On January 21, D.C. United reported to training to begin preparations for the 2019 campaign. While they will spend some of their time training in the winter conditions, the Black-and-Red will take two trips during the preseason to sunny Florida. The first trip will be highlighted by a match against the newest MLS team, FC Cincinnati, in Bradenton on February 7. Their second trip, which lasts from February 13 to February 24, will feature three games for the Black-and-Red with two fixtures in the Suncoast Invitational, hosted by the Tampa Bay Rowdies. D.C. United will face Tampa on February 16, the Philadelphia Union on February 20, and the Montreal Impact on February 23.
The preseason fixture list provides a good challenge for the Black-and-Red ahead of their MLS opener against Atlanta United on March 3. Of the four preseason matches, three are against MLS sides. These teams will test D.C. United at the highest level ahead of their kickoff in March. Also, all three of the teams share the Eastern Conference, which means the Black-and-Red will face them at home and on the road during the 2019 Regular Season.
In preseason, the focus will likely be on player integration, on-the-field tactics, off-the-field camaraderie and plenty of fitness. But these matches will also give D.C. United an opportunity to study the competition. Their first match is against FC Cincinnati, a team that is difficult to predict due to their inexperience in the league. During the second stint in Clearwater, the Black-and-Red will play three games in ten days, which will help the players readjust to the fast pace of the MLS season. After United's resounding 5-0 win against the Montreal Impact at Audi Field in September, fans will be in store for a chippy exhibition match as the sides meet for the first time since that win.
The preseason can serve many purposes for a team. It helps players regain their fitness levels and prepare for the pace of an MLS match. It allows time for new players to be welcomed to the squad and find their place in the line-up. It also gives players an opportunity to show how they may have improved in the offseason, and compete for a role in the starting line-up.
D.C. United’s preseason schedule prepares them for all of this and more. With four matches against MLS and USL sides in the Florida sunshine, D.C. United will be able to get solid minutes under their belt before they start their season against the MLS Champions, Atlanta United on March 3.
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