D.C. United host French heavyweights Olympique de Marseille for an international friendly match at Audi Field on July 24. This will be the first time the two sides have played against each other. United have registered an overall record of 23-13-9 in friendly matches.
The Black-and-Red have started the first half of the 2019 MLS season in good form as they currently sit in third place of the Eastern Conference with a record of 9-6-8. United are undefeated in their last seven matches at Audi Field in MLS regular season. In their last friendly, D.C. United were defeated 5-2 by Spanish side Real Betis on May 22 at Audi Field. Chris Odoi-Atsem returned to the lineup during the friendly for the first time since March 24, 2018. Goalkeeper Chris Seitz made his debut for the Black-and-Red against Betis, while Quincy Amarikwa and 16-year-old Griffin Yow both scored their first goals for the club.
During his first full season in MLS, D.C. United captain Wayne Rooney leads the club with 11 goals and seven assists. Luciano Acosta recently returned to the starting lineup after serving a two match ban for the red card he received against FC Dallas on Independence Day. Bill Hamid has continued to be a dominant force in between the sticks since returning on loan from FC Midtjylland on loan as he leads MLS with 89 saves and is second in the league with eight shutouts.
After finishing in fifth place in Ligue 1 during the 2018/19 season, Olympique de Marseille are enjoying a solid preseason tour in the United States. The French side recently defeated rivals St. Ettiene 2-1 in the final of the EA Sports Ligue 1 games, which were held at Audi Field. Dimitri Payet opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a tidy finish into the top corner. St. Ettiene pulled one back after Arnaud Nordin headed in a cross from the right side. Serbian midfielder Nemanja Radonjic scored the game-winning goal in the 74th minute.
During the 2018/19 season, Florian Thauvin led the club with 16 goals, while Mario Balotelli and Valere Germain were second on the team with eight each. Thauvin was also tied for most assists on the team with Lucas Campos with eight. French goalkeeper Steve Mandanda recorded 12 shutouts during the season while making 168 saves. The game will take place at 8 PM ET at Audi Field.
