Atlanta United vs. D.C. United: Preview, time, and how to watch
It’s Decision Day. The ultimate game of the season will bring an end to one of the most disappointing campaigns in D.C. United’s history. The Black and Red have one major thing to play for: avoiding the Wooden Spoon for the third time in club history. A win for DCU would avoid this ignominy. To do so, DCU must travel to Atlanta to play the other United in a place were D.C. United hasn’t had much success. Since the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, D.C. United has managed only two victories there in eight tries. The challenge will be greater as Aaron Herrera and Luis Barraza will miss the match due to their respective Red Cards against Charlotte.
Opposite D.C. United will be an Atlanta side that hasn’t performed up to its normal expectations. Heading into the final day. Atlanta sits 14th in the east, two points above DCU. The Five Stripes are in the midst of a five game winless streak. Atlanta have lost their lost their last three matches to New England, LAFC, and Inter Miami and failed to score in each game. Despite their poor form of late, Atlanta is still a motivated enemy looking to avoid the same ignominy as D.C. United.
Watch Out For: Brad Guzan
The end of the 2024 season will bring down the curtain on Brad Guzan’s MLS career. Over his 20+ year career, Guzan has done nearly everything an American can do in the sport, playing in MLS and England with Aston Villa. Domestically, with Chivas USA and Atlanta, Guzan is an MLS Champion, a US Open Cup Champion, and a Campeones Cup Champion. With the national team, Guzan had 64 Caps and was a member of the 2008 Olympic team, the 2009 Confederations Cup team, two Copa America teams, two World Cup teams, and three Gold Cup championship teams. Despite his overall distinguished resume, Guzan’s record against D.C. United is somewhat pedestrian. Heading into Decision Day, Guzan has faced D.C. United the second most of any MLS team and is 10-3-9 against the Black and Red. Guzan has conceded 30 goals over those 22 games against DCU but kept five clean sheets. The atmosphere in Mercedes-Benz Stadium surrounding Guzan’s departure could make an already difficult environment for D.C. United decidedly bleaker.
Key Player: Jordan Farr or Kim Joonhong
After the game against Atlanta, D.C. United will kick its roster rebuild into full gear. Going into next season, the goalkeeper position will be in flux. This season’s number one option, Luis Barraza isn’t under contract going forward. Kim and Farr have served as Barraza’s backup for most of the season, with Farr seemingly being René Weiler’s preferred choice recently. Regardless of who starts in goal, this will serve as their final chance in live game action to convince Weiler and Erkut Sogut that they should be part of that rebuild or to audition for another team wo may be interested in taking a flyer on them during the offseason.
Challenges:
Atlanta: All Atlanta needs to do to avoid the Wooden Soon is a draw. Given a 0-0 final would suffice, Atlanta’s challenge is don’t concede.
D.C. United: The Black and Red are in the midst of a two game goalless drought. They have averaged an anemic .88 goals per game over the course of the season. For D.C. United, the challenge is to find a way to score, preferably multiple goals, in place where they haven’t traditionally had success, and without two key starters, on an emotional day for the home crowd.
Previously:
The two Uniteds met at Audi Field in what was Troy Lesesne’s last home match as manager. D.C. United out shot Atlanta 9-6, but neither side was able to find the back of the net in the 0-0 draw.
Atlanta Availability:
Out: Matt Edwards (hamstring), Jay Fortune (foot), Stian Gregersen (hamstring), Brooks Lennon (Achilles tendinitis), Will Reilly (hamstring), Nyk Sessock (illness)
Questionable: Tristan Muyumba (knee)
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Luis Barraza (Red Card – DOGSO), Lucas Bartlett (knee), Kristian Fletcher (knee), Aaron Herrera (Red Card – Violent Conduct)
Questionable: None
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Kickoff time: 6 PM ET
Referee: Joshua Encarnacion
Available streaming: Apple TV+
DC Lineup:
Farr; Antley, Rowles, MacNaughton, Schnegg; Servania, Peltola, Hopkins; Clark (!!!), Benteke, Stroud
Atlanta Line Up:
Guzan; Amador, Mihaj, Berrocal, Hernandez; Slisz, Alzate, Miranchuk; Latte Lath, Almirón, Brennan.
Whelp. Almiron scores from outside the box after a corner kick
Welp, this could be a long day. Almiron from outside the box through traffic.
Really nice long cross/switch from Clark to Hopkins. Will be interesting to see if Clark can keep doing that
If these early chances keep falling , I think Benteke is going to get a goal today.
Obligatory Messi highlight in a game he is not featured on.
Definitely feels like the refs are leaning a bit towards Atlanta in this game. That benteke no call followed immediately by a yellow on the other end was sure something
Darth Garber just ensuring we get the Wooden Spoon.
We are quite capable of doing that on our own.
Jordan Farr has done his best Tyler Miller sweeper impression twice tonight.
And now Hopkins is in the books with a yellow.
Brilliant. Rapid counter and 3 shots 1 saved, 1 blocked, and 1 scored. We’re even 1-1.
Pirani gets us level, scoring through a defenders legs
MacNaughton keeps us in the game and saves it off the line.
Is it me or has the Apple broadcast crew said with this result DCU is ahead of Atlanta on the table? That’s not even remotely correct, right?
No they’d have to win. With the current result, Atlanta is on 28 and DCU is on 26.
That’s what I thought. Not a fan of this broadcast crew.
My fiance’ had to hear me rant about the idiotic premise that ATL had to win to avoid bottom of the barrel. The announcer was embarrassing. Fire him. Zero basic situational awareness, and he insisted on riding the narrative all night, showing the incompetency of editors and supervision. Horrific.
The Wooden Spoon is ours!!!!
Rejoice!!!!
Well, we’re officially last. Didn’t play a bad game, and things have been looking better under Weiler, hopefully next year is a little better
Assessing what Weiler got out the team: Only one terrible result — the catastrophic thrashing by Philly. Losing 3-2 to Messi in Miami is no shame. And the tight, home loss ot Charlotte after going down to 9 men is also not a terrible scoreline. The rest of his matches were pretty good, getting wins or draws despite being outclassed in talent every time DCU took the pitch (with the possible exception of his first match in Montreal). But, progress is all about a drastic revamping of the roster.
While the Wooden Spoon itself is a new “award,” this the 5th time DC United finished with the worst record in MLS (2002, 2010, 2013, 2022, 2025), which now exceeds the number of times they finished with the best record, and also exceeds the number of MLS Cup titles.
Five wooden spoons! I am going to make my trophy this winter with a fan shape of five wooden spoons and a Black and Red DC United theme.
2002 was forgivable, as they were at the end of a stellar run. They quickly set it right in 2004. Otherwise, total ineptitude by the organization.