Can D.C. United Stay Hot in Cincinnati?

D.C. United has won four straight games in all competitions, including three straight MLS matches.

The team has not won four games in a row since late in the 2018 season, when current manager Wayne Rooney was the star player.

Now, Rooney has the Red and Black in rhythm for the first time in years. The club sits mid-table in the MLS Eastern Conference standings and has scored three goals in back-to-back MLS contests.

D.C. United is finally beginning to find some success. Can they keep it going? / Photo: D.C. United

Saturday, the team heads to Cincinnati to take on one of the best teams in MLS. It’ll be D.C.’s biggest test so far in 2023.

“We know we’re in for a very difficult game,” Rooney said Friday in his pre match press conference. “It’s a challenge for us, we’ve prepared for it, we know how we’re going to play, we know what our game plan is, and I feel that if we actually use our game plan the way we have done in training then we’ll give ourselves a really good chance.”

Rooney’s side has played an opportunistic style of soccer all season. Throughout the winning streak, DCU has failed to maintain 50% of the possession in every game, and yet has scored eight goals across the four games.

Striker Christian Benteke has been a huge part of the goal-scoring success. Benteke has scored five goals in ten games in 2023, which is currently tied for the fourth most in MLS.

D.C's Saturday night opponent, FC Cincinnati, has lost just once this season in all competitions, a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of expansion team St. Louis City SC.

Cincinnati is tied for the most points (21) of any squad in MLS and has the second most shutouts across the league.

D.C. can score and Cincy can defend. Something’s got to give at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday.