United takes a short break from League play this evening as it hosts El Salvador's CD LA Firpo at RFK Stadium (8 p.m. ET) in the preliminary round of CONCACAF Champions League. United took part in the tournament's inaugural run last fall, but finished with a disappointing 0-5-1 record in the group stage, crashing out of the tournament before the knockout round.
This time around, United needs to get two results - tonight and next Tuesday in El Salvador - in order to advance to the group stage of the regional tournament. The winner of the two-game series will advance via aggregate (combined goals between the two games) and take part in Group B, which already includes CD Toluca (Mexico) and CD Marathon (Honduras). Group B will also include the winner of San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago) and San Francisco FC (Panama).
Ahead of this evening's game, here are a few items to get you prepared:
- Weary United Set to Kick Off Champions League - By Steven Goff (Washington Post)
- United out for Champions League redemption - by Craig Stouffer (Washington Examiner)
- D.C. seeking redemption for last year's Champions League - by Dylan Butler (CONCACAF.com)
- Champions League, Firpo background and history (BehindTheBadge.com)
- CONCACAF.com's Champions League page
- Video: Greg Janicki previews Firpo
- Video: Andrew Jacboson previews Firpo
Knowing what you do, who would you like to see Tom Soehn run out in the starting lineup tonight? Should he rest key players with a tight race in the Eastern Conference? Give us your thoughts and score predictions below.
