Here are three things to watch in the matchup, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m.The Crew are 3-0-0 at home with 12 goals scored and one conceded. On the road, they're 0-2-1 and have scored three goals while conceding seven. It's not uncommon for teams in MLS to play much better at home than they do on the road, but one of Nancy's tenets is an expectation that the Crew approach every game the same way, regardless of venue or opponent. So far, that hasn't happened.
Playing three of their first four games on the road, while learning to work with a new coach and a new style of play, added an additional layer of difficulty to the Crew's early slate of games. But they've found their stride at home over the past two weeks, so Saturday's game will test if they can bring that same level of play to Audi Field.
Per FBref, D.C. is third in the league in touches in the attacking penalty area with 151. They're also the best team in MLS in the air, winning 63% of their aerial duels, while the Crew have won just 46.9%. In the first meeting, D.C. won 16 of the 23 aerial duels. "We scored four goals, but I was really, really proud of the fourth one," Nancy said."... What I like is, and I’ve said it since the beginning, is the only way to go far is be together and to get this 'We, not me' that we call it. The fourth goal, I was really happy because Jacen made a tackle. As a forward, he won the ball. Because he won the ball, we were able to score the fourth goal.