Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
D.C. United head coach Rene Weiler believes the absence of “decisive starters” and “too many mistakes” have contributed to his side’s poor form.
D.C. have lost their last two games in MLS, following up a 3-0 defeat to the New England Revolution with a 3-1 loss at Charlotte FC.
Defender Kye Rowles missed both games with a thigh injury, while Joao Peglow was sidelined against New England before returning to face Charlotte, against whom he recorded an assist.
D.C. have only won one of their last eight MLS games, but those six of those were draws, as they sit 11th in the Eastern Conference ahead of their clash with Los Angeles FC.
Weiler claims he anticipated their recent struggles, while admitting there is still plenty they can do to turn things around.
“I already knew it before, and I know it now, that it would be complicated when we don’t have all our starters on board,” said Weiler.
“We are missing some decisive starters. It’s a fine line and we are unfortunately closer to defeats than to victories.
“That is a fact we have to accept, and of course we have to try and change it.
“We are also making too many mistakes. We are not finding the right decisions. We are not efficient enough, and we want to make that better in the next game.”
— D.C. United (@dcunited) August 26, 2026
Although LAFC are third in the West, they have also struggled since the brief Leagues Cup break.
A 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers last time out means LAFC are winless in three MLS games (L2), following back-to-back 1-0 losses against San Diego FC and the Colorado Rapids.
Romanian attacker Munteanu scored his sixth goal for D.C. United this season against Charlotte last time out.
The only other Romanian player to score more than five goals in an MLS season is Alexandru Mitrita, who had 12 goals with New York City FC in 2019.
Bouanga recorded his 108th regular-season goal contribution since joining MLS in 2022 during LAFC’s draw with Portland.
The only MLS players to have more in the regular season during that time are Hany Mukhtar (120) and Lionel Messi (112).
MATCH PREDICTION – LOS ANGELES FC WIN
Los Angeles FC have won two of their first three meetings (D1) against D.C. United, with LAFC’s lone road visit being a 4-0 victory in April 2019.
That is tied for the second-largest margin of victory in a road MLS match in LAFC history, behind only a 5–0 win at San Jose, which came a week before their win at D.C.
However, after scoring 10 goals in their first three regular-season games out of the World Cup break, LAFC have scored just two goals in their last four MLS matches.
It’s the sixth time in club history LAFC have failed to score more than one goal in four consecutive MLS matches, but the club has never done so in five straight.
D.C. are playing host to a Californian MLS team for the first time since a 0–0 draw with the Earthquakes in 2023. They are unbeaten in their last four matches (W2 D2) at home against teams from the Golden State, with just two losses (W7 D5) in their last 14 meetings.
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