MLS takes club football centre stage this weekend.......
Mar 22, 2025
MLS: Orlando City- DC United
I was quite keen on DC United in my preseason notes ......
DC United:I can only see DCU going one way and that us up! We can come back to them after a game or two as I would like to get a look at them with my own eyes. However, in 2023 they collected 40 points, but were 13 better for xP and 16 goals better off for xGD. Last year, guess what, they hit that same points number (40) but xP again gave them an additional 13 points and saw them as a MASSIVE 29 goals better and xGA says they should have conceded 22-23 fewer! They did move up two places and only missed out on a playoff spot on goal difference. If they can actually hit those figures, they are going to be pushing for top 3-4. Head coach Troy Lesesne is in his second season and early in the last campaign I spoke about him and his move from New York Red Bulls......
DCU are another team for whom it was all change, they had a revolving door policy and a clear intention to change their style of play and seemed delighted that Red Bulls decided not to appoint Troy Lesesne on a permanent basis after he got them into the playoffs as interim boss with a strong finish to their season. Late in the campaign I noted.......
NY have been far more creative in recent games and head coach Troy Lesesne said as much before the game at DC, his side showed this in the big win with some really inventive build up play, along with real resolve to twice come from a goal down. They were good from set pieces with lots of movement and had clearly worked a lot on these in training.
It was odd to let him leave, but it appears NYRB want a change in style and not the hard pressing, high tempo football which was their trademark for so long. That will now be United! They have made a solid start, 5 points from their opening three games and then a loss to star studded Inter Miami, no shame in that, especially when we see they created 15 attempts, 11 ITB, 7 on target with 5 BC's. The players have bought into the Lesesne tactics and their hard press caused Inter a lot of problems and through 4 games United have led the league in "challenge intensity" and have 31 "dangerous recoveries". They have created the 3rd highest xGF and had the most attempts on goal in the league with a shoot on sight policy.
Ally Mackay who did the same job previously at Nashville SC (big improvers in Y2) is heading up recruitment and is also in his second season. The squad is getting ever younger and I would assume more malleable in terms of how Lesesne wants to play and, all those who joined last season will get far more game time this season,as they have moved out a whole host of older players and this is going to be a youthful very high energy group. All the experience will be up top and leading the line and it is easy to understand why.Christian Benteke is now a veteran striker and a back up of a similar age and with a lot of MLS experience has been added. Benteke was on fire last season, in 2023 he contributed 14 goals and 3 assists and in 2024 upped that to a respective 23 and 5, a goal contribution every 93 minutes and that came along with a Golden Boot award.
They have played 6-7 places better than results for two seasons, the last one whilst trying to play a very different style and with a squad remould and I feel they can kick on.
Update:
The jury is still out as they are a work in progress, but xP places them 4th and they are scoring, with 2+ goals in 3 of their four starts and this feels like a good time to play Orlando, as you do not want to be coming here in high summer and also, City have conceded 2+ in all four starts, add in that DCU have scored 11 goals in their last five visits here and I almost feel like our hands are tied!
2 units DC United to score "over" 1.5 goals @ 2.90 asian line.
Good luck!
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