D.C. United vs. CF Montréal: Preview, time, and how to watch
D.C. United looks to extend their home win streak against CF Montréal tonight. Last week, the Black-and-Red stunned Sporting Kansas City 2-1 for their first home win of 2025.
All focus has shifted to tonight’s matchup with Montréal. The Bleu-Blanc-Noir didn’t fare well during their last visit to Audi Field last March, losing 1-0. Laurent Courtois’ men are looking for their first win of 2025 after dropping all three points in each match they have played.
For their part, the Black-and-Red are looking to build on the momentum they’ve gained so far and continue to pick up critical points early in the season. Head coach Troy Lesesne has been laser-focused on building a strong culture on and off the field and developing consistency in the team’s performance.
In this week’s pre-game press conference, Lesesne said, “We wanted to get that first win under our belts for 2025, so we accomplished that. We wanted to get the first win at home because we want to maybe try to recreate the narrative that is around that – as the narrative should have been last season. But this is a new season, and you know it just makes me really happy to see the guys be able to consistently play in the way that we have the first three weeks. I think we’ve been pretty consistent in a lot of what we’ve done, but the things we want to tighten up, I think we’ve also been maybe consistently a little bit erratic at times with the ball, where we give it away in unnecessary situations.”
Hear everything Troy Lesesne had to say at the pre-game press conference here.
Now it’s up to the Black-and-Red to demonstrate the consistency they’ve worked so hard to build on the pitch tonight. We’re ready for it!
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 continued to be a phenomenal leader on and off the pitch for D.C. United. He is driven to make the playoffs and recognizes that strong performances, match over match, are the way to get there.
Watch Out For: Jonathan Sirois
Montréal’s goalkeeper leads MLS in saves this season and will challenge the Black-and-Red’s attack. Sirois has 15 saves so far this season, so we will see if Christian Benteke can throw him off his game.
Challenges: Although it is early in the season, D.C. United is under pressure to rack up points and solidify their performances. The Black-and-Red are driven to snag a playoff spot, and these early days will give them an edge.
Previously: D.C. United overcame Montréal last March at Audi Field 1-0, but the Bleu-Blanc-Noir snapped back for a 4-2 home win at Stade Saputo in May.
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Conner Antey (knee), Jackson Hopkins (ankle), Hakim Karamoko (abdomen), Randall Leal (thigh)
Questionable: None
CF Montréal Availability:
Out: Jalen Neal (knee), Samuel Piette (hamstring), Hennadii Synchuk (lower body), Giacomo Vrioni (groin)
Questionable: Prince Owusu (lower body)
Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Death. Taxes. And Owusu winning ghostly free kicks after falling.
This ref is a buyer for what Owusu likes to sell
Oh, cool, Zouhir and Barajas on for Stroud and Peglow.
Really want to see what Barajas has got
If we had two Bentekes, we’d score four times as much off set pieces.
He’s so good at getting good flicks into dangerous positions, but the finishing off the headers is horrible
Three minutes of stoppage is a joke
And he blows right at the 3 after Saliba and the goalie wasted at least a minute. Bullshit
Another winnable 2 pts dropped at home…only bright side is a clean sheet.
This felt like 3 points got away here at home. This game was a combination of DC being wasteful, unlucky in the attack, and a little lucky in defense at times.
My overall take is that the players were better at their jobs tonight than Lesesne. The team is clearly doing what he wants, and that does not include creating and exploiting space.
I’ve had about enough of this.
Damn there were some wasted chances. I know we’re not a good finishing team. But wow, starting with the missed shot on goal by Pirani, we had some good chances and did nothing with them.
I disagree with what you’re implying. If both teams finish clear chances, we lose 4-2.
Not getting 3 points out of this was almost criminal. Montreal better have had a team-wide flu epidemic today, otherwise they’ll wooden spoon… few ideas and no energy or passion for huge stretches, just a pathetic outing from their POV. And yet even our better performers in the attack (Kijima, Peglow, Benteke) weren’t particularly close to converting on anything other than the handball. There are good signs here, but not enough of them.