D.C. United face a familiar foe in Columbus Crew SC this Saturday, April 14 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. The Black-and-Red traveled to Columbus just a few weeks ago, falling to the Crew 3-1 on March 24 at MAPFRE Stadium. United will be hungry for revenge and the chance to earn three points in front of local fans in their final Home Away from Home game before the inaugural match at Audi Field on July 14.
Besides shifting from Columbus to Annapolis for the rematch, Saturday's game will feature two sides at fuller strength—both teams will have their international players back and available for selection on the matchday roster after the Black-and-Red and Columbus were each missing players away on international duty in their last meeting. United were without Zoltán Stieber (Hungary), Ulises Segura (Costa Rica), Oniel Fisher (Jamaica), Dane Kelly (Jamaica), and Bruno Miranda (Bolivia), while the Crew were missing Zack Steffen and Wil Trapp (USA).
United head coach Ben Olsen’s lineup options won’t be as slim in the rematch against the Crew as they were three weeks ago. Jamaican call-ups Fisher and Kelly may be available as options off the bench—Fisher has made two appearances for the Black-and-Red so far, while Kelly made his Major League Soccer debut on March 31 at Kansas City, entering the match as a late second-half sub up top.
The left-footed Stieber did not feature in Hungary’s international friendlies last month, but has 25 caps to his name for his country as has been influential in the District since joining United last summer. Whether as a winger or central attacking midfielder, Stieber's finesse on the ball and passing ability have helped elevate the Black-and-Red's build-up play. The Hungarian contributed one goal and one assist to United in six starts last season, and is eager to find the back of the net for the first time this season. Stieber has logged 202 playing minutes so far in 2018, pairing with Segura as a central attacking mid in Orlando and Atlanta, starting as the right winger against Houston, and coming on as a fresh set of legs in the second half at Kansas City.
Segura, the Costa Rican international, has started in the midfield in each of the four games he's been available, and has five shots in the young season. During the international break that saw him miss the last Columbus match, Segura came on as a substitute in Costa Rica’s 1-0 loss to Tunisia on March 27. A powerful midfielder capable of making plays in both boxes, Segura has shown his potential to create chances for United’s attacking options, or make his own and go for goal. The likes of Stieber and Segura should provide vital support to the squad's existing goal-scoring options like Yamil Asad, Darren Mattocks, and Luciano Acosta, and both internationals are itching to tally their first goals or assists of the season in front of the home crowd in Annapolis on Saturday.
Columbus will also be happy to have two starters back in the lineup for the rematch against D.C. in Steffen and Trapp, who were both summoned to play for the U.S. Men’s National Team last month. The American call-ups each started in interim USMNT head coach Dave Sarachan’s XI in the USA’s 1-0 win over Paraguay on March 27.
Trapp, the Crew’s usual captain, played for all but 25 minutes in the team’s successful 2017 campaign. The 25-year-old is known for combining well with Artur in the midfield to control possession, dictate the game's pace, and slow opponents' attacks. While his holding midfield positioning allows Trapp to remain heavily involved in the Crew's defensive efforts, the midfielder is also a line to feed Columbus' offense, having notched 14 assists since joining the Crew in 2013. Trapp’s performance with the USMNT against Paraguay earned him Man of the Match honors, and he will look to serve as the Crew's leader come Saturday as the visitors attempt to bounce back from two consecutive losses.
Steffen has started in goal for the Crew in every match this season except against the Black-and-Red, making nine saves on 14 shots faced. The former Maryland Terrapin earned a clean sheet in his first start for the USMNT, saving Paraguay's three shots. Steffan cemented himself as one of the league's top keepers with a number of standout performances last year, most notably during the MLS Cup Playoffs when he silenced a rowdy Atlanta United crowd of 67,221, making eight saves in 120 minutes of action, then two penalty saves in the shootout period en route to the Columbus upset victory. At just 23, Steffen has a bright future ahead of him for club and country, and will pose a tough challenge for United's attackmen this weekend.
Both sides come into Saturday's matchup looking to get back to winning ways, as the Crew and United have each lost two straight games. After the 3-1 defeat on March 24, the Black-and-Red hope their international players will provide added attacking flair in Stieber, Segura, and Kelly. On the other hand, the Crew will fortify defensively with the returns of Trapp and Steffen.
Saturday's game will be the Black-and-Red’s last local action before the opening of their new state-of-the-art stadium, Audi Field, on Saturday, July 14 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. For more information on Audi Field, and to reserve your spot for the inaugural season, please visit audifielddc.com.
