D.C. United takes on Columbus Crew SC in the final matchup of the regular season on Sunday, and there is still drama despite the fact that both teams have clinched the playoffs. United can end up anywhere between second and fourth place in the Eastern Conference, so a win is still important for them; Crew SC can end up anywhere between second and fifth, so they will be intent at avoiding the first round.
Ben Olsen has made two primary changes to his lineup during this two game winning streak, the first being the most obvious: he has put Alvaro Saborio in the super-sub role and moved Chris Rolfe up with Fabian Espindola. The other change has been that Rolfe's replacement on the left wing has not been Chris Pontius in the position he has played most for United: it has been Nick DeLeon on the left, with Pontius on the right.
And it is a change that makes sense: DeLeon and Taylor Kemp make a better partnership, with DeLeon able to help support Kemp on the defensive end. Sean Franklin does not need as much help, so pairing him with Pontius makes sense as well as it allows Pontius to not have to worry quite as much about his defensive responsibilities.
And the payoffs have been obvious as well: Chris Pontius had his two best games in over a year in the past two games, and Taylor Kemp has been playing at a noticeably higher level as well. This game against Columbus Crew SC, another playoff team, will provide another good test for this team as it builds into the playoffs.
With this lineup, the bench would be Andrew Dykstra, Steve Birnbaum, Luke Mishu, Conor Doyle, Alvaro Saborio, Jairo Arrieta, and Michael Farfan. What do you want to see happen on Sunday?