NYCFC vs. DC United Prediction, Preview and Odds - 6/27/21
NYCFC welcomes DC United to Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on Sunday evening for a battle between both Eastern Conference and regional rivals. NYCFC finds themselves off to a great start yet again, sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, on 14 points and a plus-six goal differential. DC United on the other hand has also had a nice start to the season, sitting in seventh place in the conference, only one point behind NYCFC at 13 points and a minus-two goal differential. These two teams met already once this season, with DC United taking all three points in the season opener back on April 17th, by a 2-1 scoreline. That first match saw NYCFC take the lead early on, but the home side scored two late goals in the first half to hold on for the win. There wasn’t much to separate the two teams in that first match, and even less to separate them through a handful of games on the season, which should make for a great rematch on Sunday evening.
NYCFC Eyeing Revenge
NYCFC is surely excited to be staying at home after Wednesday’s win over Atlanta and no travel before Sunday’s game will be a huge advantage in a season where COVID precautions make travel difficult. Even with the consistent turnover year to year, NYCFC continues to find ways to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference standings and this year is no different. One of their only slip ups though was against this same DC United team that they’ll see on Sunday night. The season opener saw NYCFC dominate possession 62 percent to 38 percent, but the offensive statistics were pretty similar, with NYCFC leading 12 shots to 11 and it all tied up at four shots on goals apiece. Heber remains out with a knee injury while Alexander Callens is on international duty with Peru and will be a big miss in the back.
In the first meeting with DC United, Valentin Castellanos was the lone scorer for NYCFC and he hasn’t missed a beat since, sitting on four goals and two assists on the season. The player to keep an eye on for Sunday though is Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, who has found the back of the net in four straight games and is one of the most in form strikers in the league right now. As if those two weren’t enough, Jesus Medina leads the way with five goals on the year for one of the most balanced and deep attacking groups in the league. They may not have the big names that some of the league’s other top teams have, but 16 goals through nine games isn’t a bad tally at all. NYCFC also still has Alfredo Morales, who remains on the radar for the U.S. National Team, and he’ll be sure to get involved in the attack and keep his name top of mind for consideration.
NYCFC’s defense hasn't been quite as strong as its offense, but still has some impressive names in the back, along with one of the top keepers in the league. Sean Johnson remains the undisputed leader of the team and has had his fair share of impressive saves already on the season. Callens is a big miss in the back as a leader of the team, but with Maxine Chanot back there, there’s still a sense of experience. Sunday might be a game where one of the youngsters, such as Tayvon Gray, gets some extended minutes in the back and shows off his ability to get up and down on the wings. Expect NYCFC to have a much better defensive showing than the first meeting now that the backline has more experience together.
DC United Looks For Season Sweep
DC United wasted no time getting a leg up on the season series when they took the opener against NYCFC just a few months ago. Sunday’s game will present a new challenge as they go on the road for the second straight game after drawing with Montreal on Wednesday night. Wednesday saw a poor performance from the offense from an efficiency standpoint, which seems to be becoming more and more of an issue for the team. Against Montreal, even playing a man up for the entire second-half, DC United was unable to find a goal on 27 shots total and give shots on goal. DC United will continue to be without a few key players, but Steven Birnbaum (ankle) continues to be the biggest loss on the season after his success in the back and his ability to contribute in the attack with his calmness. Last weekend’s game saw United squeak by Inter Miami 1-0, but even with Miami getting two red cards, DC United was unable to execute towards the end of the game. Sunday’s game will look for them to find their offensive footing a little more than in the past week a
Much like NYCFC, DC United will have plenty of their offense ready to go for Sunday’s game. Ola Kamara is the leader, scoring a team-best four goals, but overall six players have found the back of the net this season. From a creativity standpoint, it starts with Adrien Perez, who leads the team with two assists, but there’s plenty of other experience in the midfield who can make things difficult for NYCFC. Between Julian Gressel, Junior Flores, Edison Flores, and Paul Arriola, DC United has one of the best midfield groups in the league and everyone has the ability to score goals and make things happen. Heading into Red Bull Stadium to take on NYCFC, they know they’ll need to control possession and put the pressure on their opponent to get NYCFC on the backfoot.
DC United has a deep defending group and one that loves to get up and contribute in the attack. Defender Brendan Hines-Ike scored in the first meeting with NYCFC and should be able to get forward on set pieces yet again in the rematch. Much like their opponent, DC United has one of the most experienced players on the field in Bill Hamid at goalkeeper, who can make a massive difference and be a complete game-changer on Sunday. DC United’s offense has only scored nine goals on the season and it’ll be key for the defense to hold things down and keep them in the game until the midfield can strike.
Side: NYCFC (-200) or -1.25 goals
Even though NYCFC has shifted their home stadium to New Jersey for the season, being able to play three straight home games since coming back from the break is a huge advantage and adding in COVID precautions and the issues with playing on the road, and DC United will be at a huge disadvantage going on the road for the second straight game. Both teams are built very similarly, but NYCFC has the better scoring support, as DC United’s group has struggled to find consistency despite the big names on the roster. Both teams will be missing a key defender in the rematch but NYCFC has some more in form players, including the most in form scorer in the league who surely will find the back of the net yet again. DC United’s form since the break has been concerning, especially considering playing most of their games up at least a man, and not having found the back of the net in those games makes it unlikely that they’ll find the net easily against a full-strength NYCFC team. Expect NYCFC’s group of talented scorers to find the back of the net and to get a win at home in the rematch.
Total: Over
The first match of the season saw the teams combine for three goals and the fall’s meeting saw the teams combine for five goals. Add in that both teams will be without their best defender in all likelihood, and more scoring should be in store for the rematch. While DC United’s group of midfielders has been unable to find the back of the net, they still are a talented group of players who should be able to find some creativity in the midfield and create some chances. For NYCFC, they continue to find goals at a good clip and have some of the best scorers in the Eastern Conference over the last few weeks and should have no trouble finding the back of the net in the rematch given DC United’s issue in travel that should impact their ability to stay focused for 90 minutes and defend with confidence and energy.
