Union facing a familiar foe in D.C. United in the Leagues Cup

It will be an all-MLS affair Thursday at Subaru Park when the Union take on D.C. United in the round of 32 in the Leagues Cup.

The Union have won two straight matches in the tournament between clubs from MLS and Liga MX, the top soccer division in Mexico. The Union beat Club Tijuana, 3-1, and Querétaro, 5-1, to win their group and earn hosting rights for the first round of the knockout stage.

The game between the Eastern Conference rivals will kick off at 8 p.m. (Apple TV+, free).

“We know at home we have a really strong record,” Union manager Jim Curtin said. “Our players tend to get the most out of themselves in these types of high-pressure games, so it’s a big opportunity for us. We know that if we continue to win, we’ll get to play at Subaru Park, which we see as a big advantage.”

D.C. United squeaked by CF Montreal, 1-0, in their opening match of the Leagues Cup, and are coming off a 3-0 loss to Pumas UNAM.

The last time the Union played United was May 17, a 0-0 draw at Subaru Park.

“We had a real battle last time. We kind of canceled each other out; 0-0 probably could have been 4-4 in that game if you go back and watch the tape, though,” Curtin said. “But now I think both teams are a little sharper on goal. They have had some changes along the back line for sure, gotten guys back healthy. They’ve also had a couple of little injuries here and there. But regardless of who plays, we know they’re going to play hard, and they’re going to play a really aggressive, attacking style of soccer.”

The teams will meet again soon after the MLS season resumes, with the Union traveling to Audi Field on Aug. 26.

The Union haven’t conceded a goal to D.C. in three straight matchups dating back to July 8, 2022, when the Union routed their Eastern Conference rival, 7-0. United have overhauled their defense since last season, however, adding Derrick Williams from the L.A. Galaxy and Ruan from Orlando to their back line.

For another clean sheet, the Union must find a way to lock down D.C. forward Christian Benteke. The 32-year-old leads D.C. with eight goals this season. All of them have come from inside the box.

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“Where they may be a bit unique is their wing backs are really, really aggressive, and almost get in the same line as Benteke,” Curtin said. “So Ruan on the right, again, has a ton of pace to get forward and attack. Pedro Santos, or whoever they decide to use on the left, is a real attack-minded player that gets very high up the field. They certainly presented some problems with the how aggressive they are.”

The Union will be coming off an eight-day break, but Curtin said the team has discussed the importance of coming out of the gate strong on Thursday. Union forward Mikael Uhre said the break has been beneficial for the team.

“I think it’s been good to get some freshness into the legs, have some good training sessions, and yeah, I feel the guys are looking sharp in training,” Uhre said. “So that’s always been a good sign.”

A win against D.C. will put the Union in yet another familiar matchup, taking on the winner of the New York Red Bulls-New York City FC match in the round of 16. The final three teams standing in the Leagues Cup will qualify for the Concacaf Champions League, with the winner clinching a bye straight to the round of 16.

“These elimination games are great for players,” Curtin said. “You know, these are the ones that there’s real consequences. Every mistake gets magnified. If you have a bad play, it could be the end of a cup run. So there’s still a trophy on the line, a Champions League spot, and as big as a financial reward for the players that we’ve ever had in our league, so they’ll be motivated. They’ll be ready to start the game the right way.”

Curtin said Union captain Alejandro Bedoya, who has been out after aggravating a quadriceps injury on July 15, worked out on Tuesday “for the first time in a while.” Curtin hopes Bedoya may be able to return to the pitch by the end of the Leagues Cup if the Union make a deep run.