DC United vs. Orlando City Prediction, Preview and Odds - 5/16/21

DC United takes on Orlando in what will be DC United’s sixth game of the year and Orlando’s five games of the 2021 season when the two teams meet on Sunday night from Audi Field in Washington D.C. DC United sit fifth in the Eastern Conference standings despite having a negative goal differential, partly because of having played the additional game and partly because of timely wins against some of the league’s top teams. Orlando sits one spot behind DC United in the Eastern Conference standings in sixth place, but have played one less game and have a plus-three goal differential. These two teams have seen quite a few changes to their rosters over the last few years and Sunday night’s match promises to be an up and down affair with likely little to separate the two teams, and that’s if someone is even able to come away with a win. Which team will leave the nation’s capital with the points on Saturday?

DC United Eyeing Consistency

DC United has had an up and down start to the season after winning the opener with a big statement on opening day, but then dropping three straight to New England, San Jose, and to Columbus. They bounced back with a win over Chicago during their mid-week matchup, but they were fairly lucky to come away with three-points in that game after being outshot 15-12 and losing the possession game 58 percent to 42 percent. Last year DC United didn’t even make the MLS Playoffs and finding consistency week in and week out is a major key to this team getting not only to the playoffs, but getting past the first round, something they’ve failed to do in the last five years. It’s clear DC United misses Wayne Rooney, who had a toughness about it that was tough to match in the league, even in his age. The question is which player is ready to take that next step up for the club over the next few years to return DC United to prominence not only in the conference but in the league.

Much like many of their counterparts in the league, DC United has toiled with quite a few different lineups so far this season and quite a few different players. So far DC United has seen 21 players get game action but only seen five players score, each with a goal. Last year’s leading scorer, Ola Kamara, only had three goals total last year, and the former European standout has a goal in two appearances this year. Edison Flores is capable of taking over a game at any minute as one of the premier DPs in the league. The x-factor on Sunday will be Julian Gressel though, the German who played college soccer at Providence College, but brings a ton of experience from his championship-winning seasons with Atlanta United. His ability to stick into tackles in the midfield allows the rest of the DC United midfield to play with some freedom and flexibility that many of their opponents don’t have the luxury of.

Like many teams in the league, DC United hasn’t been shy about shifting their focus away from the SuperDraft and relying on college development and towards working on their own academies. While their list of names might not be as notable within the USMNT or in international waters, they still have a solid group of young players who are looking to learn on the job over the course of this season. Moses Nyeman is an interesting player who has the ability in the midfield to learn on the job on the back of Gressel’s hard work and is definitely a player to keep an eye on as he looks to exploit a struggling midfield for Orlando.

Orlando More Than Just Nani

It’s been years of disappointment since joining MLS for Orlando fans, but last year’s quarterfinal appearance appeared to be a step in the right direction. The issues for Orlando have almost been a product of their own success. Cyle Larin had an incredible first few years coming out of UConn and worked his way towards a European move that left Orlando searching for an answer up top. Insert Dom Dwyer, who was the team’s leading scorer in 2018, but has now moved onto Toronto FC. In the last two years though, Orlando has slowly found consistency between Nani and USMNT fringe invitee, Chris Mueller, who have led the team with 12 and ten goals, respectively, over the last two years.

Orlando is yet to lose a game this year, taking down Cincinnati as their only win, and getting a point in each of their three others. Nani still is showing his creativity on the wings which will be a huge advantage against a depleted and inexperienced DC United backline. Nani has three goals on the season in just four games and has been a force ever since he came over from Europe just a few seasons ago. On the flip side, Mueller has had far more trouble replicating the success that he found last year. He’s been held scoreless so far and part of that is that he’s now become a focal point of the opponent’s defensive gameplans. He’s been pressing more and more of late and it’s difficult to be sure exactly how or when his season will turn around, but it likely won’t be against DC United.

As opposed to their opponents, Orlando has looked at the SuperDraft as a major point of roster reconstruction year after year. Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Benji Michel were all former collegiate players who have been able to come into the league as adults and make a difference with their physicality. In addition to those three, Orlando still has six homegrown players to make sure the future bright as their academy comes along, albeit at a slower rate than most of their opponent’s rate.

Pick: Orlando City (+130)

The difference in Sunday’s game will be the former Portugal star, Nani, who has already made life increasingly difficult for opponents this season and will continue to be the best player on the field against DC United. DC United has struggled to consistently find the back of the net this year, while Orlando has one of the most dynamic offenses with one of the league’s most exciting players leading the charge and it’s unsure who exactly on the United backline will be able to slow him down. Orlando has yet to lose a game this season while DC United has had a much more up and down season and even on the road, expect the team with the momentum, confidence, and best player, to control the game from start to finish and come out with a win.

Total: Over 2.5

Orlando City has been racking up goals in every game this year and Nani and Mueller will have a massive advantage and wouldn’t be surprised to each get on the scoresheet. While United will likely be overatched, they still have some dynamic players themselves who can make life difficult with the counterattack to try to stay in the game, or mount a late comeback. In the last five games, three goals have been scored twice and two goals scored once. With a little more rust on both backlines, don’t be surprised to see this be a shoutout, especially in Orlando’s favor.