While the New England Revolution have clinched home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference, D.C. United have plenty of work to do to land a playoff spot.
That leaves D.C. United (12-12-5, 41 points) facing a pivotal match on Wednesday night when they battle the powerful Revolution (20-4-6, 66 points) in Washington, D.C.
D.C. United’s point total is tied for sixth in the East with Montreal, so they currently sit above the playoff line with five matches remaining. But just one point behind are New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, so any stumbles could be costly.
In fact, D.C. United gained just one of a possible six points in their last two matches, losing 2-1 to Orlando City on Oct. 2 and playing Nashville to a scoreless tie last Saturday.
However, D.C. United coach Hernan Losada said there is no reason for concern.
“We still have five games to go and, and once again, we have nothing to lose,” Losada told reporters. “There is absolutely no pressure on this team. We are still over-performing and are doing great things with limited resources. I’m happy with the mindset of this team. It’s always something to respect.”
D.C. United are a stellar 10-3-1 at home entering the contest and also feature the league’s top goal-scorer in Ola Kamara (17).
But D.C. United are 0-2 against the Revolution this season, with both losses occurring in Foxborough, Mass.
Of course, New England has been tough against nearly every foe all season. The Revolution need just seven points to break the MLS record for most points in a season set by Los Angeles FC (72 in 2019).
They also might be a tad feisty on Wednesday after playing to a 2-2 tie against Chicago on Saturday when Ignacio Aliseda scored the equalizer for the Fire in the 88th minute.
“I think it’s important that we realize the mistakes we made and we correct them and we’re ready for the next game,” Revolution coach Bruce Arena said during a press conference on Tuesday. “We’ll try to get three points in D.C. It’s good to see that they realize that maybe we blew a couple points on Saturday and they’re ready to redeem themselves.”
Still, New England is 5-0-2 over its last seven matches. The Revolution are 9-3-3 on the road this season.
Stars Gustavo Bou (14 goals) and Carles Gil (league-best 17 assists) continue to lead the Revolution attack.
–Field Level Media
