Know Thy Enemy: Special Double New England vs DMV Edition
When the Revs are hosting DC and Hartford is hosting Loudoun, surely there's no reason for a double MLS/USL preview?
It’s a dose of double trouble from the capitol area, as the New England Revolution host D.C. United (MLS Season Pass/Apple) and Hartford Athletic hosts Loudoun United (ESPN+) in USL action.
With the Revs and D.C. both trying to fight for one of the MLS Eastern Conference playoff spots, Loudoun is currently in the 8th and final spot in the USL with HFD right on their heels.
Okay, I know that Loudoun United FC and DC United technically no longer have an official super formal playing arrangement with the existence of MLS NextPro now filling that developmental role for most of MLS.
But there’s still a really nice setup in Loudoun, almost the home of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s Hounds franchise that never got off the ground so naturally anyone who would dare attempt to challenge the great Bridgeport Bluefish are no friends of mine.
So yes, you’re getting obscure/defunct ALBP teams and a double dose of New England vs the DMV thanks to our guest Ryan Keefer of The District Press covering all of the greater DC area’s black and red and united teams.
Be sure to check out their site for my answers to Ryan’s Revs questions and we owe DC some USL answers that we will try to make up for when Loudoun plays Rhode Island in a week.
NEvD.C.
1) DC United has five wins in their last nine games, and 17 points out of 27 going back to mid-July...how well has this team been playing recently and what's been the biggest factor in that success.
1) I think they’ve kind of slowly grown into what Troy Lesesne’s had them doing. Even if you live under a rock you know DC is going to try to get Christian Benteke the ball and with all of that, he still gets goals and justifiably getting some MVP talk. Gun to head is if they make the playoffs he gets the trophy, or should anyway. But the secondary players are playing well too; Gabriel Pirani scored twice in stoppage to get a result over Nashville Wednesday, and though he’s not a 10 despite wearing the number, he’s become more comfortable in his role.
Lesser known (but cap hogging) players like Martin Rodriguez and Cristian Dajome are pitching in in various roles too; the team was so thin that Dajome, a natural forward, was playing right fullback once or twice this year. Not to be all Lasso-esque but the belief sense is doing well for the team, and if they make it in, Lesesne’s work in managing the healthy bodies over the course of the year and getting blood from rocks will be a big reason.
2) DC is just three points back of Toronto with a game in hand and level with Philly, and after the Revs they host Charlotte at home. If DC gets into the playoffs, how confident would you be in a play-in game win and subsequent series against Miami?
2) Well I think they’ve been kind of in this boat for a couple of games now, and they showed their ability to keep clawing for something in that bananas win at Nashville. It’s hard to pin down the play-in; if we’re looking at Montreal or Toronto, DC has played one (TFC) since the beginning of June and won 3-1 at BMO. Extending the exercise out a little more, the only loss they’ve had in Canada this year was while playing a three-man backline with a shell of a center back in Steven Birnbaum (who retired to injury months later).
Philly plays at the Crew and hosts Cincy to round things out, but if DC gets in, gets the play in, they’re going to play Miami, and that group, looking to ice it early, and with DC’s backline holding on by a thread, thoughts and prayers.
3) Let's say DC doesn't make the playoffs, giving up an Eastern Conf high 66 goals (so far) seems like the biggest need in the offseason. Is this a personnel fix or a tactics fix for the team to address in the offseason?
3) Easily personnel. Consider the last three DC United coaches who took over the roster full time; Ben Olsen was using tinker toys for a lot of it due to budget, Hernan Losada was plugged into a roster who was signed for multiple years and flamed out in 15 months; Wayne Rooney came in, put his stamp on things by trading Julian Gressel and signing Ravel Morrison, all of which both regressed and stagnated the club.
GM Ally Mackay came in last winter, officially bought Pirani and moved him to a U22 signing, extended longtime homegrown midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro to the same category, and signed Finnish National Team player Matti Peltola to a Young DP deal. Mackay convinced ownership to use its buyout (unheard of given THIS ownership) on one TAM player this year while another (Birnbaum) retired. Three other TAM players, along with two near senior max players, potentially come off the books this winter.
The point being, DC United’s winter has a lot of options, a returning core of mostly young players, and an internationally known name, all of whom will play to the end for this coach.
Lineup/Predictions/Etc.
Lineup: throwing a 4231 wrinkle (left to right); Bono; Santos/Peltola/Bartlett/Herrera; Klich/Canouse; Stroud/Pirani/Dajome; Benteke
Predict: Amazingly, DC plays a friendly with Ghanaian side Asante Kosovo over the international break, so they’re going to want to take advantage of this game in hand while putting the Revs out to pasture. 3-1 DC
HFDvLOU
Hartford Athletic Take On Loudoun United As Playoff Race Heats Up
1) Just a quick reminder for the class, explain Loudoun's affiliate situation with D.C. United and the NextPro split, etc.
1) So I think DC realized they needed a ‘Reserve Team’ but may not have been completely aware that MLS was looking at Next Pro as a concept? So DC sold a controlling interest at the end of 2022 to a group called Attain Partners, but he branched out into sports and owns a couple of minor league baseball teams in the area (including very recently buying a Single A team owned by Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken). Attain came into it in 2023 and starting doing different things, and expanded their signature even more this year with things like a scouting department, Technical Director and the like.
DC can still loan players down to Loudoun, but compared to the past when they could loan them down a day or two before a game, Loudoun has the choice of playing them or not. And while DC still tries to set up a Next Pro side (maybe 2026?), Loudoun’s almost entirely independent and has a bunch of guys on and off the field who really believe in the potential of the club whether they make the playoffs this year or not.
2) Loudoun currently is in 8th, one point ahead of Hartford for the final playoff spot in the USL East. A win could get Loudoun a point behind Birmingham for 7th - what's the best/worst case playoff scenarios for Loudoun the rest of the way and could they make a run at Louisville or Charleston?
2) Loudoun’s best case is something I can’t think of yet; having seen so many years of losses, many of which have been pastings, I’m kind of like Jim Mora on their postseason. But let’s say they get in and finish 8th. They’re going to play Louisville at Louisville. They did that a month ago and didn’t have a shot on goal for around the first hour of the game. They didn’t get smoked, but the 1-0 result was flattering to their attack. They’re getting healthier and it could change, how healthy they get remains to be seen. However if they can get past Birmingham they would play at Charleston (which is their season finale this year), and they played them tightly at home over the summer. Loudoun has a knack for ensuring the upper tier sides don’t switch off, because they can make them pay.
7th or 8th seems about right, because their last games are at the aforementioned Charleston and Rhode Island, and home with Pittsburgh and Indy Eleven, and none of those are easy outs.
3) How is Rider University's favorite son Florian Valot doing in USL and who are some of the other Loudoun players we know from MLS or could know about very shortly?
3) He’s been great! He leads the team in created chances and assists and his return to the attacking component of the team (he played about a month in the central midfield a little deeper) has really been welcomed. If I had to sum up Loudoun’s roster it’s less MLS vets and more kids who couldn’t crack their MLS club’s first team with regularity; Zach Ryan leads the team in goals for the second straight year and the former Red Bulls homegrown does hold up play, is the penalty taker, the captain, and the closest thing to a cornerstone the team can point to. Kalil ElMedkhar (Union), Jacob Erlandson and Keegan Hughes (Crew) and Keegan Tingey (Quakes) are among players who can and have contributed to the team’s successes.
USL vets like Tommy McCabe (Orange County, Detroit) and Hugo Fauroux (Charleston, Austin) have contributed as well, with Fauroux heading in an assist in the 97th minute last week that gave Loudoun the point that separates Loudoun and Hartford at the moment. It’s kind of crazy that Hartford players Michael DeShields and Tyler Freeman had stops in Loudoun (Freeman led the team in goals (6) in 2022), and this side would be completely unrecognizable to them now.
Lineup/Predictions/Etc.
Prediction: I feel like neither side is going to want to make a mistake and give up a goal, or else that could very well stand. If Loudoun can snap out of their scoring funk on the road (that 97th minute goal was their first on the road in about 300 minutes of play), I think they could take it 2-0 or 2-1, which would give them some breathing room.
Lineup: 433 (left to right); Fauroux; Dambrot/Erlandson/Leerman/Tingey; Awuah/McCabe/Skundrich; Leggett/Ryan/Valot