United play their first Home Away from Home match this Saturday, March 17, against 2017 Western Conference runner-ups the Houston Dynamo at 1:30 PM at the Maryland SoccerPlex. With only two Home Away from Home games in the DMV before their inaugural match at Audi Field on July 14, United will be eager to play in front of local fans and to fight for three points against the Dynamo.
The Black-and-Red faced Houston once in 2017 during a stormy night at RFK Stadium on July 21. After falling into an early deficit, United couldn’t recover, ultimately suffering a 3-1 defeat. United’s roster this time around is almost entirely different, though—the Black-and-Red have added playmakers in every position, including forwards Darren Mattocks and Dane Kelly; midfielders Yamil Asad, Paul Arriola, Russell Canouse, Zoltán Stieber, Ulises Segura, and Júnior Moreno; defenders Frédéric Brillant, Oniel Fisher, and Joseph Mora; and goalkeeper David Ousted, since the last time they saw Houston.
While United enter today’s matchup with a significantly new look, the Dynamo’s core remained mostly unchanged over the offseason. Houston had a successful 2017, earning a 13-10-11 record in the regular season, then making a run to the Western Conference finals as the #4 seed with a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City in the knockout round and a 2-1 aggregate win over the Portland Timbers in their Western Conference semifinal. The Seattle Sounders handily defeated Houston by a 5-0 aggregate score in the conference championship, but the Dynamo’s run proved the club had the core pieces they needed to compete with last year’s top teams.
Home field advantage may play a favorable role in Saturday's game for United, as the Dynamo earned one of the best home records in MLS last year, but picked up only one win on the road throughout the regular season. While the Maryland SoccerPlex isn’t United’s typical home pitch, the Black-and-Red still have familiarity with the venue that has served as the club’s home field during the early rounds of recent Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups.
With Saturday's match being the Black-and-Red’s first in the D.C. region of 2018, United are hungry to put together a complete 90 minute performance before they return to the road and continue their extended road trip to Audi Field. The Dynamo, on the other hand, will be pushing for consistency after routing Atlanta United 4-0 in their season opener, then dropping three points to the Vancouver Whitecaps following a 2-1 defeat at home.
The Black-and-Red’s back line will be focused on locking down Houston’s dangerous attack and preventing the breakdown in defense that the Dynamo forced against Atlanta. Organization of the back four will be key for United, as well as a willingness to recover and defend from the Black-and-Red midfielders. Center backs Brillant and Steven Birnbaum will be tasked with maintaining the defense’s shape and serving as the vocal leaders as they look to stifle Mauro Manotas, Alberth Elis, and Houston’s other attacking pieces.
Up top, United will be focused on continuing to build on the offensive chemistry they began developing in preseason between their new attacking options. With an arsenal of chance creators like Asad, Arriola, Zoltán Stieber, and Luciano Acosta, United have a redefined midfield that, when all cylinders are firing, could pose a multilayered threat capable of tearing through opposing back lines. Possession will also remain a major area of focus for head coach Ben Olsen’s squad, as the midfield aim to set the match’s pace and force Houston to recover and defend more than they’re able to run their attack.
Saturday's match is United’s lone meeting with the Dynamo this season. The Black-and-Red play their second Home Away from Home game on Saturday, April 14 against the Columbus Crew at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.. Tickets are still available at dcunited.com/tickets. Following their Home Away from Home series, United open their new state-of-the-art stadium, Audi Field, on Saturday, July 14 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. For more information on Audi Field and to reserve your spot for the inaugural season, visit audifielddc.com.
