D.C. United looks to snap back to form after a painful 4-1 loss to Orlando City last week. Tonight’s opponent, Columbus Crew, will be another tough test for the Black-and-Red.
While the matchup in Orlando marked D.C.’s first loss of the season, the Black-and-Red are reflecting, taking stock, and moving forward.
Head coach Troy Lesesne acknowledged that D.C. hadn’t played with their usual tenacity against Orlando and said, “It starts and stops with me… I have to step up and take responsibility for us not being in our identity and our way with full aggression like we usually have.” Now, Lesesne said, is the time to “Get back to work — that’s the name of the game. We reflected, and now we get back to being ourselves.”
While D.C. United is on the hunt for a playoff berth this season; the 2023 MLS Cup Champions, the Crew, are unbeaten in 2025 and looking to return to top form in the league. Columbus enters tonight’s game looking to snag more points after a scoreless draw with New York City FC last week.
As for the Black-and-Red, Lesesne feels tonight is a chance to flip the script. He said, “When you have the opportunity to play against a team like Columbus off of a performance you’re not happy about, it’s a wonderful opportunity.”
Hear everything head coach Troy Lesesne had to say in 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
Rock-solid Benteke has tallied three goals so far this season and is well on his way to a repeat of his 2024 Golden Boot title. Benteke has been integral to D.C. United’s attack, and with Gabriel Pirani, João Peglow, and Jared Stroud up top for support, he is on his way to becoming unstoppable.
Watch Out For: Diego Rossi
D.C.’s defense will need to watch out for Rossi, who has repeatedly found the back of the net for the Crew this season. The veteran striker has been a danger throughout his career, previously playing for LAFC.
Challenges: The Black-and-Red will need to overcome last week’s loss and regain momentum to continue the journey toward a playoff berth.
Previously: D.C. and Columbus played to a 2-2 draw at Audi Field in September of 2024.
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Jackson Hopkins (ankle)
Questionable: Hakim Karamoko (abdomen), Randall Leal (thigh), Conner Antey (knee)
Columbus Crew Availability:
Out: Rudy Camacho (thigh), Nicholas Hagen (hand)
Questionable: None
Location: Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Chris Penso
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Is anybody else experiencing a lot of advertising on the Lesesne pre-game press conference? Haven’t seen that before, it’s too much.
Hi Dean, do you mean prior to the start of the video? I saw quite a bit when I was grabbing the link!
The commercials were presented during the press conference after just a small number of minutes and were quite lengthy! At least what I was seeing, it was definitely excessive.
As fate would have it, the friend I took to the Spirit home opener and who has largely watched the best Champions League soccer on TV, wants to hang out during the period of DC United’s game against Columbus tonight.
First off, ticket master is making me nix the idea of going to the stadium, not just twice this month, but for some time. So we’ll be watching it at home. Second, I can make morbid jokes all I want and lower expectations with aplomb, I’m expecting him to be horrified at the level of soccer we specifically play, bearing in mind his previous and limited experience with the game.
So, we play Columbus tonight. Vamos United! But also, gulp.
Thanks, Sarah. I’ll be watching tonight from Buenos Aires. Fingers crossed.
I think the Crew feast on United defense like Orlando did last week.
Only 13 mins in to the game so far and Loudoun has 1 yellow and Rhode Island has 2 yellows. All on defenders in more transitional moments.
Aboukoura puts Loudoun up 1-0 with a great goal in the 35′. They turnover Rhode Island in the Rhode Island half and Skundrich picks up the errant pass and finds Abokoura who beats 2 defenders and puts a shot low and hard pass the Rhode Island keeper into the corner.
Aboukoura makes it 2-0 with his second with some silky moves and beats the keeper high to the near post.
Rhode Island pressing hard in response and forces save from Faroux.
Aldair Sanchez picks up Rhode Island’s 3rd yellow with a late challenge.
Faroux has to collect a deflected cross while standing on his line.
Loudoun wins 2-0
Old Glory scores a try off a scrum deep in LA territory in only the 3′ and its converted.
LA punishes Old Glory for a penalty and with quick play and a rolling maul they score the try but it’s not converted. It’s 7-5 to Old Glory after 13 minutes.
Jason Robertson punishes LA for a scrum penalty and nails the penalty goal from about 40m out. It’s 10-5 now to DC.
LA responds quickly with a try that’s dotted down beneath the posts for an auto conversion. It’s 12-10 to LA after 17 minutes. It came off a line-out deep in the OGDC half.
TMO calls down to the ref after review for something he missed. Yellow card to LA #3 for a high tackle with head contact and no mitigation. So Old Glory is up a man for 10 minutes as of about 23:00. Robertson goes for penalty goal just outside the 22 and he converts it. 13-12 to Old Glory now.
Robertson with another penalty goal this time from about 27m out. Its 16-12 to Old Glory. Unfortunately, LA with a quick counter off a knock on by Old Glory on the kickoff and they score a try. The try is converted. It’s now 19-16 to LA. LA’s offense is proving just as lethal as it has been all season.
Old Glory scores a try with a maul on a lineout from about 10-15m out. It’s a penalty try as LA illegally chopped the maul down so it’s an auto 7 pt for DC and a yellow against LA. It’s 23-19 to Old Glory after 37 min. The 10 min sin bin will continue on the other side of half time.
LA gets a yellow for putting his hands into the ruck synically slowing play down right on the try line. Now into 1st half bonus time. A scrum, but Old Glory turns it over. Ref calls time in 1st half. So now it’s 23-19 to Old Glory at half. And LA will start the 2nd half with 2 men in the sin bin. LA is now up to 16 cards on the season and are one of the most heavily carded teams in the league. Old Glory only has 4 cards (all yellows) on the season.
Old Glory dots down under the posts less than 2 mins in. Its 30-19 to Old Glory. They make use of that 2 man advantage.
LA responds with a try in the 47′ after getting a man back from yellow card off a quick tap and several phases. The try is converted its 30-26 to Old Glory.
LA scores again in the 52′ and converts it to go ahead 33-30 after the man advantage ends.
LA’s #9 picks up a 2nd yellow and red for a no arm tackle on a line break deep in LA territory. There was no coverage and therefore its a penalty try for DC. Its 37-30 to Old Glory and now LA are down a man for 20 mins its 54:46 time mark.
Damn LA scores a 6th try and their 3rd one while down at least 1 man. And Old Glory picks up a yellow in the chaos. Its 14 on 14 action for about 10 mins the other side of the hydration break. Its 38-37 to LA. I’m with the announcers…this is a race to 50.
Correction its 40-37 to LA.
Old Glory picks up another yellow for head contact in a ruck cleanout. If they are gonna call that then they have to call it on the LA guy who just sent one of our players off for a head injury assessment. Its 14 on 13 for LA in the 63′.
Buzzards Point looking way emptier than the Spirit game last night.
It’s about the same or a little emptier by halftime, but it was also a horrific traffic night all over NoVa and the District. I was running late from Alexandria, and decided to catch a Lyft instead of Metro, because that’s my usual thing if I’m late, and it took almost an hour to get to Audi.
Argh! Took me almost 2 hours from my part of Alexandria. The traffic is wilder than usual!
True. You had the Nats earlier, great weather, and peak bloom of the Cherry Blossoms at the tidal basin. Traffic must’ve been a nightmare.
LA with a punishing 25 meter gain rolling maul and then after pulling it out because it was stopped a 2nd time LA knocks it on.
Damn one Old Glory player comes out of the sin bin and another player goes into the sin bin with a yellow and a penalty try to LA. Its 47-37 now to LA.
Robinson makes the conversion to pull Old Glory back to within 3 at 47-44 with just over 6 mins to go.
Old Glory scores a try off a rolling maul from about 10 m out.
BENTEKE!!!
Is this the DC United game thread. There are dozens of posts about a rugby…match?
It is, but the Old Glory game started at 6. And no one really posts for home games I’ve noticed.
LA with a dagger of a try to go up 52-44…Reese McDonald whose been an Old Glory killer for ages and is now with LA instead of New England. Conversion is good its 54-44 with 5 mins to go.
Crew pull the goal back. Its 1-1.
Pirani has to do better with that break there.
Trying some actual DC United conversation…
The DCU goal was interesting. Pirani sneaked a quick start, when the ref wasn’t looking, without moving ball back where it should’ve been. Caught the Crew off guard. Best move he’s had this year.
It was sneaky.
Old Glory loses a shoot out 54-44… LA lost their first 3 and now have a 3 game win streak.
Some great play from DCU and Kijimia puts it just wide.
Early sub. Dodson on for Herrera
Bartlett with a yellow. And it looks like Herrera is coming off and Dodson is coming on.
Schnegg now picks up a yellow. That’s 2 out of 4 on the backline with a yellow and we’ve already subbed off Herrera for Dodson.
Pirani draws a yellow from Russel Rowe.
Schnegg is one of the worst defenders I’ve ever seen for DC United at fullback. Gets toasted over and over again.
How dare you make such a statement. That’s Dajome’s seat
Dájome was playing out of position and he was still much better 1v1.
Nobody was worse one vs one
From our play, we’re unfortunate not to have scored more, from our tactics, fortunate to not have been scored on more
Peglow misses on the break away. Good win from Benteke and a great run by Pirani before firing the pass to Peglow.
I am loving Joon-Hong!!
He’s easily kept us from going down by several so far tonight.
Kim with a big save, but damn the defense needs to give him some help.
Peltola with a hospital pass…..damn we were fortunate that only resulted in a throw in initially.
There are definitely more goals in this game.
Joon-Hong so far out of position. If Rossi has looked to shoot, could’ve chipped him easily
Rossi’s shot takes a deflection that wrong foots Joon-Hong.