Disappointing, but Not Necessarily Season-Defining 0-0 vs. Atlanta United
DC United 0-0 Atlanta United, September 12, 2026
After an uplifting and important 2-1 victory against league strugglers Columbus Crew last time out, DC came up against Atlanta needing one thing: a victory to get into those precious playoff places.
Atlanta has had a bad season. They came into the game with 22 points in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind DC and a further eight behind the playoff places. However, their recent acquisition of Swiss international and World Cup veteran Breel Embolo, alongside their recent goal-scoring form, provided signs that this would be a harder task than it appeared on paper, with DC not having beaten Atlanta United at home in MLS since 2019.
The game started promisingly, with DC United utilizing a high-pressing, gegen-pressing style system to force mistakes and punish any lapses in judgment. Baribo, who had an off game for once this season, had a huge chance that he just missed with the outside of his right foot.
But as usual, once Atlanta began to counter DC’s pressing system, DC became overly cautious and began to soak up pressure. The game became dull, with Atlanta possessing the ball without much quality from either side and lots of hopeful passing.
The second half was more of the same, with former Newcastle United winger Miguel Almirón showing flashes of quality with an unprecedented volley attempt. The game was dying for substitutions for DC, which eventually came with the additions of Jackson Hopkins, Jared Stroud, and Matti Peltola off the bench. They changed the game by adding a new dynamic to the attack, with Jackson Hopkins as a standout performer with several individual runs and bursts of pace.
Sadly, United couldn’t find an opener and missed the opportunity to get a huge three points and move into the playoff places as the game ended 0-0. Baribo’s firepower and leadership were really missing today, but the DC's defense was strong, executing numerous last-ditch tackles to hold off Atlanta's possession and attacks.
DC United’s next game will be against Charlotte FC next Saturday (September 19) at 730pm at Audi Field. Charotte is one of the top teams in MLS and undefeated in their last six matches. This will be a major test, but one that is needed to prove we are good enough to end this long playoff drought.
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