Story of the Match
After a much-needed 2-1 win against the Seattle Sounders last weekend at Audi Field, D.C. United will head into their match against the Philadelphia Union with an important confidence boost.
Christian Benteke continued his red-hot start to the season by putting the ball in the back of the net twice in the first half against the Sounders. The two-goal performance makes it eight goals in eight games for Christian Benteke, keeping him right on pace for the MLS Golden Boot, sitting just one goal behind Lionel Messi.
The Union will be coming off a midweek matchup against the Seattle Sounders who made the quick turnaround to play in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. The Sounders were able to put three goals past the Philadelphia defense.
Philadelphia’s busy start to the season has seen them falter, going winless in their last three MLS matches. The lack of points in consecutive matches for the Union has seen them slide to just one spot above the Black-and-Red, currently in seventh place, but tied on points.
A win on Saturday night would mean a lofty three-point swing for either team, meaning fans can expect a highly contested battle at Audi Field, kicking off at 7:30 PM.
By the Numbers
- D.C. United are averaging 4.9 shots on target per match (13th in MLS); Philadelphia Union are averaging 5.1 shots on target per match (8th in MLS).
- D.C. United are averaging 5.6 accurate crosses per match (3rd in MLS); Philadelphia Union are averaging 6.1 accurate crosses per match (2nd in MLS).
- Alex Bono has 38 saves in 10 games with 1.5 GAA (goals against average).
Historical Matchups
The last two regular season MLS match ups between D.C. United and the Philadelphia Union were 0-0 draws. Philadelphia has the edge on the record between the teams, with 20 wins compared to the Black-and-Red's 11 with the sides drawing in eight matches.
Check out last week's 2-1 highlights:
