After three matches without a victory, DC United will be aiming to get their season back on track when they host New England Revolution on Saturday.
The visitors currently sit second in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference having only lost a single match this season.
Match preview
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DC United kick-started the new campaign with a 3-2 victory, but since that point, they have failed to pick up three points which has led to them slipping down to 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Wayne Rooney's men have suffered two defeats and a draw in the following three games, and while they have managed to showcase good attacking qualities the same cannot be said for their defensive performances.
DC United have the worst defensive record in the division at this stage in the season which is something that they will need to address sooner rather than later to aid their season.
That was clear in their previous match when Christian Benteke and Steve Birnbaum both got themselves on the scoresheet only for the Black-and-Red to be defeated 3-2.
Despite that, DC United's sole victory this season did take place at home, and that it something that should provide some confidence to the team.
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That will no doubt be boosted for the hosts by the fact that New England Revolution were defeated in their previous away match in a 4-0 loss against Los Angeles FC.
However, they immediately put that loss behind them when they defeated Nashville SC by a goal to nil last weekend, with Gustavo Bou's goal proving to be the difference maker.
That victory helped to keep the Revs in a strong position at the top end of the table as they sit second place heading into this weekend, just a single point behind the league leaders.
Considering the fact that a victory could take New England Revolution to top spot by the end of this game week, there is plenty to play for in this one.
However, after scoring only five goals throughout the campaign so far, there will be some pressure on the attacking players in the team to start providing more goals.
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Team News
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DC United could offer a debut to Nottingham Forrest midfielder Lewis O'Brien this weekend after he joined the club in midweek on loan with an option to buy.
His signing could have been perfectly timed considering Rooney will be without two midfielders due to international duty as Victor Palsson and Mateusz Klich will both be unavailable.
However, the experience of Benteke is something that DC United can continue to rely on, especially since the former Crystal Palace forward got on the scoresheet last weekend.
Dylan Borrero and Christian Makoun will be missing for the visitors this weekend as they are away on international duty at the moment.
The Revs also have a lengthy injury list at the moment as Andrew Farrell, Nacho Gil, Ryan Spaulding and Tommy McNamara are dealing with leg issues, while Maciel has an Achilles injury and Jacob Jackson is out with an ACL problem.
DC United possible starting lineup:
Miller; Teixeira, Birnbaum, Williams, Jeahze; Canouse, Asad; Durkin, Santos, Ku-DiPietro; Benteke
New England Revolution possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Bye, Kessler, Romney, Jones; Polster; Blessing, Buck; Bou; Wood, Vrioni
We say: DC United 0-2 New England Revolution
DC United are unlikely to change their recent poor run of form as New England Revolution should have enough quality to pick up three points this weekend.
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