Union head south on I-95 to take on DC United

In an Eastern  Conference battle with plenty on the line, DC United will host the Philadelphia Union at RFK Stadium on Saturday.

What time? 3pm

What Channel? NBC Sports Network

Head-to-head in 2014: In the first match of the season, DC United rode the wave of an early Chris Rolfe strike to give them the 1-0 victory. The Union looked to be the far more aggressive team. But the center-back duo of Jeff Parke and Bobby Boswell helped goalkeeper Bill Hamid keep the clean sheet.

Outlook: My how things have changed . When these two teams first met in April both squads were still trying to find themselves. DC United were still looking to get themselves out of the hole of 2013, still looking for that first goal from the field of play, and still looking for some chemistry among all of their new pieces. The Philadelphia Union meanwhile were just looking for an identity after having just missed out of the playoffs the previous season and had lost their first three matches at home.

While it took Philadelphia a bit longer to find themselves, both clubs look to be two of the most fearsome teams in the Eastern Conference right now. United currently stand in first-place in the Eastern Conference (14-9-6, 48 points) and would likely wrap-up a playoff spot with three points on Saturday, while the Union have sprung to life late in the 2014 season. Under new coach Jim Curtin, the Union are undefeated in their last five league matches (3-0-2, 11 points) and currently stand just two points shy of the Columbus Crew and the fifth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The key for both of these clubs on Saturday to continue their winning ways is to limit the possessions of their opponents wing players. In the first match, the Union found a great deal of success with midfielder Vincent Nogueira taking the ball to the left flank of the pitch and forcing United left-back Cristian Fernandez. While Boswell and Parke were able to limit the touches of forward Sebastian Le Toux (twelve goals) and Conor Casey (eight goals,) Nogueira had several goal-scoring opportunities. United left-back Taylor Kemp will need to track Nogueira so as to avoid the early goal.

Keep an eye out also for Union midfielder Andrew Wenger who seems to have found himself with the Union after failing to live up to expectations with the Montreal Impact. Wenger was the number one pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, but was consistently used as a forward in Montreal. In Philadelphia, he plays in the midfield and has used his passing ability to open up space for Casey and Le Toux.

Against the United attack, Philadelphia will need to keep an eye on forward Luis Silva. Silva, who scored a hat trick last week against the Chicago Fire, has had a career year scoring ten goals. DC United coach Ben Olsen likes to play a 4-4-1-1 with Silva going right behind forward Fabian Espindola (nine goals). Winger Nick De Leon has been extremely instrumental in forcing defenders to go wide, giving Espindola space to set up a shot for himself or for Silva. If Union center-back Maurice Edu and Carlos Valdes can get Espindola out of the center of the field then they can disrupt the United attack.

Expect Union defensive midfielder Amobi Okugo to be tasked with disrupting the passing of United midfielder Perry Kitchen. Kitchen largely sets up United’s attacks and is an expert at delivering pinpoint to his target. Since Curtin switched Okugo and Edu in the starting eleven, the Union have been less susceptible to counter-attacks and made starting goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi’s life easy.

What will be interesting is how Olsen chooses to use forward Chris Pontius and Eddie Johnson. Both are coming back from injuries but looked very dangerous in Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Tauro FC. Pontius may sit out this match since he is still trying to come back from a hamstring injury. But Johnson has looked much more comfortable coming in as a substitute. He has scored four goals in his last seven league matches.

For both teams this a true test as to how far they have come since April. There are very few opportunities to prove themselves until October. Saturday’s match should be a great opportunity to showcase what they have learned.

Important stat to keep an eye on:DC United have allowed just eleven goals at home in 2014, which is the lowest in the league.