Last weekend, Ulises Segura’s improbable goal gave D.C. United a win over Colorado and momentum heading into the All-Star break, and now the Black-and-Red return to action north of the border against the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo on Saturday night looking to start a hot streak.
With 16 games remaining in the regular season, D.C. United are in search of a pivotal three-point result to get their second-half surge started on the right track.
Despite currently sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table, United have played at least three fewer games than any other team in MLS, giving the Black-and-Red a chance to make up ground in the standings. Montreal is one in-conference team they’re chasing down, as the Impact currently hold the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
If Ben Olsen and company are to secure a victory against Montreal for the first time since 2015, they’ll have to overcome the challenges they’ve faced playing on the road in 2018. The Black-and-Red have been outscored 30-21 in road matches, leading to a 1-8-4 record away from home.
One key to leaving Canada with a win will be stopping Montreal’s offensive charge, which is led by the efforts of forward Ignacio Piatti. The Argentine ranks fifth in the league with 11 goals on the season and also possesses the ability to make plays for others, as he’s assisted on nine goals.
While the Impact’s man in goal, Evan Bush, leads MLS in saves with 96, he has dealt with an inordinate amount of shots. The seventh-year goalkeeper has faced 135 shots on target, the second most in the league. Montreal’s propensity to allow quality looks at goal could prove to be an advantage for the visitors, whose collection of attacking players seemingly gets deeper each week.
A standout performance from Russell Canouse in his first start of 2018 earned the midfielder a spot on the MLS Team of the Week for Week 22, and now Canouse is focused on becoming a primary contributor for United for the remainder of the season. Couple Canouse's impressive return with the fact that Paul Arriola returns to availability from suspension, and D.C. United are well equipped to finish their chances and control the midfield.
The creativity and pressure that the D.C. United attack is apt to apply could also force errors that are all too familiar for the Montreal defense. The Impact lead the league in goals conceded due to defensive errors, with eight. In turn, the Black-and-Red will need to limit their own defensive errors—United have only one shutout on the season, and have not prevented their opponent from scoring since April 14.
United fans can watch the Black-and-Red’s pursuit of three points against their Eastern Conference foe on WJLA 24/4 News and CW Richmond, with the pregame show kicking off at 7 PM and kickoff following at 7:30 PM.
