D.C. United are hoping to start the month of June on a high note when they host the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday in their final match before the Gold Cup break. To do so will require a strong performance against a team that has vastly improved their fortunes in recent weeks. Kickoff is set for 8 PM ET and the match will be broadcast on FloFC for DMV viewers.

United have remained at the top of the Eastern Conference through May, but they are looking to end a winless streak that has reached four games, coming off a 3-3 draw against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday. The Black-and-Red found themselves down 2-0 within the first 15 minutes, but they battled back and Luciano Acosta’s go-ahead goal in the 81st looked like it would be enough for three points. However, Fire defender Francisco Calvo stunned the Audi Field when he found an equalizer in stoppage time, a goal that PRO later said should not have counted.

A little breaking #DCU news - PRO has reached out to United and admitted that they blew a call on #CF97's final goal last night, costing United a win. Calvo had not returned from an offside position here when the ball was played in. VAR did not call for a review on the play. pic.twitter.com/Csw4ooWAiQ

— Pablo Maurer (@MLSist) May 30, 2019

Since starting the season without a point in their first four matches, the Earthquakes have put together a solid 5-2-2 record and have won three of their last four. With their recent upturn in form, Matías Almeyda’s men sit just one point behind the playoff zone in seventh place in the Western Conference.

Newly crowned MLS goal king Chris Wondolowski was at it again in their last outing, a 2-1 comeback win in Toronto thanks to his brace. The 36-year-old leads the team with six goals, while midfielder Shea Salinas has four to his name and Cristian Espinoza has been the most successful provider with six assists. Espinoza is not available for Saturday's game though, having picked up a suspension for yellow card accumulation.

The Black-and-Red are tasked with overcoming San Jose’s man-marking system that has caused problems for some of the better teams in MLS. Coach Ben Olsen noted that he’s enjoyed preparing for the unique challenge and knows it will be a tough outing against the second best team in the West since the start of April.

“It’s about duels,” Olsen told FloFC ahead of Saturday’s matchup. “If they’re going to go man-to-man all over the pitch, you have to win that individual battle over the course of the night. More times than not if you do that, you create an extra man advantage in areas of the field we want to exploit.”

Saturday’s match is the only time the sides will face each other in 2019. Their lone meeting in 2018 came in May and United picked up a 3-1 at Avaya Stadium. D.C. narrowly leads the all-time series when played in the nation’s capital at 10-9-0.

Paul Arriola is expected to return to the lineup following his two-game suspension for stomping on a Dynamo defender. Donovan Pines is close to returning from his knee injury but will not feature Saturday. Joseph Mora (broken jaw) and Akeem Ward (hamstring strain) also remain sidelined.

Predicted D.C. United XI (4-2-3-1): Bill Hamid; Marquinhos Pedroso, Steve Birnbaum, Frederic Brillant, Leonardo Jara; Junior Moreno, Russell Canouse; Lucas Rodriguez, Luciano Acosta, Paul Arriola; Wayne Rooney