C.’s dangerman throughout the season, racking up goals and frustrating opponents.
Watch Out For: Paul Arriola, Petar Musa, and Jesús Ferreira
A familiar face, Paul Arriola spent many seasons in Black-and-Red before making the jump to Dallas. Supporters know the trouble Arriola causes opposing teams at every turn, and will be hoping the home team will be ready for him tonight. Musa and Ferreira have led the goalscoring charge for Dallas, and are sure to cause the Black-and-Red some headaches this evening.
Challenges: D.C. United is in a position where every point counts if it hopes to claw its way into playoff contention. As the regular season rushes toward its conclusion, the Black-and-Red will need to buckle down to secure those points.
Previously: D.C. United downed Dallas 1-0 at Toyota Stadium on the Fourth of July last year. The Black-and-Red have an all-time regular season record of 17-22-8 against Dallas.
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Conner Antley (knee), Russell Canouse (not due to injury), Jackson Hopkins (ankle), Christopher McVey (hip)
FC Dallas Availability:
Out: Liam Fraser (leg), Geovane Jesus (knee), Paxton Pomykal (knee)
Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Sergii Boiko
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
I hope that we’ll see all three new signees tonight. David Schnegg is a sure-thing starter at left fullback but possibly Dom Badji at forward and Boris Enow at defensive mid as well.
Wish granted!
Oh, wow, Arriola and Ruan are playing wingbacks, aka “the two way players of DC United seasons past!”
Klich forced into shooting early, strong save
Holy moly, rampant start and an early finish!
Well, easy equalizer off a corner very quickly. Shit
Akinmboni needs to fight through that pick/hold. Simple as that.
I don’t know if that was his man, a lot of people let that go
Replay was fast, but it looked to be his guy. Marking was shambolic either way.
Damn it…
This team continues to baffle me. Played some truly beautiful soccer for the two Cup group stages. Now they look to have reverted to the mid-June malaise.
Oh good…I thought that was just me
Klich picks up a really soft yellow…if that was a foul at all…
Wow another soft yellow…this time to Enow.
How are we doing, everyone? We’ve got an uphill battle to fight in this last stretch of the season. Let’s GO!
Well since we scored the opener. Dallas has been way more dangerous and speak of the devil there’s a 3rd.
Welp maybe I need another few weeks break from DC. EPL is back after all…
We’re down by 2, 3-1 now. That last goal by Dallas was gorgeous and finished off by Arriola, but this is what happens when you’re loosy goosy without threatening enough
Schnegg!!! 3-2
SCHNEGG!
What did Stroud pick up a yellow for?
Ok, from my seats (level with the top of the south 18-yard box), that third Dallas goal looked hella offside, and the replay angle they showed in the stadium didn’t show the runner at the right time to tell. Anyone at home got a different view?
Looked onside unfortunately
Damn it…wth was that defending?
Dang, that went from “game on” to “game over” real quick
Enow gets a 2nd yellow…
Enow gets a second red, and you really don’t get away with clotheslining a breakaway
This game is over
Well, glad it is over- oh, another half, you say?…
So we lose 8-2?
More like 11-3
Or even more?
This I fully believe will be extremely ugly
Wait Dallas is allowed to be shown a card?
Stroud!
3-4!!!
This is still unlikely to be a winner, but it has pizzazz
Huh. Maybe we should play this 4-2-3 more often?
Martin Rodriguez: “Midfields?” (Puts on sunglasses, “where we’re going, we won’t NEED midfields..”
Seriously, he’s been killing it so far
Pirani on for TKD. Also, JF is on for Dallas
Schnegg almost ties it forcing a fingertip save.
Schnegg almost gets a spectacular second, ooo
Schnegg skins Dallas player alive, draws a humiliating yellow from him
Andddd he was injured on the play, my sympathy has never been lower
The shit, I mean player, returns to play
Exeunt. Loser
Benteke lays it off perfectly for Pirani, but he’s a field goal kicker, apparently
Ay Quaranta! As we say in our section.
Dallas apparently wants the three points more than dignity
The ref probably subtracted about 33 seconds at least cuz the crowd hurt his feeling
So, might as well float it here, but will in the next Freedom Kicks or recap- we might be looking at this wrong with Rodriguez and Klich. Next season, maybe we keep Rodriguez on his salary and let Klich off the books.
I didn’t think of Rodriguez as a creative CM, but he’s really good at it. Frankly, that half was better than anything I’ve seen overall from Klich ever. Rodriguez is younger and on less money, and we could really use a DP slot
Blame the ref all you want, but this team really needs to calm down sometimes. Mazatlan showed how easy we are to break down once you get into the players heads and Lesesne – so far at least – hasn’t been able to correct it.
The biggest thing though still goes down to roster construction. Going into the season Antley was seemingly the backup RB to Herrera and the team hasn’t addressed that spot yet. Trusting Dajome to be able to play that role was a gamble by Lesesne and any coach worth their salt was always going to direct their team to target that side. If Herrera couldn’t go 90 then I think it would have been smarter to go with a back three with Stroud at RWB.
On the plus side, Rodriguez has really stepped up in the last month and Pirani is starting to show glimpses of his talent more often.
Don’t know if Dajome was ever a gamble so much as a “we have nothing in the larder” situation
Yea this team is too emotional. They let the ref, the atmosphere, and the opponents get in their heads. The same mistakes are repeating themselves.
Discipline and defense have been struggles almost all year long. Over their first month or so they averaged about 1 GA/g, but have progressively got worse as the season has worn on averaging in excess of 2 GA/g now. Their lack of quality in final third (outside of Benteke) has compounded those defensive problems. Tough to see a road to the playoffs for this side right now.
Still there needs to be more accountability in MLS for such poor and inconsistent refereeing. The first two yellows where not just borderline yellows, they were borderline none calls. Ref tonight got those calls 100% wrong. First legitimate yellows of the game were against Stroud in the 43′ then Enow’s second at the close of the half.
It’s easy to say “defense is a problem.” But specifically, we have some young (mentally), immature defenders. We get picked a lot. Or a young defender gets isolated (I’m thinking of the goal where Murrell’s man was isolated, he was a step slow and….goal conceded, as just one example of many). Our organization breaks down (both individually and collectively). So I think the book on this team when you’re doing re-starts is: play in a short corner or a ball further out so the initial marking has to change and then exploit the confusion. Or attack onside and then in the final third quickly switch play. I really like the athleticism, skill, and effort of Dajome but tonight we saw how he’s an athletic attacker in a defensive role and was a step slow reacting when his man made a run off the ball. We miss Birnbaum and MacVey out there from an organizational standpoint.
And Rodriguez was very impressive. But I’ve never viewed Klich as our primary #10. He’s really more of a box-to-box mid or part of a double pivot system. And in those roles he’s superb.
And this match we saw the good and the bad of Stroud. Good speed, non-stop hustle, good runs off the ball and….a stupid yellow for dissent, a give-away in our half of the field in the middle of the pitch that quickly becomes a Dallas jailbreak/goal.
The continuing issues with yellow and reds, that’s a problem. I think this is now the 3rd yellow our bench has gotten this season if I’m right. I think a little bit of that (just a little bit) is what happens to a team that has a rep as a minnow–no credibility on a debatable call. But it also speaks to a team that has some control issues. We’re not a dirty team. But we seem to be an “out of control” team at times.
Sigh.
We are ‘top’ of the league for both red and yellow cards after last night. Platy the ref, and not the team is a working formula at Buzzard Point.
I agree with everything you wrote. As much as I hate to say it, our league form since late spring has reminded me of how we played under Losada. Chaotic and angry. There’s no one on the back line or DM with enough locker room credit or just unquestioned leadership to tell everyone else to calm TF down and do their jobs. We’re too fresh everywhere. Please bring in a CB1 next year or this is what we can expect to see until Lesesne gets canned.
Some very positive news to emerge: Goff is reporting that Russel Canouse has been training with the team and there is a chance he’ll play this season. Too bad he’s not match fit and in-form now, we have a sudden vacancy at D-mid.
Seriously, this news gladdens my heart. Canouse is a great guy and a good teammate. I don’t know what the future holds for him but I hope he gets some PT this season so if he doesn’t return, at least us fans get a chance to let our appreciation known.
That is indeed awesome news! Fan favorite, certainly one of mine in this era
He’s ready to roll in September. Optimistic.