Apr 6, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; D.C. United defender Christopher McVey (97) tackles the ball away from Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez (9) in the first half at Lower.com Field. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Quick Hits:
The Good: Again Troy Lesesne gets the tactics right tonight. DC United were relentless against Columbus and disrupted nearly everything they tried to do. The team managed to hold one of the best teams to under 1.0 xG. Other than one semi chance from Cucho in the first half and an other where Rossi was faced with Bono, Columbus never really developed much in form of clear cut chances. DC Untied on the other hand constantly found space. Their press troubled Columbus all night and lead to opportunities for DC United. They could have been up 1-0 entering half time if it wasn’t for an incredible save from Schulte on Benteke.
Christian Benteke gets the goal and was again effective in his hold up play. Despite referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere not letting him get away with the physicality on his ariel wins or calling potential fouls during his ariel duels, he still managed to continue to dominate the air. He also demonstrated some good hold up play and found the right spots for good chances. Both the goal and his two chances in the first represent the best opportunities for the team tonight. If he is scoring then DC United will find success.
Christopher McVey and Lucas Bartlett really deserve a lot of credit for essentially not allowing any key chances inside the 18. The shot map clearly illustrates just how little Columbus got in terms of clear cut chances while absolutely hammering Columbus on the other side of the field.
Minor shoutouts as well to Aaron Herrera and Conner Antley who also put in some great performances as wingbacks tonight. Antley continues to be an incredible USL pickup who is started to show potential as a weekly starting in the LWB role.
The Not So Good: I am going to highlight the other attackers in the game that aren’t named Christian Benteke. Ted Ku-Dipietro, Christian Dajome, and Jared Stroud all struggled and it continues to be a question of just how this team can get some secondary scoring. The formational change might be preventing us from seeing the best out of Ku. He is certainly the stronger of the three. He also contributes a lot to winning the ball in midfield and progressing forward. Dajome continues to struggle to be effective in the final third. While his speed is incredible, he continues to miss passes or really create big threats in the final third. Jared Stroud’s crossing was one of his best attributes in the early games, but lately it has been off as of late. This team needs to find some way to score other than off Christian Benteke. The team not being able to find a second goal is why they are leaving with just a point instead of the full three.
I am not going to go too much into the Morris goal. It is an incredible strike from Morris. Peltola and Klich step late, but only because they have created an effective block that Morris really only had one option. As a team in MLS, you want that to be the only the option in most cases. Those chances sit in the less than .05 xG category for a reason. It is just a great strike. Even when DC sat back they didn’t allow much and the red card to Cucho only really limited their opportunities in the box. It’s unfortunate for DC, but I think you can lose yourself doing too much to analyze what DC could have done to prevent the goal.
Player Spotlight I am going to give Christopher McVey the man of the match tonight. He draws the red card on Cucho and was just generally unpleasant for Columbus to try to break down. he had some key defensive break ups in midfield and was able to help progress the ball forward on a few occasions. He continues to lock down that starting spot once Birnbaum comes back from injury.
Looking ahead: Next week it is Orlando at home, and another chance to continue grab 3 points at home. Orlando have struggled immensely to start the year. They currently sit next to the bottom of the East and have only managed 5 goals will surrendering 11. They are reliant on an aging Nicholas Loderio and a depressed Duncan McGuire after his European move collapsed in January. Their other moves haven’t really worked out, and they are in desperate need of answers. They had the week off today, so let’s hope that extra rest didn’t help them find their way and DC can pile on the misery for them next Saturday.
Final Thoughts: Hey look at that DC United are undefeated on the road! They are also winless if you want to be a glass half-empty person, but I chose not to be thank you vey much. If there is one thing that is clear, DC United can go toe-to-toe with just about any team in this league. They are not a team anyone looks forward to on their calendar. Their press causes headaches and frustration and they generate so many chances. Anything short of an incredible goal keeper performance will see your team buried. It is pretty incredible to be disappointed with a draw to a great team like Columbus, but here we are. And I think overall that is generally a very positive feeling to have for the team moving forward. Troy stressed the rebuilding project in his post-game press conference. It is important to recognize this as the beginning of the journey for DC United, and I am frankly ready to witness this journey.