DC United @ Philadelphia Union: Preview, time, and how to watch
DC United return to MLS action tonight as they travel up I-95 to take on the Philadelphia Union. DC United is hoping to get back on track after two straight losses in the league coupled with being eliminated by One Knoxville in the US Open Cup on Wednesday.
René Weiler has not pleased with his team’s mentality lately, and called it out during the press conference on Wednesday night after the loss on penalties to One Knox. He wants it to change and believes it’s vital for the team to get back on a winning track.
“We have to change the mentality. It’s very simple,” Weiler said. “Some players, they don’t have the quality, mentally, how they should have it on this level. It’s not fun. I have to perform. I have to achieve the targets. The targets are very simple: you have to win games. And basically, you have to fight the entire time, with the ball without [the] ball. It’s much more than only fighting. But some players, they don’t have this fighting spirit. I saw a lack of fighting spirit, and it means a lack of mentality.”
The players agree, saying they need to dig deep to pull out a win against a Union team that are the reigning Supporters’ Shield holders, but have struggled mightily this season. “It’s not even about talking tactics. It’s just about getting on the same page, our mentality, our heart,” Nikola Markovic said on Wednesday.
“I think that’s a good opportunity for us that the next game is coming this quickly, especially after a defeat and after a disappointment, that’s always a good thing,” Matti Peltola remarked. “What we, at least I like as a player, [is] that you have a new opportunity to show your skills soon. So that’s the case for us, and we better take it on Saturday.”
DC United currently hold onto the 9th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings, but they’re already 9 points off leaders Nashville SC and they don’t want to squander points. Philadelphia only has 1 win on the season and is tied with CF Montréal at the bottom of the standings. It’s a major chance for the Black-and-Red to get points, but it’s an even better opportunity to show they can be a part of the change in mentality that René Weiler demands.
DC United @ Philadelphia Union
Location: Subaru Park, Chester
Kickoff time: 7:30pm ET
Available streaming: Apple TV
Baribo was listed as questionable on the injury report (as was Louis), but the team posted a picture of his jersey being prepped, so it looks like at least Baribo will be available to some extent tonight
Bit of a different lineup tonight. Taking a stab at the formation (the team put it in numerical order):
Johnson; Hefti, Bartlett, Rowles, Kurokawa; Herrera, Peltola, Markovic, Peglow; Hopkins, Baribo
Louis does not make the bench
Pirani is also not on the bench. He was not on the injury report, so either he got hurt since that came out or it was a conscious decision. 2 GKs on the bench though, so I kinda hope he is actually hurt
The score graphic started at kickoff with a red card designation above DC’s rectangle.
Hey, no spoilers, please! Let me watch the game, I don’t need prophecy, thank you very much
Philly gets 2 false starts to begin the game, and the score bug started off showing DC with a red card. Off to a strong start!
Once my brain finally figures out the weirdness of the jersey contrast, I’m going to really enjoy seeing what Markovic can do partnering Peltola
So far, Markovic as a DM: Pretty friggin nice
Baribo finally gets accepted as DC’s DP striker by the refs. That unfathomably unearned yellow for a contact he wasn’t even cognizant of was the most Benteke thing ever.
Markovic blocks what probably would have been a goal!
Um… Philly players sure did do enough whining on the floor for there to be some first half stoppage. But, it’s OK, DC had the momentum, and it’s important for the ref to recenter and visualize handing out second yellows in the second half.
There are downsides to being a team set up and dedicated to maintaining game state rather than maximizing final third impact. It means that, if soccer happens, you can’t always recover or adjust to overcome the new dynamics of play.
But it does mean that, with the correct effort and buy in, you can weather a half like this and make the opposition wary of your ripostes.
Good for the squad, especially on the road after a grueling midweek debacle.
Liking Markovic and Peltola together, Markovic is a worthy warrior with quality.
Who knew Markovic was this good at playing goalie
Blocking in the box is an underrated attribute in the modern game.
I’m proud of these 57 minutes, as scoreless as they’ve been.
Just wanted to say that, no matter what occurs now.
We’re not down 5-0 in Chester PA. Progress.
Now you’ve jinxed us…..
I think Markovic is gone
Guess not but that was an orange card that was verging on red.
Nope.
But if Markovic’s penal status going forward were a lightsaber, it would be just a shade off from crimson.
I think Markovic pulled it back on that tackle at the last moment, so that the collision was against a folding leg rather than a stiff one, and that’s the only reason he’s still on the field. In real time & at first glance I thought it was a red. Which would have been super-frustrating since he’s doing so well in general.
We’re under siege and not threatening on the other end at all.
We’ve battled.
Now I’d like Weiler to bring on Kijima, Clark, and Turner. I don’t know if they will get us there, but it’s time to get forward. We can win, but we also can’t defend like this into stoppage.
Well, that’s two of them.
Hopkins and Peglow did what they could, wise to get them relief.
And a DCU killer in Denlay Jean Jacques comes on…
Well done by MLS to press on with the “best assist” sponsorship spot. It’s that level of shameless corporatism that 😴
This ref clearly doesn’t have any more patience with DC. If they’re not going to concede, and they’re not gonna give him justification for a second yellow to someone, he’s not gonna give you stoppage. Them’s the rules.
Obvs a much better effort mentally. Now to do it again. And again. Consistency would help a lot, even though we won’t be a serious squad until and unless the attacking half gets reinforced/fixed.
What’s an attack?
I know this will sound like cope, but I genuinely enjoyed this performance.
There was robustness, dedication, and courage in our own end. We don’t have all the pieces we need, but this reaffirms that this squad can be built on.
Markovic, keep him there. He’s probably a CB starter if we find a worthy partner for Peltola in the next two windows, but he’s worthy till that happens.
Ultimately, I think it’s going to be a rough slog once fatigue builds on the players worthy of starting, but at least they exist.
I don’t know how they do it, but ditching Pirani and Louis would give us roster chips to do some stuff, and, if we can get a few more speedy options in attack, next season might finally be one where we don’t just shrug and say “well, nuke it.”
If DC can manage 0-0 draws in their remaining 26 games, they will finish with 34 points. Just saying. Not playoffs, but more points.
If an oracle told me with absolute certainty what spot this team would finish in, and it was outside the playoffs, am I supposed to just not see what the game performances look like?
I’m not going there. This wasn’t dreary. I give Philly some credit for
making clutch defensive nips in their own end. I’m not going to fault the team for making more defensive plays away from home, they deserve credit for making them.
I’ll watch if they fight for each other and do what they can in transition. I watch the players play soccer, the numbers we generate in the standings aren’t all or nothing for me.
I am less concerned about their finish in the table than I am about their finishing on the pitch, or even their chance taking. Not sure how you can say this wasn’t dreary. This is like Bennyball, but they used to get the one chance to win 1-0.
I guess my soccer viewings don’t boil down to the shots taken. There were some other minutes that happened.
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out with Markovic. I am already firmly of the opinion that this is a field-tilting, commanding midfielder at peak, and we’d be wasting a lot of that spatial/instinctual ability by restricting him to a center back role. However, as you imply he’s not exactly an ideal recipe for a Peltola partner.
I don’t think he’s a bad partner at all for Peltola, but I do think there’s a CB far better than Rowles in there with a season under his belt.
We also increasingly live in an era where positional awareness isn’t always about rigid boundaries of play, even for CBs. Tara Rudd at her best for The Spirit last year was doing incredibly effective ball carrying terrorizing opponents without jeopardizing the backline.
That said, if we can tailor a midfielder to Peltola and get an actual second striker, we’d be a lot more progressive.
Oh, and the cold cut from Weiler’s presser just now, re: Pirani’s absence… “If you saw the last performances from him, you don’t need to ask me this question.” So there’s one player headed for the exit door.
I don’t mind that. Weiler has more than kicked the tires, and Gabriel hasn’t been able to succeed as a focal point or even sustain attacks when the attention is on him. At some point, it didn’t work.
A rather sober assessment…..