Preview: NYCFC at DC United
The pigeons come to Audi Field for a game where both teams are looking for redemption
DC United is coming off a humiliating loss to Toronto FC, one of the worst teams in the league. It was embarrassing, but don’t worry, NYCFC can relate. While DC was losing to Toronto on the road, NYCFC was losing to an even worse Canadian team. At home.
Yes, last weekend they lost at home 0-1 to CF Montréal, the team that had failed to win its previous 11 games this season. A week ago, NYCFC was also the only MLS team to lose to a USL opponent in the Open Cup round of 32, losing by that same 0-1 scoreline to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
Based on that introduction, you have to think this game has 0-0 written all over it, but MLS is anything but predictable.
The Lineup
Peglow is apparently in training and might be able to make the gameday roster or even start, but I’m going to guess Saturday is more realistic. Lesesne said that Gabriel Pirani is still working his way back and Dominique Badji and Lukas MacNaughton are going to be out for several more weeks. Otherwise, he claimed everyone is healthy. So Randall Leal and even Jackson Hopkins ought to be available. Could we see Leal start instead of, say, Jared Stroud? Could be! But…I’ll believe it when I see it.
And in Lesesne’s partial defense, usually the reason he frustrates fans by leaving more capable attackers on the bench is they don’t play defense as well as guys like Jared Stroud, and after giving up two goals to Toronto it seems reasonable to say defense is still a problem.
Backup goalkeeper: Kim Jun Hong
Backup attackers: Randall Leal, Jacob Murrell, Fidel Barajas, Hakim Karamoko
Backup defenders: Matti Peltola, Rida Zouhir, Derek Dodson, Garrison Tubbs
Not selected: Kristian Fletcher, Gavin Turner, Jackson Hopkins
Injured: Gabriel Pirani, Dominique Badji, Lukas MacNaughton
The Opposition: NYCFC
When the team was young, NYCFC’s owners splashed cash for famous players like David Villa and Frank Lampard. Lately, however, they have become extremely thrifty. DC’s owners at least have the—let’s call it an explanation, not an excuse—that by all accounts they literally have less money than most MLS owners. NYCFC’s owners are City Football Group, owners of Manchester City and a dozen other clubs. They have unlimited money.
But they are choosing not to spend any of it while they build the team a stadium. Longtime DC fans will remember what that was like in the pre-Audi Field days. One assumes that CFG will bring in a Rooney-like DP or two when NYCFC’s stadium opens in 2027, but until then, it’s a poverty franchise.
Accordingly, they loaned out young DP Talles Magno and sold their other attacking DP Santi Rodriguez to a team in Brazil just before the regular season started. That leaves them with just one DP on the roster, centerback Thiago Martins. They still have 3.5 million in GAM available, so presumably they’ll make a move or two in the midseason transfer window, but until then they’re scraping by with a smallball roster.
Annoyingly, they are almost at the same PPG as last season despite selling talent and spending almost no money. They’ve got 17 points, five more than DC, though after a decent start they’ve slipped to 10th in the standings. They’ve scored 13 goals (same as DC) and have allowed 14 (compared to DC’s, cough, 25). So the offense is sputtering but the defense—anchored by the aforementioned Talles Magno and fringe US national team goalkeeper Matt Freese—is pretty good. I’ve never been a believer in defensive DPs but maybe there’s something to it?
CFG teams share scouting resources, so perhaps they felt their use of the very expensive worldwide network that’s recruiting for Manchester City and Girona would make them competitive without expensive attackers.
It seemed to work last season when Alonso Martinez, an obscure player they dug out of the Belgian second division, exploded last season with 16 goals and 3 assists. Great story, but I wondered if it was sustainable, and so far lightning isn’t striking twice. He has 6 goals this season, but two were PKs. Four non-penalty goals is fine, but definitely a big step down from last season’s pace. Last season he came in way above his underlying numbers (16 goals on 10 xG) and this season he’s behind them.
The other player DC fans might know is Maxi Moralez, who turned 38 before the season yet has started every game. It’s cool that they’re playing a guy who was getting professional minutes when DC United’s second dynasty was winning its second consecutive Supporter’s Shield back in 2007, but…it’s probably not ideal. He’s got zero goals and one assist so far.
Lately, they’ve scored just four goals in their last six MLS games. They won three of them 1-0, though, including wins against FC Cincinnati and Philadelphia Union. Those statement wins were at home, however. Their record is significantly better playing at the awful Yankee Stadium, with their only road win coming against Toronto FC. Should that even count? Who would lose to Toronto?
What I’m Looking For
Nothing complicated, just continuing to look for signs that the coaches and players have found a way to fix the rest defense and generate some more chances in the attacking third. And assuming neither of them starts, can guys like Randall Leal and Fidel Barajas make more of an impact as substitutes?