FC Cincinnati vs. DC United | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 19
FC Cincinnati vs. D.C. United
Nippert Stadium – Cincinnati
October 18 – 7:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: Star64, WJLA 24/7 News

After a first-ever Hell is Real derby win on Wednesday, FC Cincinnati hope to carry momentum over to a Sunday night showdown with struggling D.C. United at Nippert Stadium. 

FC Cincinnati (4W-10L-4D) snapped a four-match losing streak as part of five consecutive matches without a win, with an emotional 2-1 victory over Columbus Crew SC, while D.C. United (2W-10L-6D) halted a five-match losing run, but are now nine matches without a victory following a 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Union.

This is the second meeting this season with the teams playing to  0-0 draw at Nippert Stadium August 21. It's the second straight goalless draw between the Eastern Conference foes. 

FC Cincinnati

Nick Hagglund scored what proved to be the winner, heading a  Haris Medunjanin whipped in free kick in the 49th minute to snap a five-match winless streak against Columbus in the derby's short history. 

“Progress is being made in how we want to play and what we're trying to do. Everybody can see that,” Jaap Stam said after the match. “The only thing is, yeah, when you don't have the result and everybody thinks, 'OK they must have been playing bad or it's not good enough,' but that's not the case. If you understand football a little bit, sometimes and even with losing games, you can still make progress and eventually by keeping this up you get these results.”

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Greg Garza (D) - undisclosed injury
  • OUT: Przemyslaw Tyton (GK) - undisclosed injury
  • OUT: Mathieu Deplagne (D) - undisclosed injury
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: Kendall Waston (D)
• International duty: None

D.C. United

The losing streak is over, but D.C. United still haven't won in a month and a half after a 2-2 draw with the Union Wednesday night. Goals by Donovan Pines and Yamil Asad four minutes apart had the Black-and-Red moments from that elusive victory, but Mark McKenzie's stunning long-distance blast three minutes from time secured a share of the points for the Union, who also became the second team to clinch a playoff berth. 

“We’re starting on a new coach, a new slate,” Pines said after the match. “We want to give everything for [interim coach] Chad [Ashton] because he gave us so much to this club as well. We want to proceed in the right direction and fight for the club and fight for what we want to do in the next coming games and try to develop an identity for next year.”

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Paul Arriola (M) - ACL injury
  • OUT: Mohammed Abu (M) - undisclosed injury
  • OUT: Ulises Segura (M) - undisclosed injury
  • OUT: Felipe (M) - ACL injury
  • OUT: Steve Birnbaum (D) - undisclosed injury
  • QUESTIONABLE: Junior Moreno (M) - undisclosed injury
  • QUESTIONABLE: Bill Hamid (GK) - illness
• Suspended: Russell Canouse (D)
• Suspended after next caution: Frederic Brillant (D)
• International duty: None

Series Matchup at FC Cincinnati

• FC Cincinnati: 0 wins, 1 goal
• D.C. United: 1 win, 4 goals
• 1 draw

Officials

• Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
• Assistant Referees: Eric Weisbrod, Claudiu Badea
• 4th Official: Matthew Thompson
• VAR: Alan Kelly