D.C. United kicks off their preseason matches today! at 3:30 against IF Elfsborg, who placed fourth in the Allsvensken last season. It has been 81 days since United's last match, and the team is now deep into the process of figuring out who will make the 28 man roster for this season.

35 players are currently on the preseason roster, with some (Steve Birnbaum, Bill Hamid, Markus Halsti) yet to arrive. And with Dave Kasper and Jason Levien overseas actively looking for more players to add to the roster, the players in camp, including those currently under contract, will have to show their best to keep their roster spots.

Date/time: January 29, 2025 at 3:30 PM Eastern

Venue: IMG Academy, Bradenton, FL

Lineup prediction: There is really no way to know this early in the preseason, and the substitutions will come fast and often. Last season, Ben Olsen started mainly the players who were expected to be first choice in his first preseason game, so I'll go with the same thoughts: Andrew Dykstra in goal, with Sean Franklin, Bobby Boswell, Kofi Opare, and Taylor Kemp in front of him; Patrick Nyarko, Nick DeLeon, Kevan George, and Lamar Neagle will start in midfield, with Fabian Espindola and Chris Rolfe up top. At halftime, expect the entire lineup to change.

Streaming: The game is being streamed on IMG Academy TV, IMG's personal streaming platform. Unfortunately, it does cost money to watch the games: $5.99 for a one day pass, and $14.99 for a month-long pass. If you're so much of a junkie that you are interested in watching all three games, the month-long pass looks like it will save you a little money.

What are you drinking? Since it is still during the day, I will probably go back to my favorite daytime drink: White peony tea. It has a very light and earthy flavor that I like, while still being able to drink multiple cups of it per day.

As always, this is your place for pre-game, in-game, and post-game talk.