Ben Olsen faces the media in Costa Rica
TJ Scholl / DC United Comms
After a dream 2014 season reality hit D.C. United hard on Thursday night. In the club’s first match of 2015 the club was given a hard lesson that many MLS teams have learned: it is difficult to play in Central America. After a strong start to CONCACAF Champions League play, United’s world came crashing down as Alajuelense would beat 5-2 at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
From the start of the match Alajuelense clearly looked like the squad that was more in form. Given that the club has played 22 matches since their last CONCACAF Champions League match and D.C. United have played just two that should be expected. Even in the early minutes of their strategy of beating United on the outside was proving successful.
In just the third minute of the match Alajuelense would have their first goal-scoring opportunity. Midfielder Leonel Peralta would lay in a crisp cross into the box for forward Jose Ortiz. Ortiz’s header looked promising but went wide.
Alajuelense would capitalize on a poor decision by goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra in the 15th minute. Dykstra would drag down forward Armando Alonso in the box drawing the penalty. Although he would avoid the red card he could not catch up to midfielder’s Ariel Rodriguez penalty.
United would be given no relief in Costa Rica as Alajuelense would score just 7 minutes later on a strike by Ortiz. The forward moved past United center-backs Bobby Boswell and Steve Birnbaum without any hesitation and hit a low shot just past Dykstra to give Alajuelense the 2-0 advantage.
But all hope was not lost as United would strike back. In the 22nd minute, Dykstra would atone for his early mistake by hotting a rocket of a goal kick to Chris Pontius on the Alajuelense defensive half. Pontius would then head the ball into space where a surging Fabian Espindola laid waiting. Espindola would place his header over goalkeeper David Lewis to cut Alajuelense’s lead in half.
Although Espindola’s goal would provide some respite for the United supporters who traveled to Costa Rica for the match, it would not be long before Alajuelense would strike again. Just three minutes later, Alajuelense midfielder Jonathan McDonalad would hit a cross into the box that Dykstra would initially save. However he would lose the ball in dangerous territory to Alajuelense midfielder Johan Venegas. Venegas would lay the simple tap in to the United net.
The second half would get much worse for United. Although the club did look a bit more composed in the second half, they were largely shut out of the center of the pitch thanks to the resilient defending of the Alajuelense midfielders. Resigned to the periphery of the pitch, United were unable to string together simple passes and never really gained any momentum. Ortiz would score again in the 57th minute on a strike 17 yards away from goal.
United would close the gap in the 88th minute when Birnbaum would home a cross taken by Espindola. But Alajuelense showed why they are such a difficult team to beat at home, scoring just 30 seconds later off of a poor clear by Birnbaum. McDonald would score the fifth and decisive goal for Alajuelense sending their supporters home happy.
Assuming that the MLS players do not go on strike, the clubs will meet up for the second leg of this series next Wednesday night at 8pm Eastern on Fox Sports 2 and Univision Deportes. Although D.C. United will have the home-field advantage at RFK Stadium, they will need to score 3 goals and hope that they can shut out Alajuelense.
DCU Lineup: Andrew Dykstra; Sean Franklin, Steven Birnbaum, Bobby Boswell, Taylor Kemp; Nick DeLeon, Davy Arnaud (Michael Farfan 81’), Perry Kitchen, Chris Rolfe (Miguel Aguilar 71’); Fabián Espíndola, Chris Pontius (Jairo Arrieta 57’)
CONCACAF Champions League
DC United
