New York Red Bulls visit DC United as they seek to keep pace with the Eastern Conference leaders.
DC United will be aiming to maintain their positive momentum as they host the New York Red Bulls at Audi Field. The hosts have enjoyed a resurgence in form, climbing to third place in the Eastern Conference standings after a 3-2 victory over Atlanta United.
Under coach Troy Lesesne, the team has shown improvement, particularly at home, where they have secured three wins in six matches. Despite their recent success, DC United will face a tough challenge against the New York Red Bulls, who are also coming off a convincing 4-2 win against New England Revolution.
Led by Lewis Morgan, Emil Forsberg, Elias Manoel, and Cameron Harper, the Red Bulls displayed an impressive attacking prowess, ending a four-match winless streak. However, the visitors will need to improve their away form, having won just one of their last five matches on the road.
For DC United, ending a six-match winless streak against the Red Bulls will be a priority, especially after their last defeat at the hands of their opponents. With both teams vying for crucial points in the Eastern Conference standings, the match promises to be an exciting encounter.
As the race for playoff positions heats up, DC United and the New York Red Bulls will look to capitalize on their recent victories and continue their upward trajectory in MLS. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up for the game and their tactics.
Team News & Tactics
DC United
DC United will face some lineup adjustments for their upcoming match against the New York Red Bulls. Conner Antley is sidelined due to injury, while Russell Canouse is unavailable for personal reasons. This presents an opportunity for Jacob Murrell to return to the starting lineup after being on the bench in the previous game.
In the absence of Canouse, Murrell’s presence in the starting XI could provide stability to DC United’s midfield. Meanwhile, Jared Stroud and Christian Benteke are expected to lead the attacking line for the team. The latter scored a hat-trick in the 3-2 win over Atlanta United and will be raring to go.
The home side are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Alex Bono in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Aaron Herrera, Christopher McVey, Lucas Bartlett, and Cristian Dajome.
Theodore Ku-DiPietro, Mateusz Klich, and Jackson Hopkins should form the midfield, with the trio of Christian Benteke, Jared Stroud and Jacob Murrell starting upfront.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Bono; Herrera, McVey, Bartlett, Dajome; Ku-DiPietro, Klich, Hopkins; Murrell, Benteke, Stroud
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls will have to manage without several key players due to injuries. DC United striker Jared Stroud’s younger brother, Peter Stroud, is still recovering from a left ankle injury sustained in April and is expected to remain sidelined for a few more weeks after undergoing surgery.
Additionally, Serge Ngoma is recovering from knee surgery and will be unavailable until the end of the month. Roald Mitchell and Ronald Donkor are also nursing injuries, with Mitchell dealing with a knee problem and Donkor sidelined due to a back injury. Both players are expected to return next month.
The visitors are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Carlos Coronel in goal, supported by a defensive line consisting of Andres Reyes, Sean Nealis, Noah Eile, and John Tolkin.
In midfield, Daniel Edelman and Frankie Amaya are set to feature in the centre, with Wikelman Carmona and Emil Forsberg providing width on the wings. Up top, Lewis Morgan and Dante Vanzeir are anticipated to lead the attacking line for the Red Bulls.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Coronel; Reyes, S. Nealis, Eile, Tolkin; Amaya, Edelman, Carmona, Forsberg; Vanzeir, Morgan
Ways to Watch
Key Stats
- Failure to win on the night will see New York Red Bulls go three games with a win away from home in MLS.
- DC United star Troy Lesense will aim to end his former team NY Red Bulls’ six game unbeaten run against his current side.
- Both DC United and NY Red Bulls have amongst the poorest defences in the league, conceding 19 and 18 times respectively.
- Both teams have drawn five games in MLS this season, a tally that is outdone only by Columbus Crew and St Louis across both Conferences.
Player to Watch
Christian Benteke
The Belgian delivered a standout performance, showcasing his prowess by scoring three headers against Atlanta United last time around to secure his second hat-trick of the season and his third in the last 13 games. This impressive feat makes him only the fifth player to achieve three hat-tricks within a span of 13 games, highlighting his remarkable scoring ability.
Benteke has now tallied an impressive 11 goals in just 10 matches, firmly establishing himself as an early contender for the MLS Golden Boot. Currently tied for the league lead in goals with Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez and Real Salt Lake’s Chicho Arango, the former Liverpool man’s scoring prowess has been instrumental in his team’s success.
In addition to his individual achievements, Benteke has also etched his name in the club’s history books by becoming the eighth player to score at least 10 goals in consecutive seasons. He is the first player to achieve this feat since Wayne Rooney accomplished it, further solidifying his status as a key contributor to the DC United frontline.
Prediction
DC United 1-1 New York Red Bulls
Both teams are currently in good form and have put up similar numbers to each other at least as far as goals scored and goals conceded are concerned. There should be no shortage of goals on the night with both teams settling for a share of the spoils.