D.C. United head coach Troy Lesesne insisted his players must be "ready to fight" to halt their winless streak ahead of their meeting with Nashville SC this weekend.
The Black-and-Red were beaten 5-0 by Orlando City last time out, extending their losing run to 11 MLS matches, which leaves them rooted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference table.
D.C.’s last triumph came back in May against Atlanta United courtesy of Christian Benteke’s hat-trick.
Lesesne said his players will regroup once again, going on to explain that no one will feel sorry for his side during their baron spell of results.
“We’re in a tough spot right now, there is no doubt about it,” Lesesne said. “I think the last eight matches, there’s got to be more from us to get us out of this spot and be able to get us into a winning position.
“We have a lot of work to do and there are many things that we have to address.
“Nashville are a team that are going to be another challenge and we have to, right now, regroup in a big way.
“We have to understand that no one is going to feel sorry for us and we have got to get ready to fight.”
Nashville also find themselves enduring a losing streak of their own.
The Coyotes are without a win in their last three MLS fixtures as they were comfortably beaten 4-1 by Portland Timbers in their most recent league encounter.
The Timbers found themselves four goals to the good in just 29 minutes at Providence Park, marking the fifth time that they had conceded four goals in a match this season.
Nashville’s defeat leaves them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. In a battle between two of the division’s out of form sides, a win for either will be crucial to get their respective campaigns back on track.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
With D.C. experiencing a difficult spell, the goals and experience of Christian Benteke will be pivotal in achieving a long-awaited victory.
Benteke is the Black-and-Reds’ top scorer with 14 goals in 19 appearances this season, equalling his best tally for the club (14 goals in 2023) in 22 fewer outings.
Nashville are one of only eight teams the Belgian is yet to score against since his move to the MLS in 2022, and he will be keen to add to his tally this weekend.
Nashville SC – Sam Surridge
Sam Surridge scored Nashville’s only goal against Portland Timbers last time out, ending a run of two games without a goal following his brace against Toronto FC.
Surridge is the club’s top scorer this season with 10 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions, and without the attacking threat of Jacob Shaffelburg, he will be key in the attacking areas for Nashville.
MATCH PREDICITION: NASHVILLE WIN
Nashville come into the contest with D.C. United unbeaten in their previous six encounters (W4 D2). But they will be hopeful of ending their winless run at Audi Field, with both of those draws coming at the home of the Black-and-Red.
The Coyotes, however, are enduring a winless streak of their own. They have lost three consecutive league matches, allowing eight goals in those games. Nashville had lost only two of its previous 11 league games (W5 D4), conceding just seven total times in that span.
D.C. United’s winless run reached 11 matches (D3 L8) following their defeat at Orlando City on Saturday. This is the longest winless run in MLS this season and D.C.’s third-longest in a single regular season (12 and straight, both in 2013).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
D.C. United – 32.7%
Draw – 25.5%
Nashville SC – 41.8%
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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