Match Preview: D.C. United at Inter Miami CF

After taking three points at home against Houston Dynamo FC last weekend, D.C. United head south to take on Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium—Saturday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET, broadcast live on NBC Sports Washington, dcunited.com, TeleXitos, and ESPN+.

The Black-and-Red have won all three of their prior matches against Inter Miami CF since the expansion club joined the league in 2020. They look to keep that streak alive and continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings in Matchweek 11.

Scouting Report

After finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference last season, Inter Miami got off to a slow start in 2022. They’ve taken 10 points from their first 10 regular season matches this season, but during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, interim head coach Chad Ashton said this Miami team is different than the one he saw in 2021. 

“I think they’re a much better team than they were last year,” Ashton said. “They’re conceding a lot fewer chances this year than they were last year.” 

Mitigating transition moments and denying opportunities to Gonzalo Higuaín and Leonardo Campana, Inter Miami’s main striking options will be top of mind for the D.C. defense, who earned a clean sheet against Houston. 

Inter Miami are coming off a 1-0 loss to Charlotte last weekend and an Open Cup victory that head coach Phil Neville called “disappointing,” despite advancing 3-1 over USL League 1’s Tormenta FC. Inter Miami’s defense has struggled, conceding 19 goals in league play so far. But with the return of defenders Damian Lowe and Jairo Quinteros from suspension, the squad could see a boost come Saturday. 

“Going on the road, it’s going to be a tough game.” Ashton said. “Just like always, with every team in this league, it’s difficult to get a win on the road. But that’s certainly the goal this week is to go down there and get three points.”

The Last Time Out

Taxi Fountas led the charge against the Dynamo, scoring a first half brace to bring his goal tally to four in as many appearances for the Black-and-Red and earning MLS Team of the Week honors for the second time this season.

Fountas, who signed with the club as a Designated Player in Match following three seasons with Austrian Bundesliga side SK Rapid Vienna, has had a historic start to his MLS career. Saturday marked his second brace for D.C. United, making him the 7th player in league history with two multi-score games in their 1st four appearances. Of those seven, Fountas is the only player to record both of his braces in the first half of a match.

The victory over the Houston Dynamo was a strong start to a busy May schedule for the Black-and-Red. Saturday will be the third of six matches this month and the first of two road tests for the group.

With 12 points available before the June International Break, a strong result in Miami could yield serious momentum for the Black-and-Red.

Next Home Match

After Saturday’s match, D.C. United will return home to take on the reigning MLS Cup champions NYCFC on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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