As Decision Day approaches, the Black-and-Red look to accomplish their final feat of the regular season by defeating the Chicago Fire this Sunday, Oct. 28 at 4:30 PM ET, and securing home-field advantage in their MLS Cup Playoff Knockout Round match.
United’s form has been stellar as of late, winning five straight games for the first time since the 2007 season. In their last match, United won one of their biggest games of the season, putting together a dominant performance against NYCFC at home. Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta combined for three goals to defeat their visitors 3-1 and to close out their Audi Field homestand with a bang. The win guaranteed the Black-and-Red a spot in the postseason and continued United's momentum which they will now look to use against the Chicago Fire.
The sides first collided this season on Oct. 7 at Audi Field when United won a close contest, 2-1. Raheem Edwards opened the scoring for Chicago in the 51st minute, beating the Black-and-Red's back line inside the penalty box with a right-footed effort from close range. United crawled their way back in control, though, starting with Rooney finishing off a rebound with a left-footed shot on the doorstep to tie the game. Then, in the 81st minute, Júnior Moreno was fouled inside the box by Johan Kappelhof, resulting in a penalty kick for United. Rooney stepped up to the spot and slotted the penalty home to give United the 2-1 lead and capture the come-from-behind win.
On Sunday United will attempt to shut down Chicago on the road, perhaps a more challenging task than the Black-and-Red faced at home. The Fire's offensive engine primarily runs through Nemanja Nikolić, who leads the team with 15 goals; however, the striker has only one finish in his previous five matches. Bastian Schweinsteiger leads the team in assists with six and remains one of the top playmakers in the league, touting an 86% successful passing rate and using his versatility to line up as an attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Fire will be without their main center back Johan Kappelhof for their final game of the season due to suspension. Kappelhof leads the Fire in clearances with 119 and interceptions with 64. The defender's absence will be a challenging loss for the Fire's lineup, and they will most likely look to Jonathan Campbell to fill in for the season finale. Campbell has been with the team since 2016, playing in 71 games and making 48 starts. The defender's last start for the club came on Aug. 4 against Real Salt Lake and he has only played four minutes in his previous nine matches. The United attack will look to make the most of the lineup adjustment and exploit the Fire's back line.
On the other end of the pitch, Bill Hamid has been a brick wall for the District since his return to his hometown team on August 15. Since reentering the starting lineup against the Portland Timbers on August 15, Hamid leads the league in saves with 50, and boasts the best save percentage in the league (minimum of 25 saves) with an 80.3% save percentage. Hamid has been one of the key's in United's playoff run, and will look to end the regular season with another clean sheet this Sunday.
United's attack came from behind to earn the win in their earlier meeting with Chicago, but they will look to burst out of the gates on Sunday and quickly take the lead to alleviate the need for any late-game heroics. Acosta has been a man possessed this season, and will be instrumental in closing the season with a road win. His ability to run at defenders and consistently feed his teammates key passes has him tied for the league lead in assists alongside Borek Dockal of the Philadelphia Union. Acosta has contributed 10 points (3g, 7a) in his previous seven matches.
For the first time since 1998, the Black-and-Red have three double-digit goalscorers: Rooney (12), Acosta (10), and Darren Mattocks (10). If Yamil Asad can find the back of the net in Chicago, United will have four double-digit goal scorers for the first time in Major League Soccer history.
Tune in on Sunday to cheer on D.C. United as they look to secure home-field advantage for their Knockout Round game next week. Kickoff is slated for 4:30 PM ET on WJLA 24/7 News and CW Richmond.
