D.C. United face MLS expansion side Inter Miami CF for the first time in club history on March 7 at 3:30 PM ET.
The Black-and-Red suffered a 1-2 defeat in the season opener against the Colorado Rapids on Feb. 29. New arrivals Edison Flores and Julian Gressel both started the match, making their full debuts for the Black-and-Red. The duo looked promising going forward, linking up for a goal in the first half, though it was called back after VAR ruled Flores offside. In the 60th minute, Gressel picked out Russell Canouse from a corner kick to open the scoring for the Black-and-Red. A few minutes later, the Rapids equalized with Kei Kamara heading in a cross from close range in the 67th minute. In stoppage time, Colorado scored the game-winning goal after the ball bobbled around in the box before falling to the feet of Jonathan Lewis whose shot squeezed in.
Following the defeat, the Black-and-Red had a busy week of roster moves. United acquired veteran playmaker Federico HiguaÃn as a player and Player Development Coach on March 2. The next day, Mohammed Abu arrived on a season-long loan from Norwegian side Valerenga Fotball to bolster their depth in midfield. On March 5, D.C. United re-signed Russell Canouse to a three-year contract extension. Last week, Canouse scored the first goal of the season for the Black-and-Red with a well-placed header off a corner. United also re-signed captain Steven Birnbaum to a contract extension on March 6. The California native has been one of the most reliable defenders in MLS and has started every match for the Black-and-Red over the last two seasons.
Inter Miami kicked off the 2020 season with a 1-0 defeat against LAFC on March 1. In the off-season, Miami worked hard to build a competitive roster for their inaugural season in MLS. The Florida based club signed Mexican playmaker Rodolfo Pizzaro from Monterrey, as well as Argentine winger Matias Pellegrini from Estudiantes. In the match against LAFC, Miami put pressure on the opposition, though Carlos Vela opened scoring in the 44th minute and Miami were unable to recover.
The match will broadcast on Univision with coverage beginning at 3 PM ET.
