DC United vs. Nashville SC: Preview, time, and how to watch
DC United returns to action tonight at Audi Field as they welcome Nashville SC to town. Nashville enters as the top team in the Supporters’ Shield standings and having a fantastic season, while DC United hope to hang onto playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
Head coach René Weiler admitted the team was gassed after two matches last week coming off the long World Cup break, but a week of rest and recovery will be helpful against Nashville. “We felt this tiredness after this road trip to Houston. It was a tough game and we came back early in the morning on Thursday and yeah, we were lucky at the end of [the Toronto] game,” Weiler said this week. “But now we had the entire week to prepare the next game. It will be a tough game. I don’t have to analyze our next opponent. There are numbers of reasons why [Nashville] are so strong. But yeah, we had a good, a good week and we are well prepared.”
Forward Tai Baribo, who has 10 goals this season for the Black-and-Red, credited the team’s ability to create scoring chancesas the reason for his success at finding the back of the net. But, he thinks they can do even better as they dive into the second half of the season in an effort to move up the table.
“[We] have to create more chances to attack the goal, concede less goals…the job is never ending,” Baribo said. “[We] have to stay consistent in the head…doesn’t matter the result. Obviously the result is the most important thing at the end of the game if you’re winning or losing. But if you want to build something for the long term, you can’t be happy if you’re like too happy. Obviously you can be happy, too happy when you win a game. But you can destroy everything if you lose. So if you ask me, [it’s] to create chances to be tough opponent and to try to win, to keep this character, to keep fighting.”
Nashville SC are currently 6 points clear at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings and playing well this season. DC and Nashville drew 2-2 back on May 9th in a match where DC held an early 2-0 lead thanks to Louis Munteanu and Tai Baribo. However, they allowed 2 late goals from Warren Madrigal and were forced to split the points. The Black-and-Red hope to finish the fight this time and capture all 3 points in front of the home fans.
DC United vs. Nashville SC
Location: Audi Field
Kickoff time: 7:30pm ET
Available streaming: Apple TV
(Lucas Bartlett had the second goal in the first match.)
Another great report from DW II! DCU has an opportunity to make a statement tonight.
It feels like they’ve been getting some decent results against Nashville in recent games. Or at least played them close. I feel like they’ll have a chance to do so again tonight.
Same DC Lineup as in the Toronto game, but Castillo makes the bench tonight
Turner still isn’t making the bench, which is a little bit of a mystery since he’s also not on the injury report. I do wonder if Clark and/or Murrell will be moved during this window.
Good work by Kuro to stay on Mukhtar there
I wish Najar was still wearing black and red.
Still a bit weird seeing Hefti without bleached hair
Well shit…
That’s pretty cut and dry. Surprised the ref had to think about it.
Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Well this game is over.
And there’s 2
Peglow almost got himself sent off there
Takeaway: Best team in MLS is still best team in MLS
And we really need to know why our best performing player is on the bench, and I don’t accept the explanation that Dozzell has anything to do with that.
Servania was the weak link that allows the match state to foil our strategy, and I don’t think anyone would have predicted that would have been someone else.
So, why is Peltola being withheld.
I still think Nashville is objectively more dangerous than us and also very solid defensively, but at this point, it’s both a pattern and relevant to the on pitch failure.
Baribo and a Nashville player get a yellow.
Didn’t mean that as a reply. Whoops
Down 2-0 at the half, but we were up 2-0 at the half in Nashville. So we’ve got them right where we want them, right? Right?
Not the way we’ve been playing today.
As it turns out…
Gah, Hefti scores but it gets called back
Goal stands! HEFTI HEFTI HEFTI!
Well, it’s a one goal game
Let’s hope the DCU players are less confused about all that than I am
Mukhtar down with a no contact injury, Weiler brings on Peltola and Ordaz during the treatment pause
Ordaz and Peltola on for Servania and Hopkins
Wow, what an incredible opportunity the gods gave us to go level, and we fumble it
Bartlett picks up a yellow and a one game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Believe that’s gonna be a yellow card accumulation suspension for Bartlett
Believe he was one of the two on the cusp with Peglow
Yup
Baribo! Tai game!
Well played!
Peltola starts a break with a sterling tackle Servania couldn’t dream of, and the play bobbles to a position Baribo can take it from
2-2, game on
BARIBO! I was wrong! 2-2
Dear lord, did Surridge have a chance there
We’re lucky Surridge couldn’t keep that wide open shit down
So, Peltola is a starter. Who knew?
He’s been magnificent
Nashville’s backline revealing some real quality to survive immense pressure, but we’re pushing them to fraying right now
Louis is doing pretty decently at RW
Can’t wait for Ordaz to get up to full fitness, cuz I do think he’s the second striker type we need to make this system whole
Louis is indeed doing well at RM, so that seems to be doable
If Louis doesn’t get assist of the week with that assist of the year candidate it’ll be a crime.
It did look like he meant that from a decent angle
Might be a little surprised at how well that found Baribo, but he did want it out there to him from the ground
Stroud on for Louis, who seemed like he was gassed
Bringing in Stroud…so don’t want to go for the win?
Fairly sure that we’ve been linked with all these RB types, including the Nono signing, cuz Weiler is dead tired of putting Stroud out there for important moments
And if Clark isn’t generally done at any high league level, I’d be baffled. Cuz he clearly has not mentally locked in to not even be available here
Corcoran pushes the self destruct button on his lack of card
But, it works cuz the ref sucks, whistle blows.
What a crazy one
And dear lord, can we get a fucking statement on why Peltola is NOT starting? Cuz that was one of the most composed and least checked out performances I’ve seen
It’s really inexcusable at this point. Servania is good for the team and serves a purpose, but Peltola needs to be starting over him
Totally agree. Second team was far better than starters.
Part of that was Peltola and Ordaz, but part of it was a tactical shift… first DCU game I’ve felt like tactical commentary would be worthwhile in more than a year. Very interesting.
Don’t actually agree that there was a significant tactical change
Peltola lingered back a bit, and let Dozzell operate higher generally, but I think that was his judgement, and he still nipped forward for some great tackles
Ordaz is the sort of second striker that makes a 4-4-2 work in the modern day, that’s just suitability and quality
Too long to type up on the phone. I’ll leave it for the post match thread.
There isn’t as yet someone claiming match report duties. I’m a bit too editorially minded for those
Might just end up being a Monday FKs
Though Jason has his blog report
Nashville has now allowed only 14 goals in 18 games and 4 of those are from DCU.
DC also has more draws (as of this typing) than any other team in MLS with 8. The Galaxy have 6, and no one else has more than 5.
The league surely didn’t have us soldiering on in these scenarios in their projections
Don’t think they’re pleasantly surprised about who is below us, nor where they will likely finish