On Sunday, D.C. United battled to a 2-3 loss at home against I-95 rivals the Philadelphia Union. Despite going down early in the match, the team didn't quit. They kept possession and applied pressure through the full 90 minutes. Below, is a breakdown in some of the stats from the night.
498
Led by defender Dejan Jakovic (66 successful passes), the Black-and-Red made 498 successful attempts at passing the ball. In comparison, the Union made 255, just over half that of the home side. Ball movement in the back line is key for maintaining possession.
66.2%
In a 90 minute match, D.C. United maintained possession for 66.2% of the time, amounting in almost one full hour of possession for the home team. Controlling the flow of the game can be the difference between a loss and a win.
57%
D.C. United won 57% of the total duels in the match. 66 battles went in favor of the Black-and-Red, most of which happened in the defensive side of the field. Winning the 50/50 balls sets a tone for the match.
