New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United
2017 MLS Regular Season
Red Bull Arena - Harrison, N.J.
Saturday, April 15 - 7:30 pm ET
WATCH: MLS Live
Things haven't gone quite to plan for either the New York Red Bulls or D.C. United to start the 2017 season. Both teams have seen their defenses leak more goals than expected, while both teams' attacks have been well and truly sputtering.
Of course, neither team is all that unfamiliar with slow starts – just go back to last season at this time, right? But obviously April points count just as much as August points, and add in a two-decades-old rivalry for a little bit of extra spice to boot, and you have the makings of an urgent, exciting game.
New York Red Bulls
They've toggled between a 4-2-2-2 and a 4-3-2-1 in the first six weeks of the season and have had more success in the latter, though still not all that much. Things just aren't clicking for RBNY in attack, as Sacha Kljestan has been less dangerous and Bradley Wright-Phillips has gotten less service.
More problematic is that none of the wingers or second forwards have been productive. Add in the glut of backline injuries and the natural adjustment period while replacing longtime captain Dax McCarty, and that's the recipe for some early season struggles.
- Suspended: none
- Int'l Duty: none
- Injury Report: OUT: D - Gideon Baah (broken leg - out for season); OUT: F - Gonzalo Veron (hamstring injury); OUT: M - Mike Grella (knee injury)
Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Luis Robles – Sal Zizzo, Aurelien Collin, Aaron Long, Kemar Lawrence – Felipe, Tyler Adams – Daniel Royer, Sacha Kljestan, Derrick Etienne, Jr – Bradley Wright-Phillips
Notes: New York are unbeaten in their last 16 regular season matches at home, keeping 10 clean sheets and averaging more than two goals per game in those 16 matches... Wright-Phillips (2) and Royer (1) are the only Red Bulls to have scored this year. Their other two goals have come via forced own goals.
D.C. United
United have reeled off two straight 2-1 wins following a dispiriting and goalless 0-2-1 start. They've done so without talismanic No. 9Patrick Mullins, and will be without their target man once again as he's still two weeks away from his return while nursing a hamstring injury.
The good news is that they've got their string-pulling No. 10 Lucho Acosta back, in 100 percent health and in good form following last weekend's win over NYCFC. Acosta ran the offense and got a well-deserved goal that proved to be the game-winner, and in general has picked up where he left off last season, while the defense has perked up in conjunction with the re-insertion of Bobby Boswell into the starting XI.
- Suspended: none
- Int'l Duty: none
- Injury Report: OUT: M - Rob Vincent (left knee meniscus); OUT: F - Patrick Mullins (hamstring injury)
Projected Starting XI (4-1-4-1): Bill Hamid – Nick DeLeon, Bobby Boswell, Steve Birnbaum, Taylor Kemp – Marcelo Sarvas – Lloyd Sam, Ian Harkes, Luciano Acosta, Patrick Nyarko – Jose Guillermo Ortiz
Notes: United have managed one win in their last seven matches against the Red Bulls (3L-3D). They have managed to shut out New York just once over that time.
All-Time Series
- Overall: New York 25 wins (103 goals)... D.C. 34 wins (128 goals)... Ties 12
- At New York: New York 15 wins (48 goals)... D.C. 13 wins (52 goals)... Ties 6
Referees
- Referee: Sorin Stoica
- Assistant Referees: Adam Garner, Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho
- Fourth Official: Alex Chilwicz
