New York City FC are back on home soil this Saturday as they host D.C. United.
The Boys in Blue return to action in a 7:30pm ET kick-off at Citi Field.
Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford…
First Visit
New York City FC and D.C. United have met 22 times previously, but never at Citi Field.
The Black and Red have only ever faced City in the Bronx. Of the ten games to take place at Yankee Stadium, City have won seven, while United have just one win to date.
One of the more memorable clashes between the two sides saw Thiago Andrade record the fastest goal in New York City FC history after only 35 seconds. That night would also see City record their biggest win to date thanks to a 6-0 scoreline.
The last time the two sides met in New York a late strike from Andrade was enough to hand City a 3-2 win – a result Nick Cushing would no doubt happily see a repeat of this Saturday.
Keep Pushing
The visit of D.C. United will be New York City FC’s third consecutive home game.
City are starting to build some momentum after Saturday’s win against New England Revolution, picking up four points from a possible six. Goals from Agustín Ojeda and Julián Fernández were a major confidence boost to City and they will now hope to take that momentum into the game against the Black and Red.
The benefit of a further three points on Saturday can’t be understated. A win against D.C., along with positive results elsewhere, could see City climb above the playoff line. The Boys in Blue are now unbeaten in three games and they know stretching that to a fourth game could be a major turning point in the season.
Big Man
On the scoresheet the last time the two sides met in New York was Christian Benteke, and unsurprisingly he leads the scoring charts for D.C. in 2024.
The former Aston Villa and Liverpool forward finished last season with 14 goals and 1 assist, and this season already has six goals to his name. Even though D.C. suffered a defeat last time out against Orlando, the game highlighted just why Benteke is an influence in the final third.
The Belgian’s aerial prowess was on show when he headed United in front before an intelligent knockdown to Gabriel Pirani doubled D.C.’s advantage. City will need to monitor him carefully during the contest and make sure his chances to be an aerial influence are limited.
The Boys in Blue did a good job of limiting crosses against New England Revolution and they will need to apply that same level of diligence when they take on D.C. United this time out.
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