Reviewing the data with a bird eye's view, Philadelphia Union seems to be the favored horse here. An admirer of fine soccer might even say they've got some razzle-dazzle in their boots, boasting a solid lineup with the likes of Dániel Gazdag, Kai Wagner, and Quinn Sullivan. Gazdag, in particular, has been pretty nifty with the ball, scoring once and maintaining an accurate pass percentage of 74%.
On the opposite side, DC United is putting up a decent fight, with João Peglow, Aaron Herrera, and Christian Benteke leading the charge. Peglow's been slapping the back of the net with 2 goals to his name, and Benteke, despite only hitting about 52% of his passes, has also knocked two home.
In the keeper's zone, Andre Blake from Philadelphia is doing a fine job with a 7.07 rating and 7 saves. DC United’s sure-handed Luis Barraza (7.40 rating, 5 saves) and Jun-hong Kim (6.90 rating, 9 saves) can't be sneezed at either though.
The ghosts of matchups past tell us that Philadelphia often has the upper hand. Just last year, they smacked DC United with a 4-0 win, and they've only tied once in the past four encounters.
Taking a gander at the recent regular season records, we see Philadelphia boasts more victories, tallying up 5 wins compared to DC United's 2. Their recent performance has been a bit of a mixed bag, but they still managed to blank Atlanta United FC in their latest outing.
Admittedly, DC United has not had their oats recently, with a rather dismal display showcasing four losses in their last five outings. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as they recently pipped New York Red Bulls at the post with a 2-1 win.
So, after a thorough examination, critique, and the occasional snide comment, my early onset presbyopia and I will herald this verdict:
Albert’s Prediction: Philadelphia Union by 2
