D.C. United fans received some bad news last night, with Steve Goff reporting that Joseph Mora would not be returning to the team in early May as originally was thought; instead, he will miss “much more time.” Mora’s speed and defensive ability was one of key components that allowed the 4-2-3-1 in which the team started the year to work: the team and players trusted him to perform well and recover quickly, which allowed the central midfielders to clog the middle.
In the game again Los Angeles FC, for example, the two central midfielders were constantly being pulled all over the field, as opposed to their usual tight band of positioning, and in the games against Montreal Impact and Orlando City the defense felt a little more fragile than previously.