DC United vs. Los Angeles FC: Preview, time, and how to watch
DC United return to the field desperate to end their losing streak tonight as they host Los Angeles FC. DC has lost two in a row and are looking to get back over the playoff line, but will have their work cut out for them against a LAFC team that is 3rd in the Western Conference.
It has been a long while since these two teams have faced each other. Since LAFC joined the league in 2018, this will be only the fourth meeting between them, with the most recent one coming in August 2022. The Black-and-Red have not hosted LAFC since April 2019 and in their three previous meetings, DC is 0W-1D-2L against them. The team is calling for a blackout of Audi Field to cheer the team on tonight.
Head coach René Weiler is hoping that they can stay the path and keep improving so that they’re right there in the hunt when the season ends. “I think I know where we are in our process. Despite the difficult results, we know where we want to go and the direction remains clear,” Weiler said to media earlier this week. “But I mentioned it before, when we are missing some starters, it will be complicated and it’s not always up to us how we can do things better to win a game. So I mostly to always satisfied if the team’s performances but of course we want to have better results and maybe we need a little bit more time, maybe we need to be a little bit more composure.”
“But at the end, I repeat, I’m mostly satisfied with the team’s performances but there is still a gap to the other teams. I know what we can and what we can’t do today, but that is the next step we want to go. We want to turn tight games in, better results and looking at LAFC.”
The Black-and-Red hope to get back in the win column and start a more positive streak. However, another loss could see them really staring up at the playoff line as the calendar flips to September.
DC United vs. LAFC
Location: Audi Field
Kickoff time: 7:30pm ET
Available streaming: Apple TV
So how shambolic is the defense tonight?
Lineup (I have no idea what formation this is supposed to be, guess on my part):
Johnson; Nono, Bartlett, Dozzell, Kurokawa; Servania, Peltola, Peglow; Louis, Hopkins, Ordaz
Might just be the standard 442? Hard to say
The only question is who of Dozzell or Peltola is playing as CB with Bartlett.
Which, for me, if we’re relying on Servania to be pivotal to the playoff push, then it’s going to continue to be a collapse due to aggregate momentum loss, and I’d rather bloody Markovic so he can start back there next season.
And not alienate Peltola or deprive Dozzell of the right midfield partner.
Anyway, I do want to see what Ordaz can do from the start
Ye gods, the lines. Every Spurs or Korea fan in DC must be here.
NoVA does have a massive Korean population.
Behold: If DC had a globally known former superstar as a DP
Before anyone wonders about the 4-3-3,
Wait till kickoff, coaches have been treating lineup projections increasingly like a game of psychological chess, so that they can’t give instructions till the first break about what it actually is.
I will note: coaches that aren’t worried about the marginality of their squads just throw the real one out there, and win regularly.
Wait we put a shot on target 30 seconds in?
So, I’m actually thinking it’s still a 4-4-2 (edit: in possession)
Dozzell and Bartlett at CB, Peltola and Servania at CM, Nono at RB, and Peglow and Hopkins strangely the strikers with Ordaz on the left wing and Louis on the right
Though it does seem that Peglow is dropping deep into a midblock out of possession
So, it seems that Peglow and Ordaz are a pairing, as are Hopkins and Louis, but what they are operably doing in possession is switching who is wide and who is attacking the box
Out of possession, midblock with Hopkins the only free to press and disrupt backline buildup, with Peglow part of a central midfield defensive unit
Seems pretty convoluted, cuz I’m pretty sure this hinges on if Servania’s ceiling is high enough this match, and if having only one experienced, natural CB on the field will work out. Obviously Dozzell quite good at passing, but that loss of enforcement might tell quickly
How long was Marky Delgado a DCU player? We picked him up then immediately lost him in an expansion draft if I remember correctly.
Did we even have him? I thought the one we lost was Tommy Mc
You’re right it was Tommy McNamara
Louis can’t believe that Kurokawa didn’t know he was the most offsides
Pretty sure Son tried to cast “yellow card” on Nono, mercifully the ref acknowledged Nono’s complete innocence
Son skates away from an embellishment VAR
Son burning a lot of energy trying to get past Nono, and doesn’t seem to have a ton of it left
Good on Nono
LAFC with quick restart repeatedly tonight.
They’re jumping on weird decisions before DCU can register what the ref is thinking
The ref hasn’t made infinite calls like that, but the few that have been, LA don’t wait around
This is all almost working out, but Hopkins as a CF (or when he’s in those spots) really doesn’t got the attributes you want there
Tough not having Baribo, cuz LA is ripe for some optimal headed chances in their setup
Not a bad first half. Still, this team are a tough watch sometimes.
Man, contact with Kono is like kryptonite to Son
Couldn’t possibly be that Nono is too quick and dogged to get past, and he should have had a couple VAR checks for embellishment at this point
Insane, dial-back-the-clock save by Hugo Lloris, but Hopkins should have given him no chance with the opening that was to pick a shot
Oof Bartlett with an awkward landing…
Report from the RFK Refugees guys, who talked to Sogut today: DC is actually looking at bringing in 1 or 2 more guys this window. Sogut is actively working on something now, but not much info yet. Also looking for a backup LB
Dozzell denies Sean Johnson an assist from Son’s shot.
Cuz that was one of the worst punches I’ve ever seen
Goddamnit, Lloris
Servania’s miss on that Nono elegance displayed all the competency and dignity of Denethor flinging himself off the Gondor cliff while fully on fire
What does he do as midfielder that Kijima can not
Kijima on for Hopkins, who did have a pretty brutal game in a role that he just wasn’t right for
Stroud comes on, kills a promising play with as much aplomb as Servania did
Effectively down a man with either of these players at this point
Even when we had something cooking, Servania was absent from it
That was painful to watch…plus Servania had that giveaway that led to the last Son attempt.
The ref has decided that DC has no more fouls to earn
Well, I guess DC can take some solace that LA felt compelled to push Son so deep into the red zone without result
Incredible by Kijima to break pressure and knife it to an onrushing player
The player was Stroud, and he is a hack
Game ends 0-0. We probably could have won it, but LAFC is a good team and this is still a solid result.
I haven’t been able to see a couple of the last 3 games, and Nono really looks like a good pickup.
Nono was fantastic
Baribo held aside, I think Nono may already be the best player on the squad. Very strong in all phases tonite.
I think he’s very good, but I think Peltola is still the highest quality talent that Weiler is getting very strange with
At another point in the season, this would have been a good result. Feels like a letdown tonight since DC are winless in five and generally much better rested than their opponents. Lucky that only Philly and Orlando are gaining ground in the playoff race too.
They need to find a way to make the solid performances more than just “could wins”. Really have to find more goals down the stretch.
Gofundme for Stroud and Servania’s airfare to any place other than here
Hopkins also quite lousy, but I think all knew line leading CF is not him, and he’s got value and ability elsewhere
Servania and Stroud are wretched hacks whose out of possession positioning is a mirage of coverage, they’re player through so friggin easily
Also a shame there weren’t more operable pieces for Ordaz out there, cuz he looked good
Weiler had him all over, but him and Baribo would be a great combo
Yeah, some real bright spots from him. Glad to have him and Nono in the fold. Will also be interested to see if we try this 4-1-4-1 more too