Story of the Match
D.C. United travel North to the North Star State for a matchup with Minnesota United FC on Wednesday, July 17th in another round of midweek MLS action.
The Loons are coming off a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dynamo and haven’t recorded a home victory since June 1. Despite struggles recently, Minnesota boasts a strong home record with only three losses in 11 matches at Allianz Field this season. Not to mention, the Loons are fighting desperately to hang onto the playoff positioning in the highly contested Western Conference.
D.C. United, however, created a lifeline for themselves. After getting back in the win column over the weekend, the Black-and-Red are aiming to reignite their season and climb the standings. On Saturday, Cristian Dájome was able to put the ball in the back of the net twice in the span of four minutes to lift the squad over Nashville SC.
This will be the last round of MLS action for D.C. United’s MLS All-Stars Christian Benteke and Aaron Herrera before heading to Columbus for the 2024 MLS All-Star festivities. The MLS All-Stars are set to compete against Liga MX All-Stars in the Skills Competition and All-Star Game which are taking place on July 23 and 24, respectively.
Another win before the quick break in action would be immense for Troy Lesesne’s first-year playoff push. Just three points now separating his squad from a playoff position meaning all is to play for on Wednesday night in Minnesota.
By the Numbers
- Midfielder Jared Stroud leads the Black-and-Red with 13 big chances created and tied for first in assists with eight.
- The Black-and-Red are ranked 5th in MLS averaging 11.1 successful tackles per match; Minnesota ranked 11th in MLS with 10.3
- Midfielder Martin RodrÃguez leads the team with 46.9 accurate passes per 90 minutes and an 87% passing accuracy.
- D.C. United have scored 32 goals this season; 19 from open play, eight from set pieces, one from a free kick, and four from the penalty spot.
Historical Match Ups
D.C. United and Minnesota United have never played to a draw in their five previous match ups. Last time the two squads met on the pitch was July 17, 2022 when the Loons came out on top 2-0.
Check out Dájome’s rocket of a goal from Saturday night:
