D.C. United (3-10-6, 15 pts.) will look to maintain their positive momentum as they travel south to face Atlanta United FC for their 20th match of the MLS Regular Season on Saturday, October 24 at 4 p.m. EST. The Black-and-Red will hope to pick up three crucial points on the road as they continue their playoff push and head into their final couple matches of the season.
In their last match, D.C. United won 2-1 against FC Cincinnati. The match was highlighted by goals from Donovan Pines and Chris Odoi-Atsem as well as a strong overall performance in the midfield from Moses Nyeman.
United and FC Cincinnati played an open first half with multiple goalscoring chances created by both sides. Chris Seitz made three saves in the first half to keep Cincinnati off the scoresheet, including a quick reaction save to keep a deflected shot from finding the top corner in the 34th minute. United found the breakthrough in the 36th minute when Donovan Pines scored in his second consecutive match, reacting quickly to a mishandled free kick by FC Cincinnati goalkeeper, Bobby Edwards, and finished it into the net with his left foot.
FC Cincinnati equalized midway through the second half when Brandon Vasquez scored from a rebound after an initial save by Seitz from an effort just outside the box in the 66th minute. United continued to push forward and were rewarded in the 78th minute when Chris Odoi-Atsem scored his first career MLS goal. The United forwards pressed and forced a turnover by the FC Cincinnati defense. Nyeman picked up the loose ball and played it forward to second-half substitute, Kevin Paredes, whose shot was parried away by Bobby Edwards to his left where Chris Odoi-Atsem was on-hand to capitalize on the rebound and put the Black-and-Red ahead.
United defended well in the final minutes of the match and hung on to secure their first win since September 2 against the New York Red Bulls. They outshot FC Cincinnati 13-11, which marked their third consecutive match having more attempts than their opponents.
In Atlanta United FC’s last match, they lost 1-0 against Toronto FC. They have earned five points from their last five matches and are currently in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with 19 points earned on the season.
D.C. United against Atlanta United FC on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. EST will be broadcast on WJLA 24/7 News and streamed on www.dcunited.com
Prior to kick-off, catch up with Dave Johnson, Devon McTavish, and Claudia Pagán as they preview the upcoming match on the Audi pre-game show at 3:30 p.m. EST on www.dcunited.com
