DC United at Orlando City Where: Orlando City Stadium When: Sunday, March 31, 2019 6PM ET TV/streaming: FS1 Sunday, March 31 @ Orlando City Orlando City Stadium 6:30 PM
Why can't I hear Alexi play acoustic blues when FC Grimace loses? I demand more options! Is this what you'd call your classic Trap Game? Or is it too early in the season for one of those? We're being talked about like we're an actual good soccer team and Orlando, well, is not. Folks have had a while to prepare - did we over-prepare, under-prepare, get bored with a week off already? So many questions. We got a point away in the funky place in The Bronx, can we get 3 in the pretty purple stadium in a sunnier, happier place? DCU - 3 Grimace - 1 (someone has to score on Bill sooner or later, I say own-goal rears his ugly head)
I'm nervous that this might be the game where our plain white t-shirt away kit makes it debut . . . Y'know, in some alternate universe, DCU has a real cool owner who says to Adidas: "Look, ya sunsabitches, we demand better than this . . . this . . . shite."
I believe United won all of one road game last year, in San Jose. It would be nice to see the team show they can win on the road but I don't expect it and will be happy with a point. How good is DC this year? They seem better prepared than in the past, and there are no holes in the first XI at least. To me, they should legit aspire to win the Shield. If healthy, they have the talent and tactical dexterity to be the best of any team this side of Seattle.
If DCU wants to honestly contend for any type of Silverware this season... this is the type of match you need to get 3 points from. No excuses. Orlando sucks... we know it, they know it. It should not matter where the game is played. Go beat them. 2-1 DCU
Kljestan needs to wake up in the morning, roll over and say "Who are you, exactly?" "Russell Canouse, your worst nightmare." If that happens, we're going to roll.
Im happy to say I was wrong about this team's quality of play. But this is a match DC needs to win in order to show last season wasn't just a fluke.
Agree with this 100%. DCU have looked great, so far at home. Road games are a different challenge and there is no reason to assume that the road woes are over. This does represent a great opportunity to show that this team has matured. As per usual, I will be watching to see how the ref sets the tone early on. We will see whether the ref protects our smaller technical players (Lucho, Arriola, Titi) or whether Orlando is allowed to hack them up. We struggled in the Columbus playoff game last year when it was "playoff soccer" and lots of physical play was allowed. I felt that the playoff games were called very differently than the regular season games. Similarly, refs can be lenient towards home teams at times in this league. If Orlando come out with a cynical game plan to be physical in order to break up the rhythm of our attack and the ref allows it, our skill advantage will be nullified and we'll be in for a dogfight. I think that we benefit when the ref calls it tight. Vamos United!
Great defense is the foundation of a good road team, and DCU has looked very solid so far this year. Low block defending has been outstanding. This has largely been due to the exceptional play of Canouse and Moreno, as they have protected the back four. We have thrown in more midfield press (mid block) this year and this has resulted in less defending in our own box. The balance has been pretty good, but I would still like to see a bit more midfield press mixed in there. I recognize that too much midfield press can be risky if the opposition has a speed threat making runs through the center of the field. However, extensive low block defending tends to eventually lead to more shots on your goal. Ideally, we just boss the midfield and it is a non-factor !! Vamos.
Orlando is 0-3-1 with Armando Villarreal as ref. DCU is 2-5-2. Since both teams can’t lose, I expect a score draw. Thx, Jay!
Bad give-away by Rooney early on. And then he looked slow trying to hoof it back on defense. But Orlando couldn't do a thing with it. MINUTE 6 !! - Free kick and Goal by Birnbaum !!