D.C. United return to Audi Field on Sunday for an Eastern Conference clash against New York City FC, the second and final regular meeting between the teams this season. 

Last month, the teams played out to a scoreless draw on a rainy day during the second week of the season. On Sunday, United will look to end their two-game winless streak at home, while the visitors are still searching for their first win of the campaign. Sunday’s fixture is set to kick off at 4 PM ET and will be nationally televised on ESPN.

The Black-and-Red bounced backed from a sour couple of games last week when they secured three points on the road against the Colorado Rapids last Saturday, winning 3-2. The victory was their second away win in a row, after last month's win over Orlando City. Meanwhile, the visitors are fresh off a wild 3-3 draw in the inaugural match at Minnesota United's Allianz Field. The split points was NYC's fifth draw in six games to start the season. 

Head coach Ben Olsen has plenty of lineup decisions to make, given the current injury list and standout performances by homegrown players Chris Durkin and Donovan Pines against Colorado. Against the Rapids, Olsen elected to field three center backs from the start of a game for only the second time in the last two seasons. Pines, who had previously played for Loudoun United this year, made his MLS debut from the start, flanked by Steven Birnbaum and Jalen Robinson.

The left back position remains a concern, with Joseph Mora still recovering from a broken jaw and concussion and backup Chris McCann sidelined due to a hamstring issue. There is optimism on the other side of defense, however. Steven Goff reported that first-choice right back Leonardo Jara returned to training during the week following a shoulder injury and could feature on Sunday. That would see Paul Arriola return to a more advanced role where he thrives, and Ulises Segurra could once again slide into an outside back role if Olsen chooses to return to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. 

It’s no surprise NYCFC find themselves at the bottom looking up, as they are the only team in the Eastern Conference yet to record a win. However, the fact that they’ve lost just once and played to draws on five occasions illustrates what a difficult side they can be to break down.

The previous matchup ended in a 0-0 draw in the Big Apple, with both Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid having phenomenal games between the sticks. D.C. will be looking to dictate play and take advantage of a larger field than the tight dimensions in the Bronx, something that Olsen acknowledged during the week.

“They haven’t put it all together yet, but we already saw them there. Always a strange look at them playing at Yankee Stadium. The games where you have a bigger field look a little bit different.”

Former Pep Guardiola assistant Dome Torrent continues to tinker with his team, trying to find the right formula for the Pigeons. Torrent has employed 27 different lineups in 28 games since taking over in NYC last June. Against Minnesota, Torrent also employed a three-man back line, but abandoned the setup at halftime. 

The biggest question surrounding City remains how they will replace David Villa. The Spanish striker left in the offseason, and the Bronx side did not bring in a big name replacement. In six games so far this year, Maxi Moralez, Valentin Castellanos, and Jesus Medina have all put in shifts at forward, but have largely failed to convince.

Brazilian striker Heber joined nearly three weeks into the season and could carve out an important role in the future, but he has only logged two substitute appearances up to this point. Alexander Ring and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi are the Blues’ joint top scorers with two goals apiece, but it’s been designated player Alexandru Mitrita who has been willing to take the most chances in the final third with 4.3 shots per game.

United and City have played once previously at Audi Field, with the hosts securing their playoff spot last year with a resounding 3-1 win in October. 

Predicted D.C. United XI (4-2-3-1): Bill Hamid; Ulises Segura, Donovan Pines, Steve Birnbaum, Leonardo Jara; Junior Moreno, Russell Canouse; Lucas Rodriguez, Luciano Acosta, Paul Arriola; Wayne Rooney