Three matches in eight days. For even the most ardent supporter of this game we call football that is an awful lot of soccer. Now imagine what it feels like for the people that do not get to any enjoy a cold beverage and a mildly salty snack during the game, those that have to actually play in all of these matches. It is a difficult path where bad breaks, both in the metaphorical and the human physiological sense, occur and where results are sometimes favored over emphatic statement victories.
That is the position that D.C. United find themselves in as the club will play in five matches over the course of the next two and a half weeks. It is a stretch that will see them head to places like Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, and depending upon how things shake out, either Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay for a U.S. Open Cup match. But the road swing begins in earnest on Saturday night when the club will travel up to Foxbrough to take on the New England Revolution (7PM EST Comcast SportsNET, MLS Live).
As with just with about any other team in MLS at this point in the season, United received some good news and some bad news with regards to injuries. While center-back Steve Birnbaum returned from injury, the club lost midfielder-forward Luis Silva (hamstring) and midfielder Nick De Leon (knee).
While De Leon’s injury will see him out a month, Silva’s injury is a bit more problematic. Although reports have him listed out for 2-3 weeks he could be gone for longer. Hamstring injuries are often very difficult to give a timeline of recovery to. Especially someone in Silva’s case, who has missed considerable time due to similar issues over the past two years, one would expect the club to be a bit more conservative with his recovery.
Without De Leon and Silva and with center-forward Fabian Espindola still recovering from a knee injury, the United attack will be limited on Saturday night. If Espindola is unable to start or cannot play at all, expect forward Chris Pontius to play up front either as a lone forward or in a 4-4-2 with Chris Rolfe. Although Pontius has struggled in a 4-5-1 this season, D.C. United coach Ben Olsen may opt for this formation given the success that rookie midfielder-forward Miguel Aguilar has had sitting behind the center-forward. Aguilar nearly evened up the score against the Philadelphia Union last week and helped propel United for their late win against Kansas City two weeks ago.
Despite being limited offensively, United will have their opportunities. As evidenced by their mid-week loss to Sporting Kansas City, the New England Revolution defense is struggling right now. The team has allowed 34 goals which is the most of any team in MLS. Revolution coach Jay Heaps, much like U.S. Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, seems bound and determined to have Jermaine Jones be a center-back. But as evidenced by Wednesday night’s result his lack of communication with other players on the pitch puts New England in difficult situations.
On the defensive front, what will be interesting to see is if Olsen chooses to go with Birnbaum or Kofi Opare in the center-back position. Opare has been more than an adequate replacement for Birnbaum providing coverage for Bobby Boswell on 50-50 challenges and making the occasional run on the attack. New England likes to throw multiple options on any attacking play and with a player like forward Juan Agudelo who likes to cut in between center-backs, Olsen may opt to go with the hot hand in Opare.
The key player to watch out for in this match will be United right-back Sean Franklin. One of New England’s signature plays on the attack is a Lee Nguyen pass to the outside to midfielder Chris Tierney. Tierney’s in-swinging cross is perhaps one of the most accurate in the league and he almost always seems to find his target in between defenders. Franklin generally likes to give an additional foot or two of space when defending to give him room to maneuver on the counter-attack. It might be to the detriment to United’s work on the other side of the pitch, but Franklin must mark Tierney a bit closer if D.C. are to come away with a result.
Despite the schedule congestion both teams could really use a result in this match and will likely play for the three points. With first- place in the Eastern Conference on the line and a potential playoff tie-breaker hanging in the balance, this match does carry added implications.
