D.C. United will take on the LA Galaxy at 10 PM ET on Independence Day for their final road match before introducing the District to their new home, Audi Field, on July 14. The LA Galaxy have one loss in their last five matches in league play (2-1-2), while United are looking to snap a four-game winless streak on Wednesday.
In the clubs' most recent meeting at StubHub Center on March 6, 2016, the LA Galaxy stole the show with a 4-1 victory—a frustrating loss the Black-and-Red will look to avenge. Lamar Neagle scored for United in the 5th minute of the contest, but the Galaxy went on to rally in the second half and score four unanswered goals. It's been more than two years since the league originals last met in California though, and the Black-and-Red are focused on improving their performances ahead of their extended homestand at Audi Field.
In D.C. United's previous fixture, the team dropped three points to New England by a scoreline of 3-2 in a back-and-forth affair with some controversial moments on the road. The Revs struck first in the 19th minute, when Diego Fagundez crossed the ball into the penalty box and Cristian Penilla picked out the bottom corner to take the lead 1-0. United found their equalizer in the 43rd minute as Yamil Asad deflected a stingy Zoltán Stieber free kick into the back of the net. The home side retook the lead moments later thanks to Teal Bunbury, then two hotly-contested penalty calls resulted in both Asad and Penilla burying penalty kicks for their teams. Despite their persistence in the final moments, the Black-and-Red were unable to equalize again, resulting in a frustrating 3-2 defeat at Gillette Stadium.
Across the country, the Galaxy fought to a thrilling Cali Classico draw against San Jose in their most recent performance. LA jumped out to a 3-1 lead just 25 minutes into the fixture, thanks to a fiery start that saw goals from Zlatan Ibrahimović in the first minute, Romain Alessandrini in the 20th minute, and an Ibra brace in the 25th minute. Despite the ideal start, the Galaxy would allow San Jose to crawl their way back in the contest with momentum-shifting scores by Vako Qazaishvili in the 39th minute and Chris Wondolowski in the 69th minute, resulting in a 3-3 draw to LA's dissatisfaction.
United will be especially weary of Ibra on Wednesday, as the international star has elevated LA's offensive production and swagger in the final third since Joining the Galaxy. After coming to LA on March 23, 2018, Ibrahimović has scored nine goals in 12 matches on 41 total shots. The Swedish striker has also already bagged four braces during his time in LA, warning other MLS teams that when Zlatan is on, he's very much on.
Yamil Asad enters the Fourth of July matchup coming off of two consecutive braces of his own. After logging a standout performance in Toronto, Asad notched two more scores in New England to equal his total goal output from 2017 with Atlanta United. Asad's seven goals on the year tie him for the team-high alongside Darren Mattocks, reflecting the Black-and-Red's vast offensive improvement from 2017. Last season, and the last time United faced LA, Ben Olsen's side did not have a player score more than five goals in the entirety of the season. Now, the Black-and-Red have scored in eight consecutive league matches, only suffering one shutout on the season when they faced Sporting Kansas City on March 31.
Defending the set piece may prove key to United's success against LA on Wednesday. The Galaxy scored on two direct free kicks this past weekend, becoming the sixth team since 2010 to score multiple goals from a direct free kick in a single match. LA also rank seventh in the league with 13 headed shots on target this year, adding to their potential to do damage on set pieces around the box. The Black-and-Red feature one of MLS' strongest aerial defenders in Steven Birnbaum, but the entire squad will have to maintain their organization on set pieces this Wednesday to stifle the Galaxy's offense beyond the run of play.
Will United enter the inaugural match at Audi Field soaring high from three huge points on the road? Tune in to NewsChannel 8 or CW Richmond at 10 PM ET to cheer on the Black-and-Red in their last road fixture before their stadium debut.
