New York Red Bulls are back in action with a pre-season fixture as they take on DC United in a friendly on Thursday. Both teams have been inconsistent over the past year and will want to win this game.
DC United finished in eighth place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings last season and have not been at their best over the past year. The away side edged Inter Miami to a 1-0 victory last week and will want a similar result in this fixture.
New York Red Bulls, on the other hand, secured a seventh-place finish and were only slightly better than their opponents on Thursday. The hosts have built an impressive squad over the past year and have a point to prove this week.
New York Red Bulls vs DC United Head-to-Head
New York Red Bulls have a good record against DC United and have won 20 out of 54 matches played between the two teams. DC United have managed 18 victories against New York Red Bulls and will want to cut the deficit on Thursday.
The previous game between the two MLS outfits took place last year and ended in a 1-0 victory for DC United. New York Red Bulls were wasteful on the day and will need to be more clinical this week.
New York Red Bulls form guide: L-D-D-W-L
DC United form guide: W-W-L-W-L
New York Red Bulls vs DC United Team News
New York Red Bulls
Andres Reyes and Aaron Long are injured at the moment and will not be able to feature in this friendly. New York Red Bulls have an impressive squad at their disposal and will want to field their best team this week.
Injured: Andres Reyes, Aaron Long
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
DC United
Frederic Brilliant and Moses Nyeman have completed their recoveries but might not be risked in this fixture. DC United could potentially experiment with their lineup this week.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Frederic Brilliant, Moses Nyeman
Suspended: None
New York Red Bulls vs DC United Predicted XI
New York Red Bulls Predicted XI (3-4-3): Carlos Coronel; Matthew Nocita, Sean Nealis, Lucas Monzon; Dylan Nealis, Dru Yearwood, Cristian Casseres Junior, Lewis Morgan; Tom Barlow, Patryk Klimala, Wikelman Carmona
DC United Predicted XI (3-4-3): Bill Hamid; Brendan Hines-Ike, Donovan Pines, Steven Birnbaum; Griffin Yow, Julian Gressel, Russell Canouse, Sofiane Djeffal; Nigel Robertha, Ola Kamara, Michael Estrada
New York Red Bulls vs DC United Prediction
DC United endured a slump towards the end of 2021 and will look to start the new season on a strong note. The away side kept a clean sheet against Inter Miami and will need a similarly confident performance this week.
New York Red Bulls needed a late flourish to secure their seventh-place finish last year and will need to be more consistent this season. Both teams are evenly matched on paper and could play out a draw on Thursday.
Prediction: New York Red Bulls 1-1 DC United