D.C. United seeking home-field advantage

D.C. United’s success the past three months has occurred almost exclusively at Audi Field, leaving questions about the surging club’s capacity to win on the road this weekend (with home-field advantage in the playoffs at stake) and ultimately in the postseason. United is 1-9-6 away, the only victory coming at San Jose in May. Most of those trips, though, came before the summer roster upgrade and during an arduous stretch of road matches ahead of Audi Field’s debut. “Part of this run is being at home,” coach Ben Olsen said Wednesday, “but we’re a different team in so many ways than we were on that long road trip, both mentally and with personnel.” Before Wayne Rooney arrived and Bill Hamid resigned, before Luciano Acosta took flight and key starters recovered from injury, United played 12 of its first 14 matches on the road. The Audi Field opener in mid-July marked the start of 15 home dates over 19 matches. With a victory at Chicago, United (14-11-8) would secure a home game in the first round of the playoffs, next Wednesday or Thursday. A draw might do the trick as well, but a defeat would send D.C. to NYCFC or Philadelphia. of quarters, along with other rule modifications. COLLEGE WRESTLING: Maryland wrestling head coach Kerry McCoy announced the cancellation of the program’s annual Red-Black Wrestle-Off’s as members of the program will be attending the viewing services for the grandfather and mother of senior Youssif Hemida. The event was originally scheduled for today. There are no plans to reschedule the event at this time. “Words cannot express the heartbreak we are feeling for Youssif and the entire Hemida family,” McCoy said. “At the moment, the priority for our program is supporting Youssif during this difficult time.” MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Coppin State will hold its First Annual Suits and Sneakers TipOff Breakfast Reception on Nov. 2 at the Skyline Lounge in downtown Baltimore from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The reception will be to celebrate and support coach Juan Dixon and the men’s basketball team. Among the guests in attendance will be former Maryland coach Gary Williams, who led Dixon and the Terps to the 2002 NCAA championship. Guest tickets and sponsorships to the event are still available and people can register at bit.ly/2NTCi9R. For questions, contact CoppinEvents@coppin.edu HORSE RACING: Happy Like a Fool, Chalon and Order and Law, all stakes winners in Maryland this year, were among a record 221 horses preentered for the 35th Breeders’ Cup Nov. 2 and 3 at Churchill Downs. Wednesday’s announcement also included Bravazo, runner-up to Triple Crown champion Justify in the Preakness Stakes (G1) May 19 at Pimlico Race Course, pre-entered in both the $6 million Classic (G1) and $1 million Dirt Mile (G1); and Grade 1 winners Glorious Empire and Divisidero, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton. —