Preview: DC United at Nashville SC (Open Cup quarterfinals)
DC's season is on the line against one of the league's best teams
DC hasn’t won a match since May and hasn’t even scored a goal in over a month, so surely they have no chance of advancing in the Open Cup, right? Well, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to bet on it. But what the heck, here’s some reasons for…okay, not for optimism, but for…somewhat less pessimism than you probably feel?
Aaron Herrera should be back, providing a massive upgrade over Conner Antley at wingback (or Garrison Tubbs/Matti Peltola at centerback, I guess, if Lesesne chooses to go that route)
Gabriel Pirani will be available after serving his one-game suspension on Saturday against Atlanta. I know, I know, he’s mostly ineffective. But you know how Peglow is clearly one of DC’s best players? Peglow has 2 goals and 2 assists, second on the team in G+A to Christian Benteke. Well, Pirani also has 2 goals and 2 assists, and in fewer minutes. Under the right circumstances, he can contribute. This might be his first opportunity to start alongside Benteke and Peglow in a long time.
Yes, Nashville is riding high, but as a result, they’ve got to be thinking about MLS Cup and the Supporter’s Shield. If this were the Open Cup final, that would be one thing, but it’s just the quarterfinals. I wouldn’t even be shocked to see BJ Callahan rotate players for this game. They’re coming off a grueling win against Philadelphia where they played a man down for half an hour, a game where they didn’t make any subs until the 80th minute. And who are they playing this coming weekend? Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, a game you know every player circles on their calendar.
Although DC hasn’t beaten Nashville yet this season, drawing 0-0 on the road and then losing 0-1 at home, they haven’t gotten blown out either. DC struggles against teams with strong offenses but has hung tough against teams like FC Cincinnati and Nashville.
The Lineup
Two big questions: what to do about the third centerback role (Garrison Tubbs, Aaron Herrera, and Matti Peltola are all viable options) and what to do about the right wing spot (Pirani, Hosei Kijima, Randall Leal, and, sigh, Jared Stroud are possible).
I’m going to go with Peltola and Pirani for those spots. If it were me, I’d think about putting Kijima in central midfield, but my guess is Lesesne saves him to be an attacking sub along with Leal.
Backup goalkeeper: Jordan Farr
Backup defenders: Conner Antley, Jackson Hopkins
Backup attackers: Randall Leal, Hosei Kijima, Dominique Badji, Jacob Murrell
Not selected: Derek Dodson, Garrison Tubbs, Rida Zouhir
Reminder: there’s only seven players on the bench in the US Open Cup even though there’s a sixth substitute spot if the game goes to extra time.
The Opposition: Nashville SC
I don’t have much to say I haven’t already said about Nashville in my previous two previews: their midfield is good and Sam Surridge has been on a tear lately. That’s all still true.
Just as DC is getting Aaron Herrera back from the Gold Cup, Nashville should be getting Jacob Shaffelburg (Canada) and Walker Zimmerman (USA). The US played in the final on Sunday, but Zimmerman was an unused sub and played less than ten minutes in the semifinal, so unlike Herrera he may not need a few days’ rest to get back on the field.
What I’d Like to See
It’s a knockout game. Just win! Any way you can!
But still: offense. It’s been very poor, and the only real hope for improvement has been to wait for DC to get its personnel up to full strength and see if that will lift things back up to mediocre. That certainly hasn’t happened yet, but they haven’t actually been at full strength either. This could be the first game with Benteke, Herrera, Peglow, and Pirani starting since…since…I think since DC played Columbus Crew on March 29th. So…that’s something?
Lesesne says Joon is starting. Your starting lineup diagram has Antley where Herrera should be. Also, there are reports that Pirani is off to Vasco da Gama, so his availability may be questionable.