Fresh off their first road win of 2018, D.C. United (2-5-2) take on expansion side Los Angeles FC (6-3-2) this weekend in California. Match coverage kicks off at 9:30 PM ET from the newly-built Banc of California Stadium.
Los Angeles is the third stop of a four-game Western Conference road trip for the Black-and-Red. LAFC head coach Bob Bradley has put together an offensive powerhouse spearheaded by former La Liga standout Carlos Vela. The high-powered attack of LAFC is tied for fifth in the league with 23 goals scored this season and 64 shots on goal.
While LAFC's looming attack will challenge the Black-and-Red's defensive fortitude, United will look continue the momentum from their 3-1 victory over San Jose last weekend. With the United midfield playing as a cohesive unit in recent games, each attackman has upped his production for Ben Olsen and the coaching staff. At the core of United's energy is Luciano Acosta, who has maintained his sharp form this season. In his previous seven matches, the Argentine has registered one goal and five assists, and he collected assists on two of the three goals scored against the Earthquakes last week.
Paul Arriola has elevated his play as of late as well, tallying one goal and two assists in his previous four outings for the District. Arriola scored off a fantastic set-piece run against Real Salt Lake and continued his productive form with an assist last weekend in San Jose. Striker Darren Mattocks continues to lead United in scoring, netting four goals this year and scoring in two of the last three matches.
Zoltán Stieber has also followed suit with United's offensive surge. The Hungarian has contributed two goals and two assists in his last three games, and showed off his ability to find space behind the back line and make off-ball runs through defenders as he registered a goal and four shots in 90 minutes against the Quakes.
While the Black-and-Red attack has improved significantly since 2017, LAFC have also been excelling in the offensive department, which has allowed them to collect 20 points in 11 games in the club's inaugural season so far. Bob Bradley's side will not be at full strength come Saturday, though—standout center back Walker Zimmerman is in camp with the U.S. Men's National Team ahead of their May 28 meeting with Bolivia.
Despite their missing pieces, LAFC will still field a strong side in front of a rowdy group of supporters who have given the debutants home-field advantage during their inaugural season at Banc of California Stadium. However, United come to town with some added confidence and momentum thanks to their first away win of the season and their dominance over San Jose last week. Tune in at 9:30 PM ET on NewsChannel 8 and CW Richmond this Saturday to watch the sides' first-ever matchup unfold.
