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D.C. United heads to the west coast for the only time during the 2021 regular season, as they face the San Jose Earthquakes in what may be the latest kickoff of a game in team history. It’s also a game that could be dramatic: United’s pressure and willingness to create physical duels will be met by Matias Almeyda’s notorious man-marking system in a game that has all the signs of being a battle.
Throw in some traditional #MLSAfterDark vibes, and we might be in for a deeply weird match tonight.
Key player: Julian Gressel
Caitlin Buckley / Black and Red United
D.C. United is on the road for the first time under Hernán Losada, with the Black-and-Red heading north to take on the New England Revolution. The Revs, who went to the Eastern Conference Final last year, are unbeaten in six games against United and have aspirations to be a serious contender in MLS this year. For a short-handed United, this one is shaping up to be a stern test.
Key player: Chris Seitz
United’s still learning a new system, they’re a pressing team now, and they’re missing a lot of projected starters. On the road against a dangerous Revolution side, and with Bruce Arena taking some big tactical risks of his own to get his top attackers on the ball close to goal, it stands to reason that this could be a very open, end-to-end 90 minutes.
Fantasy Focus: Leal Deal
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Before I get into the week in MLS Fantasy, I want to make a quick note about the head-to-head league. When I set the league up, I arbitrarily set the team number at 100, thinking it was the upward limit. What I didn’t realize until Saturday is that the league, with 76 teams at the time, did not start because it didn’t meet the set team number. So I set the team number to 76 and then set it to start in round 2, so everyone basically gets a round 1 bye. All of the other settings, including the playoffs, will happen as planned. I’m sorry for the error. We’ll get going at the weekend.
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D.C. United is looking to start the Hernán Losada era off with a win today as they kick off the 2021 MLS season against NYCFC. After an offseason full of changes to the coaching staff, front office, and roster, United is hoping to prove that they’re a more formidable side than they’ve been in the last couple of seasons.
The first step on that path sees New York City FC come to the District. The Pigeons have been one of the most consistently successful teams in the Eastern Conference, and though there are signs that they may be in slight decline this year, they still have some elite MLS players and promising youngsters driving them forward.
“When you come to replace a coach after 10 years, you need some time, you know?” Losada said. “You can’t change everything in six, seven weeks. Rome wasn’t built in a couple of weeks, so it will take some time.”
Losada finds reason for optimism, though, in the same moments Canouse keyed in on. Despite drawing one and losing two matches against the MLS competition United faced in preseason, the process of getting players to understand Losada’s system was more important.
Canouse classifies Losada’s style as a “high-energy, pressing, attacking style of football.” They want to push the ball up the field with pace once the opponent gives away possession.