The arrival of Wayne Rooney has completely turned around DC United. Rooney led the moribund club in one of the biggest midseason turnarounds ever, taking them from the bottom of the table to the playoffs with a scintillating performance over the last half of 2018. The club has proved that this is no fluke, and DC United are currently sitting all alone atop the Eastern Conference entering this week’s games. This week they will be facing a hungry New York City FC team that is the last team in the East to not have won a match.
Don't miss the Major League Soccer action from Audi Field in Washington, DC at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 21, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN.
MLS Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
DC United -121
New York City FC +285
Draw +267
Over/Under 3
Odds Analysis
New York City FC have loved earning a single point this season. NYCFC have picked up a draw in five of their six matches so far, and that inability to win matches has them in second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference. They have drawn all of their home matches and two of their three road matches, with the only non-draw being a 4-0 beatdown at the hands of Toronto FC.
DC United started their season with a bang, knocking off reigning MLS Cup champions Atlanta United 2-0. They hammered Real Salt Lake 5-0 in their next home game, and they enter this match with a 4-2-1 record. Their lone loss came at the hands of red hot LAFC, and they went on the road to beat the Colorado Rapids 3-2 last week with three goals in eight minutes of action.
This will be the second meeting between these teams this season. They squared off in the Big Apple in the second week of the 2019 campaign, and they played to a 0-0 draw. NYCFC controlled two-thirds of the possession and had triple the shots and double the shots on goal of DC United.
Key Absences
The hosts are dealing with a number of injuries ahead of this match. Defenders Oniel Fisher, Chris Odoi-Atsem, and Joseph Mora are all out for extended periods of time, and midfielder Antonio Bustamante will miss this match too. Defenders Chris McCann and Leonardo Jara are questionable, further stretching the problems in the back line.
NYCFC are in a much better spot in this area. Defender Alexander Callens will miss the match with a hamstring injury, but he is the only definite absence for the hosts.
Player to Watch
Rooney has continued his incredible tear since coming to the MLS. He has four goals and three assists in six matches with D.C. United this season, and he is constantly finding ways to get involved. Rooney has shown that he still has what it takes to succeed weekly, and his leadership has helped some of the younger players on this team come into their own. We saw his value when United couldn’t score against the Montreal Impact as he was serving a one-game suspension.
Prop Bet of the Week – Over 3 and 3.5 Goals +120
The first match between these teams ended in a goalless draw, but this one could be very high scoring. DC United does not have much depth in the back line, so they will be out to push forward. I see both teams taking their fair share of chances and a lot of goals as a result.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Rooney will be the difference in this one for DC United, with Luciano Acosta making his impact felt too.
Major League Soccer Odds: DC United 3, New York City FC 2
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