WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: DC UNITED
Welcome back to What You Need To Know, a match preview for Austin FC fans to check in on their next opponent.
Austin FC designated player Facundo Torres: Photo courtesy of Dante Valencia (dyvmedia)
Opponent: DC United
Kick Off time: 1:39 PM US Central Time
Location: Q2 Stadium, Austin, TX
History vs. Austin FC:
Austin FC has won all three matchups between these two clubs, including the only match in Austin back in 2023, thanks to goals from Will Bruin, Sebastian Driussi, and Matt Hedges.
Recent Matches:
DC United beat the Philadelphia Union 1-0 to start off their season.
The Apple TV pundit predictions:
Players to Watch:
Tai Baribo The former Philadelphia Union striker, was brought in this offseason to replace Christian Benteke at the top of the DC formation. He was a golden boot contender last season until injuries limited him to only 20 starts. He scored the only goal and winner last weekend.
Sean JohnsonThe MLS journeyman keeper, has come to DC. Now 36 years old, he’s on his 4th MLS Club and has 8 CAPs for the USMNT. Once one of the consistently best keepers in the league, unfortunately, as mentioned, he is 36 years old, and Father Time is still undefeated. He’ll provide stability at the back and is an improvement on what DC had at the position last year, but is not the Best XI level of goalkeeper he used to be.
Louis MunteanuThe Romanian Striker was brought in for a reported $10 Million (a club record). He only played 21 minutes last weekend, but is expected to partner with Baribo up top. In his last full season, he won the golden boot in the Romanian Superliga for CFR Cluj, scoring 23 goals in 35 appearances for the club.
Keys to the Match:
New Team, Who Dis? DC United “won” the Wooden Spoon (Given to the MLS team that ranks last in the regular season) last season for the second time in four seasons. They haven't made a playoff appearance since 2019 so they did what any team that bad should do: They blew it up.
In addition to the new players I mentioned above, they brought in Silvan Hefti, Keisuke Kurosawa, and Sam Nealis to bolster their defense, which was last in MLS in 2025. Just as importantly, they jettisoned starting keeper Luis Barraza, Christian Benteke, Boris Enow, Kristian Fletcher, and David Schnegg. These two teams played last season, but only five starters from that match are still with the club. This is a new look team trying to start a new culture that is badly needed. Unfortunately for them, an old adage applies: You can’t fire the owner.
An attack that…attacks? One of the biggest takeaways from their opening match is how Austin’s new signings (Facundo Torres, Jayden Nelson) contributed to an attack that could both link pretty passes in triangles to advance the ball but also carry it forward with their dribble. This brought a dynamism and variety in attack that Austin has been missing since…2022?
The larger question is if they can keep it up while we await Brandon Vazquez, Mikkel Desler, and Owen Wolff to return, three players who can bolster what the team is currently doing and provide much-needed depth. Another good sign is Austin FC Designated Players being involved in both goals, with Myrto Uzuni now one MLS goal away from tying the Austin FC record for goals by a striker (11 - Maxi Urruti).
Every Little Thing Counts Soccer is a sport with slim margins, and in a league that drives parity like MLS, those margins are even slimmer. That’s why last weekend’s result was so disappointing. Austin FC had a 2-1 lead and were in good shape until the end of the game situation that was poorly managed. One of the key pieces of strategy when up is to slow the game down, increase stoppages, etc., so that your side is always organized and established. Austin FC lost that before the equalizer, where Minnesota was able to carry the ball forward uncontested nearly the length of the field, a slow close-out by Jon Gallagher, who was running across the field, and Austin not having enough bodies back to cover the Minnesota United attackers meant that Kevin Yeboah was unmarked as he thundered in a header to tie the game.
But hit rewind. Before this, Robert Taylor had taken an injury and asked to be subbed off. In the confusion of who Nico Estevez was going to bring his subs on for, those subs didn’t happen, play continued, and Austin got beat in a transitional moment that should not have happened. I expect Austin to be part of a middle pack of West teams in the playoffs, and Minnesota is also one of those teams. Getting three points is important, especially after Austin struggled to close out wins at home last season.
Prediction:
Austin FC: 2
DC United: 1
See you at Q2!
WRITTEN BY SCOTT SPECHT
