DC United vs Columbus Crew match preview: date, venue & key points
The next DC United match in the 2026 Major League Soccer season sees them host Columbus Crew at Audi Field in Washington. This Eastern Conference clash is scheduled for 9 September 2026, with kick-off at 23:30 UTC, and comes at a crucial point in the regular season as both sides try to climb the conference standings. This DC United vs Columbus Crew preview looks at form, standings, head to head and the latest team news before kick-off.
DC United sit just ahead of Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference table, but both clubs are under pressure after inconsistent runs. With only two points separating them and the regular season entering its later rounds, this meeting at Audi Field could have a significant impact on their respective playoff pushes. Fans searching for when DC United play next will have this home date firmly circled.
Match details: date, kick-off & venue
- Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 24
- Date / Kick-off: 2026-09-09, 23:30 UTC
- Venue: Audi Field, Washington
- Status: Not Started (Fixture has not started yet)
Standings & form
In the 2026 Major League Soccer Eastern Conference standings, DC United are currently 12th with 25 points from 22 matches (5 wins, 10 draws, 7 losses). They have scored 28 goals and conceded 36, for a goal difference of -8. Their recent league form reads DLLDD, underlining a run of five games without a win. At Audi Field, DC United have played 11 times, recording 3 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats, with 15 goals scored and 22 conceded.
Columbus Crew come into this game in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, just behind DC United, with 23 points from 23 matches (6 wins, 5 draws, 12 losses). They have scored 34 goals and conceded 39, giving them a goal difference of -5. Their current form string is WLLLL, showing one win followed by four straight defeats. Away from home, Columbus have struggled: in 11 away fixtures they have 1 win, 3 draws and 7 losses, scoring 17 and conceding 25.
From a broader statistical view, DC United have kept 5 clean sheets this season and have failed to score 7 times, while Columbus Crew have managed 4 clean sheets and failed to score in 3 matches. DC United have been clinical from the spot, converting 4 out of 4 penalties, whereas Columbus have scored 3 of their 4 penalties. Both sides tend to line up most often in a 4-4-2 shape, with DC United using it 19 times and Columbus 17 times so far.
Head-to-head
- 2025-07-19: Columbus Crew 2–1 DC United (Major League Soccer)
- 2025-03-29: DC United 1–2 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
- 2024-09-28: DC United 2–2 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
- 2024-04-06: Columbus Crew 1–1 DC United (Major League Soccer)
- 2023-04-08: DC United 0–2 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
- 2023-03-05: Columbus Crew 2–0 DC United (Major League Soccer)
- 2022-07-14: DC United 2–2 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
- 2022-04-30: Columbus Crew 3–0 DC United (Major League Soccer)
- 2021-10-31: DC United 1–3 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer)
- 2021-08-04: Columbus Crew 2–4 DC United (Major League Soccer)
The recent head to head record tilts towards Columbus Crew, who have won multiple fixtures both home and away in this sequence. DC United’s standout result in this run was a 4–2 away victory on 2021-08-04, but more recent meetings have often seen Columbus take the points, including a 2–1 home win in July 2025 and a 2–1 success at Audi Field in March 2025. Draws have also featured, with 2–2 and 1–1 results in 2024 and another 2–2 in 2022.
Team news & absences
For DC United, forward G. Segal is listed as Missing Fixture with a leg injury. Defender K. Rowles is Questionable due to a thigh injury, so his availability will need to be assessed closer to kick-off.
Columbus Crew have several concerns of their own. W. Abou Ali (knee injury), S. Bangoura (ankle injury) and R. Camacho (foot injury) are all marked as Missing Fixture. In addition, J. Thiare is listed as Questionable with a leg injury, which could further limit their attacking and squad options.
Key players to watch
- Tai Baribo (DC United) — 12 goals in the 2026 Major League Soccer season, making him a major goal threat for the hosts.
Prediction
The DC United vs Columbus Crew prediction models lean slightly towards the visitors avoiding defeat. The algorithm’s advice is a “Double chance: draw or Columbus Crew”, with the percentages set at 10% home win, 45% draw and 45% away win. That reflects Columbus Crew’s strong recent head to head record against DC United, even though their current away form and recent run of league results have been poor. A tight, low-margin contest at Audi Field looks likely, with the data suggesting Columbus have a slight edge in securing at least a point.
