Tai Baribo is back in form and the D.C. United forward will look to add to his goal total during Saturday night’s home match against Atlanta United.
Baribo recently missed time due to a knee injury but he excelled in his first game back from the ailment. He scored goals in the 24th and 38th minutes as D.C. United posted a 2-1 home victory over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.
Baribo has 14 goals in 18 matches and is tied for third in that category in MLS. His career high of 16 goals in MLS play came last season when he played for the Philadelphia Union.
“He feels it, how he has to move in the box and that he’s a finisher,” D.C. United coach Rene Weiler said of Baribo. “He’s a real scorer. … It’s important that everybody knows that when Tai is on the field, we have someone who is able to score the goals.”
The 28-year-old Israeli has scored nearly half of D.C. United’s 30 goals.
Still, D.C. United (6-7-10, 28 points) sit in 11th place in the tightly bunched Eastern Conference. However, the club is just three points behind the teams tied for sixth-most points (Orlando City and FC Cincinnati).
Atlanta United (6-14-4, 22 points) are in 14th place in the East after going 0-2-1 over their past three matches. The slump came after the Five Stripes rattled off three straight victories.
“We don’t have a lot of time to look for results,” Atlanta United coach Tata Martino said through an interpreter. “We know that the games are running out.”
Atlanta United lost 3-2 against visiting Orlando City on Wednesday and both of Atlanta’s tallies were own goals knocked in by the Lions.
“It’s a little bit frustrating because I didn’t expect us to have a game like this,” Martino said. “Orlando was superior for a good 70 to 75 minutes of the match.”
Midfielder Alexey Miranchuk leads Atlanta United with five goals.
In the first meeting this season, the clubs played to a scoreless tie on March 21 at Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
