D.C. United (5-2-2) conclude their two-game road trip this weekend as they head to St. Paul to take on Minnesota United FC (3-2-3) for the first and only time this season in the brand-new Allianz Field.
Fresh off a midweek 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew SC, the Black-and-Red will be short on rest but in search of another three points to stay atop the Eastern Conference standings. D.C. United has proven to be a difficult team to beat when they are on the road this season.
On Wednesday, a 20-yard free kick from Wayne Rooney in the 27th minute against Crew SC earned DCU another away win on the season, remaining unbeaten on the road in 2019 at 3-0-1 with 10 out of 12 possible points over four matches. Bill Hamid also made four saves in Columbus, and now leads MLS with five shutouts on the year.
Minnesota United has yet to win at its new grounds, Allianz Field, but it has also yet to lose there. The new soccer-specific stadium opened to a 3-3 draw between Minnesota and New York City FC, and most recently hosted a scoreless draw against the LA Galaxy. The Loons’ last victory was on April 6 when they topped the New York Red Bulls 2-1. Since then, they have only earned two points in three games, and one win in their last six matches. For Minnesota United, this is a chance to win their first home game of the year, especially with the returning services of defender Francisco Calvo and midfielder Jan Gregus after both served red card suspensions following their ejections from Minnesota's 4-3 loss to Toronto FC on April 19.
This is DCU’s third all-time contest against Minnesota, the first of which came on July 29, 2017, with the Loons securing a 4-0 triumph over the Black-and-Red. D.C. United’s last meeting with the Loons resulted in a 2-1 home victory on September 12, 2018, as Ulises Segura and Darren Mattocks scored four minutes apart midway through the second half after Minnesota stole a 1-0 lead 47 minutes into the match. This season, Rooney and Darwin Quintero lead their respective clubs in goals, each with five.
Kick-off is set for 1:30 PM ET in St. Paul, Minnesota, and will be broadcast nationwide on FOX Sports.
