The 2023/2024 Major League Soccer season rounds up with an electrifying encounter as DC United host Charlotte FC in a bruising encounter. This encounter has been scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Although it can be considered as a match without great significance, it still has value in the sight of the fans as they all want to see their respective sides finish the season on a positive note. Let’s kick off by analyzing how both teams have been fairing in the league.
DC United:
Overall MLS Position: 17th (40 points)
Recent Form:
| 15/09/24 | D.C United | ||||
| 22/09/24 | Philadelphia Union | ||||
| 29/09/24 | D.C United | ||||
| 03/10/24 | Nashville SC | ||||
| 06/10/24 | New England |
D.C United is set to finish the season better off than the previous campaign! In 2023, they ended 12th in the Eastern Conference and 23rd in the overall MLS standings. Their 2 away wins (against Nashville and New England) is something they might want to build on to approach the next season with serenity. However, a defeat on their home turf to Charlotte FC might be a bitter pill to swallow.
DC United’s Key Players
Former Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace player Christian Benteke has been a top contributor this season for the Black-and-Reds. He has scored 23 goals in 29 appearances so far this season, but his role extends beyond just goal-scoring! He’s one of the team leaders on and off the pitch. Without his contributions, D.C United would be in shambles right now.
Another key player Charlotte FC should be scared of is the Brazilian midfielder, Gabriel Pirani. With 6 goals in 32 appearances, the attacking midfielder not only creates goal-scoring chances but can also finish actions with breath-taking goals.
Charlotte FC:
Overall MLS Position: 13th (48 points)
Recent Form:
| 19/09/24 | Orlando City | ||||
| 21/09/24 | Charlotte FC | ||||
| 29/09/24 | Inter Miami | ||||
| 03/10/24 | Charlotte FC | ||||
| 06/10/24 | Charlotte FC |
Charlotte FC Key Players
The American-born Patrick Agyemang is the current top scorer for The Crown this season with 9 goals, closely followed by Kerwin Vargas, Liel Abada, and Karol Swiderski, each with 6 goals. The good thing about this Charlotte FC side is the fact that they don’t rely solely on one player for goals like their opponent of the day. With them, expect the threat to come from any angle!
Head-to-Head Record
The H2H record gives Charlotte FC as favorites with 3 wins in the last 5 confrontations. One of these ended in a draw and D.C United won 1. However, D.C United will be playing at home and they are coming to this encounter on a solid streak of 2 consecutive away wins. Thus, to assume Charlotte will have it easy would be a gross mistake.
DC United vs Charlotte FC Prediction
After everything is said and done, this game can swing in either direction. It promises to be a very close encounter, and any outcome is possible. Both sides’ fans await a thrilling end to the season. Both teams won their 2 last encounters and are poised to end well.
There’s still some time before the kickoff and I’m closely monitoring the odds movements and latest team news to give you guys the most accurate prediction as always. So, look out for the update in the coming days for the exact bet market and further details.
Update
Although this is a game without much at stake, both teams will look forward to putting up a show for their respective fans.
During the past few days, Charlotte FC players have been the busier of the two sides, with 6 of their players called-up for international duty. These are: Nimfasha Berchimas (USYNT U-19), Tim Ream (USMNT), Karol Swiderski (Poland), Jere Uronen (Finland), Liel Abada (Israel), and Idan Toklomati (Israel U-21). Dean Smith will be hopeful none of them records any injuries so that he has his full squad available for their duel against DC United.
Playing at home will certainly be advantageous for Troy Lesesne and his boys, hence I’m vouching for DC United Win. They won 2 important games on away turf and won’t make things easy for their adversaries of the day. Plus, Christian Benteke (arguably one of the best forwards in the league) extended his contract in August and will do everything to improve his goal-scoring tally against The Crown. The bookie odds are around 1.931 and you should register on the best betting platform to profit from the highest odds and limits not only on this match but other MLS games as well.