D.C. United drew 0-0 against New York City FC in their 10th match of the 2020 MLS Regular Season. The Black-and-Red kept their second consecutive clean sheet and earned a point against a tough New York City FC team that had won their previous three matches.
Head coach Ben Olsen, went with the same starting 11 that earned three critical points in United’s last match against the New York Red Bulls. Chris Seitz started his third consecutive match in goal with the same center back trio of Joseph Mora, Donovan Pines, and Frédéric Brillant. Mohammed Abu started his second consecutive game for the Red-and-Black in the center of the midfield alongside Júnior Moreno while Julian Gressel and Homegrown Kevin Paredes paired up as the two wing backs. Ulises Segura, Ola Kamara, and Yamil Asad led as the front three in the Black-and-Red’s 3-4-3 formation.
Man of the Match, Chris Seitz and the rest of the Black-and-Red kept New York City FC at bay in the first half. Seitz made a couple of key saves in the opening 45 minutes, most notably in the 32nd minute when he got down low to deny a one-on-one opportunity.
D.C. United continued their strong defensive display in the second half despite NYCFC having almost 70% of possession. The Black-and-Red's captain for the evening, Frédéric Brillant, set the defensive tone early in the half, throwing his body in front of dangerous shots from New York City. Brillant and the rest of the D.C. United defense held strong and defended several set pieces, consistently winning their aerial duels. The team’s defensive shape helped the Black-and-Red secure their second consecutive clean sheet as the match ended 0-0.
Gelmin Rivas, who recently joined the Black-and-Red from Turkish Super Lig side, MKE Ankaragücü, came on in the 69th minute to make his D.C. United debut. The Venezuelan striker held the ball up well in the final third and battled for aerial duels to relieve the Black-and-Red defense.
D.C. United have now earned four points in their last two matches and will look to carry this momentum into their next match against the New York Red Bulls at Audi Field on September 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Tune into WJLA 24/7 News, www.dcunited.com, and ESPN+ to watch the match.
