STOPPING SENE
The center of D.C.’s defense has seen a lot of shifting of late, and Saer Sene has found spaces against units that have enjoyed much more continuity than United’s back four. Dejan Jakovic played well off the bench against Toronto and if the Canadian can replicate his best performance of the year – a dominant effort against Seattle in which he essentially marked Freddy Montero out of the match – on Saturday, D.C. should be in good shape.
KORB STAYS HOT
Lee Nguyen played only 55 minutes when these two sides met on April 14, and he did so while battling a 103-degree fever. The clever winger is healthy now and has seen his playmaking touch return in recent weeks. He’ll likely be the responsibility of Chris Korb, who has been playing the best soccer of his brief MLS career since starting against Houston earlier this month.
CENTRAL FIGURES
Whether it’s Branko Boskovic or Dwayne De Rosario, look for a big night from D.C.’s attacking central midfield spot. Clyde Simms will miss his second straight match for New England, and the Revs don’t have a like-for-like replacement for the ex-United midfielder. Stephen Guy filled his holding role last week, but after a 2-2 draw with Houston Jay Heaps admitted his side ‘never really seemed comfortable’ without Simms.
