MONTEGO BAY UNITED vs. D.C. UNITED
2015-16 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
September 22 | 8 pm ET | Montego Bay Sports Complex
TV: Fox Soccer Plus, Sportsnet World
Having already qualified for the knockout round, D.C. United face Jamaican side Montego Bay United tonight in their final CONCACAF Champions League group stage match. Sitting pretty atop Group H after their 2-0 victory over Arabe Unido, Tuesday evening’s match against Montego has been rendered meaningful only for seeding purposes.
MEANINGFUL MINUTES: This is actually the second consecutive year that United will enter their final CCL group stage match with little to play for other than seeding. But don’t call this match meaningless – D.C.’s CCL run has proven valuable to their reserves. Outside of a handful of first-teamers – players like Chris Pontius, Steve Birnbaum and Jairo Arrieta – United have used few starters while breezing through group play.
If D.C. do manage to claim that top seed, they’ll hope it does them more good than it did last year, when the first-seeded Black-and-Red were dismantled by eighth-seeded Costa Rican side Alajuelense in the quarterfinals.
RELATIVE UNKNOWNS: Montego Bay were pegged as group minnows from the start and didn’t turn many heads in their first three matches, getting comprehensively beatem by both Arabe Unido and D.C. Entering group play before having played a single league match in their domestic league, Montego suffered from some of the rust many MLS sides face in the tournament’s quarterfinals, when they take the pitch in preseason form.
The Jamaicans – now led by former Tampa Bay Mutiny and Colorado Rapids coach Tim Hankinson – are a scrappy bunch who will likely be eager to save face tonight in front of their home crowd.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
CONOR DOYLE, D.C. UNITED: D.C.’s regular starting XI won’t be the only ones getting the night off tonight; United head coach Ben Olsen remained in D.C. with the first team this week, preparing for his side’s crucial Eastern Conference showdown with the Montreal Impact on Saturday. Assistant Chad Ashton will take the reins in Jamaica, just as he did during United’s group stage finale last year.
Look for Doyle and Arrieta to lead United’s attack. Doyle has carved out a nice spot for himself in CCL play, bagging a pair of goals in the group stage.
JERMAINE WOOZENCROFT, MONTEGO BAY UNITED: Just two games into their league campaign, Hankinson is still getting a read on a largely re-shaped squad. Midfielder Jermaine Woozencroft showed well in Montego’s first match against D.C. and found himself on the scoresheet during Montego’s 3-0 drubbing of fellow premier league competitors UWI. Dino Williams – an occasional contributor to Jamaica’s national team – has also looked good.
