After a busy two months that saw United debut Audi Field, play 14 games, host 10 matches, and rise from the basement of the Eastern Conference to just outside a playoff spot, the Black-and-Red enter a welcomed Week 30 bye week ahead of what is arguably their most important match of 2018—the September 29 meeting with the Montreal Impact at Audi Field.
From Week 1 through Week 24, United remained at the bottom of the conference, as they struggled to pick up results through a first half of the season spent entirely on the road as Audi Field was completed. Then, over the summer, United shot up the ranks with the opening of their home, the acquisitions of Wayne Rooney and Bill Hamid, and an overall rise in play.
Next up is a huge meeting with Montreal, who the Black-and-Red are chasing for the sixth spot in the East. The Impact and New York City FC are the only Eastern Conference teams ahead of United in the standings that they play prior to the conclusion of the regular season. If United can take all three points and send Montreal home empty handed, their odds at a postseason berth will increase significantly.
"The game against Montreal is massive," midfielder Russell Canouse said. "I think that's obviously one of the most important games of the season, if not the most important. Montreal is one spot ahead of us. We need to get all three points against them and take advantage of that game."
The Black-and-Red will use their Week 30 bye to rest and refocus before continuing their homestand and push toward the playoffs, but they will surely be keeping an eye on the weekend's results. Montreal host New York City on Saturday, and if they lose, will remain just four points ahead of United. That small gap could become even smaller should United then go on to defeat the Impact and jump to 38 points to Montreal's 39.
While United will be tuning in to the Montreal-NYC match, they'll also keep tabs on the New England Revolution's home matchup against the Chicago Fire. New England are one point behind United and will face a Fire side that currently occupies the No. 10 spot in the East, although the teams drew in their June meeting. Losses from both Montreal and New England would help United's postseason push, but the Black-and-Red will also still have two games in hand over the Impact and one game in hand over the Revs following this weekend's action. Then, when United return from their bye week, it's all about taking advantage of every remaining point on the table in the regular season.
"We’ve got Montreal next, we’ve got a game in hand over them, then we play Chicago at home. So we’re in a good position right now," goalkeeper Bill Hamid said. "We’ve just got to keep pushing forward, keep the positivity, keep the right mentality in training and we can do this.”
In addition to having games in hand, United close their season with a favorable stretch of scheduling that only includes one more away match (at Chicago on Oct. 28) and an easier strength of schedule than they faced in the first six months of the season. The Black-and-Red will host Montreal, Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, and New York, with Dallas being the only team that has a positive road record. And while United know they are in a prime position to control their own playoff destiny and punch what was once an unlikely ticket to the postseason, the team also knows they will still need to fire on all cylinders to make their playoff dreams a reality.
"I think everyone knows that we can make a run," Canouse said. "I think everyone believes it too that we can get in that sixth-place playoff spot. It's a couple points away. We have it in our hands right now. We can win a couple games and obviously, it looks completely different. It's a tight race; there's a lot of pressure on all the games we have coming up but I think guys know that it's possible and that we can do it."
