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Opponent watch: A tale of two teams

Dwayne De Rosario D.C. United vs Philadelphia Union

It’s no secret to Impact supporters that their team has been climbing the standings ladder of late.


Only a short little while ago, the Impact was second from the bottom of the table in the Eastern Conference. However, with five victories out of its last six games, including four wins in a row, the Impact finds itself just a single point out of the last playoff spot, currently being held by its next opponents, D.C. United.


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The black and red was sitting comfortably in first place in early July in the Eastern Conference, but they come to town on Saturday with just one win in its last five games played, going 1-3-1 overall.


A reason for this: difficulty scoring goals. Over this tough stretch, D.C. has managed just three goals scored in five games, with none of those games having more than one goal scored for United, including its only win, a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew earlier this month.


MLS 2011 MVP and Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario has not scored since May and Designated Player Hamdi Salihi has not found the back of the net since June 30 in its 3-0 versus the Impact.


The team’s inability to score has prompted management to make a trade for Colombian Lionard Pajoy, acquiring the striker form Philadelphia Union last week.


The Impact’s offence, on the other hand, has been firing on all cylinders, having scored nine goals over its four-game winning streak, including 3-1 victories over Conference leading New York Red Bulls (Eastern) and most recently, the San Jose Earthquakes (Western). Also, the team has allowed only three goals over that span.


If trends continue, despite D.C. having a few games in hand, the Impact can make up some serious ground by making it five in a row on Saturday at Stade Saputo.


Tous au Stade!