DC United come to Music City this weekend for the final match of Nashville SC's May home stand. For the latest on the capital club, we spoke with Donald Wine, who covers DC for The District Press.
Ben Wright (SixOneFive Soccer): What are the general vibes around the club right now?
Donald Wine (The District Press): There's a real state of pessimism surrounding the club. Christian Benteke notwithstanding, a lot of fans are turned off by the general direction of the club under the ownership.
Rising ticket costs have priced out most of the diehards and the years of not having great teams have turned them off the club. It's been real uphill sledding to get momentum around this club, and the results on the field don't help.
BW: How would you sum up things under Ally Mackay and Troy Lesesne?
DW: I can see their vision. Their biggest opponent has been inconsistency. Part of the thing that has turned people off the club is that they don't know anyone.
Entering the season, there were only 3 players who were on the roster at the end of the 2023 season, and one of them (Ted Ku-DiPietro) was traded to Colorado. Fans haven't been able to latch onto most of the players and get to know them, and that needs to happen for people to jump back onto the boat.
The biggest issue is production on the field has been so up and down. They got crushed 6-1 by San Jose, beat New York Red Bulls on the road, and then got pummeled 3-0 by Philadelphia in the span of three weeks. They need the story to be that they're consistently getting results.
BW: Everyone knows how dominant Christian Benteke is. Have you heard anything about his status for the weekend, and how do DC play without him?
DW: We'll get an update at the press conference on Friday, but do not expect Benteke to play. He had just missed a couple of matches due to injury, and this latest one feels like it could be an extension of that. That would mean he's sitting out for a couple weeks.
DC does have to change their shape without him, and that makes sense when the best aerial threat in the league - and probably on this side of the Atlantic - is in street clothes. DC will likely try to get guys behind the defense and use guys out wide to get the ball into space and find guys in the box.
BW: Nashville fans are obviously familiar with Randall Leal and Lukas MacNaughton. How have they performed so far with DC? Do you expect either to have an impact this week?
DW: Randall Leal started out the season injured and has only recently made it onto the field. But he brings an energy and creativity that really changes the dynamic of the team. He played roughly 60 minutes midweek against NYCFC, so he will likely not start against Nashville. But he will definitely factor into the match, likely coming on around the hour mark to provide an energy jolt.
Lukas MacNaughton was slower to work his way into the lineup, but he had done so by April and was playing fairly well through a tough stretch. However, he picked up a hamstring injury a couple weeks ago and does not expect to be back in uniform until next month.
BW: How do you think DC will try to hurt Nashville? And what are some areas of DC that Nashville can target?
DW: DC will try to high press and try to get the ball deep inside the final third. They'll hope that they can work the ball to one of their wingers and get crosses into the box that they can corral and put shots on net. Without Benteke, their scoring options reduce, but if some of the creative midfielders can work their magic, they can generate chances.
On the flip side, if Nashville wins the midfield, they'll be able to generate a lot of scoring opportunities. That's been how teams break down the Black-and-Red. Possession has not been their strong suit and with so many matches in a long stretch, tired legs could become an issue.
BW: Do you have a lineup and score prediction for Wednesday?
DW: I won't predict a lineup because there's been a ton of lineup turnover the past few weeks. I will say that Luis Barraza will start in goal (he had a ridiculous performance midweek against his former club, NYCFC), and you'll see Randall Leal at some point in the match.
We'll see who else draws the start, but DC United has not played well on the road this season. Let's call it a 2-1 Nashville victory as the struggles continue.
Thanks to Donald for his time and expertise! Make sure to follow him on Bluesky, and check out The District Press for more coverage of DC United.
