D.C. United (2-4-4, 10 pts.) will face the New York Red Bulls in their 11th match of the 2020 MLS Regular Season on Saturday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The Black-and-Red have earned four points from their last two matches and will be looking to defeat their rivals from New Jersey for the second time in ten days.
The two teams have met twice in 2020. In their previous match-up on September 2, the Black-and-Red won 1-0 at Red Bull Arena. Erik Sorga scored his first goal for the club late in extra time to earn D.C. United three points. D.C. United hold the overall advantage in the historic rivalry with an all-time record of 35-30-15 against the Red Bulls dating back to their first meeting in 1996.
In their last match on September 6, D.C. United drew 0-0 against a New York City FC team that had won their three previous matches. Despite several injuries to key players, United held an organized defensive line all match and were able to keep a clean sheet against a dangerous New York City attack. It was D.C. United’s second consecutive clean sheet and third overall in the 2020 season.
Man of the Match, Chris Seitz and the rest of the Black-and-Red kept New York City FC at bay in the first half. Seitz made a couple of key saves in the opening 45 minutes, most notably in the 32nd minute when he got down low to deny a one-on-one opportunity.
D.C. United continued their strong defensive display in the second half despite NYCFC having almost 70% of possession. Frédéric Brillant, the Black-and-Red’s captain on the night, set the defensive tone early in the half by throwing his body in front of dangerous shots from the New York City attack. Brillant and the rest of the D.C. United defense held strong and defended several set pieces, consistently winning their aerial duels. The team’s defensive shape helped the Black-and-Red secure their second consecutive clean sheet as the match ended 0-0.
Gelmin Rivas, who recently joined the Black-and-Red from Turkish Super Lig side, MKE Ankaragücü, came on in the 69th minute to make his D.C. United debut. The Venezuelan striker held the ball up well in the final third and battled for aerial duels to relieve the Black-and-Red defense.
D.C. United against the New York Red Bulls at Audi Field on Saturday night at 7:00 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, Ryan Nelsen, and Claudia Pagán as they preview the upcoming match on the Audi pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m. EST on www.dcunited.com.
