Following his strong performance in D.C. United's important 0-0 draw at Chicago on Sunday night, center back Frédéric Brillant refused to take praise despite his standout, Man of the Match worthy shift against the Fire.
“It is not only my performance, it is the team's performance," Brillant said following the draw. “It was a tough game with very tough conditions. The weather was very bad and very windy, but it was a solid team performance."
Even though they didn't end the regular season with three points, the Black-and-Red gritted out a tough draw on the road, which was enough to secure home-field advantage for their Knockout Round match. It looked as if the Fire might steal the lead multiple times throughout the game, aggressively pushing for the go-ahead goal in their final showing of 2018. Brillant and the United defense stood tough, though, staying scrappy in the back and earning another clean sheet despite the relentless pressure from Nemanja Nikolić, Raheem Edwards, Aleksander Katai and others.
“It was an important game because we wanted to play at home in the postseason," Brillant said. “That was everything.”
Brillant ended his 90-minute shift with four duels won and three aerials won, helping keep the Fire out of the back of the net with his strength in the air and his physicality on the ground. Now United return to the District and prepare to start their postseason on Thursday at Audi Field, where they'll host the Columbus Crew at 8 PM ET in a single-elimination game.
Brillant, like his teammates, was eager to clinch home-field advantage for the Knockout Round, and emphasized how well the team has been clicking down the stretch of the regular season—just in time for the playoffs.
“We are very happy to play the knockout game at Audi Field. A lot of things have changed [since the start of the season]. We are now stronger together, and we have been much better in the second half of the season because we have had the chance to play at home a lot of times. I think we have a great bond in the locker room, and also, with our fans, supporters, and crew behind us at Audi Field, we are stronger."
The United defense has experienced a sort of renaissance since the first half of the season. After struggling to keep opponents out of the back of the net, an increase in cohesion and discipline has led to much more defensive success as of late, with United earning five clean sheets since opening Audi Field after recording only one shutout prior to July 14. As they turn their focus to the playoffs, Brillant and the Black-and-Red defense will look to continue their recent trend of grinding out clean sheets when the stakes are at their highest.
