D.C. United (4-2-2) head to Ohio as they start a two-game road stretch Wednesday against Eastern Conference contender Columbus Crew SC (4-1-3) at Mapfre Stadium.
While the Black-and-Red’s last outing ended in defeat at Audi Field, 16-year-old Griffin Yow, the club’s youngest-ever Homegrown signing and MLS’ youngest current active player, made his professional major-league debut during stoppage time after being subbed in for Paul Arriola.
Both sides enter Wednesday’s match on the heels of respective tough home losses, with D.C. falling to NYCFC Sunday in a 2-0 clean sheet and the Crew dropping 3-1 against Portland Saturday, and are looking for a quick opportunity to bounce back. Columbus and D.C. rank similarly in defensive categories, as both are among the top in MLS in defensive proficiency, with Columbus allowing eight goals (t-3rd) compared to D.C.'s nine allowed (t-5th), while both clubs stand tied in leading the league with four shutouts. Offensively, Wayne Rooney leads United in with four goals and three assists, while Gyasi Zardes leads Columbus with three goals and Federico Higuain with three assists.
Since the opening of the 2017 MLS regular season, no club has won more matches at home than Crew SC, who have posted a winning record of 26-6-7 at Mapfre Stadium over that span. Columbus have also scored in every home match since October 28th of last season, outscoring its opponents 10-6 for a winning record of 5-1-1.
This match marks the 69th head-to-head regular-season contest between Crew SC and D.C. United dating back to 1996, with the Black-and-Gold prevailing 19-7-7 at home over the Black-and-Red all-time. The last matchup between the two clubs was on April 24, 2018 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, with D.C. winning 1-0 on a goal from Ulises Segura. Overall, Columbus have won three of their last five matches against D.C. United and are undefeated against DCU in their last 11 matches at home. On the flip-side, United are undefeated in their last five away matches and remain unbeaten in road play this season at 2-0-1.
Kick-off is set for 7:30 PM ET in Columbus, Ohio and will be broadcast on FloFC.
