After weeks of waiting, D.C. United finally had their full lineup together and match fit on Saturday night. If their 2-0 victory over Columbus Crew SC on Saturday night was any indication of what this team might be capable of, then the rest of the Eastern Conference should be worried.
Against a Crew SC side that is second in the league in goals scored and has allowed only 8 goals, United completely dominated the match. Early goals by Fabian Espindola and Sean Franklin gave United the 2-0 advantage. But it was the stifling defense unleashed by the United back four and the midfield that put this game out of reach.
With United celebrating their best start inclub history after eight games (5-1-2, 17 points) let’s look at tonight’s player ratings:
Goalkeeper Bill Hamid 8- Had a relatively quiet night but was effective when called upon. Made an excellent punch save in the 80th minute Looked to be fully healed from thigh contusion and a bit happy with his new three-year contract extension.
Defender Chris Korb 7.5- Paired up nicely with Perry Kitchen to limit Crew SC’s Ethan Finlay in the match. Was at times a little too liberal in giving the Crew space on the flank but made up for it by making several quality tackles.
Defender Kofi Opare 9-Best performance since coming to United. Used size and strength to mitigate crosses and in-swingers. Also helped keep Crew SC midfielder Federico Higuain out of the box and away from any real goal0scoring opportunities.
Defender Bobby Boswell 7- Worked well with Opare to limit the space that Crew SC had to work with in the center of the pitch. His patience with his passing from the back-line helped United dictate the tempo of the match and slow down a very quick and aggressive Crew SC attack.
Defender Sean Franklin 8- The goal was nice but it was his ability to go back on defense and hold back the Crew SC counter-attack that proved vital in this match. Not every team can hold down Crew SC Justin Meram. Franklin did tonight.
Midfielder Chris Pontius 7- Forced the Crew SC midfielders to go wide which gave Espindola and Silva the space to create magic on the inside. Is not the same goal-scoring threat that he once was but showed his worth tonight with his precision passes and crosses.
Midfielder Perry Kitchen 7.5- Was asked to revert back to more of a defensive midfielder in this match to limit Higuain and Finlay’s influence in the match. The move paid off with Kitchen making several strong challenges to end threats and helped hold the 2-0 lead. Will be interesting to see as the season goes on how Kitchen adapts to having responsibilities on both ends of the pitch.
Midfielder Davy Arnaud 6.5- Was caught flat-footed on Crew SC’s Kei Kamara in the 36th minute. At times seemed to be one to two steps behind the passes of his teammates which led to several fairly easy interceptions by Crew SC. That is not to say that he had a bad match. But against the other starting Xi for United, Arnaud’s effort was a bit lower than the rest.
Midfielder Nick De Leon 6– Had an excellent opportunity on goal in the ninth minute that was just a bit over the bar. Struggled to connect with his teammates on passes early on, but seemed to improve as the match went on. Still seems to be trying to find his rhythm after missing a few matches due to injury.
Forward Chris Rolfe 8.5- Gave Crew SC fits with his passing and pace. Made an excellent pass into Espindola for United’s first goal and intercepted several passes between the Crew SC defenders. May not be the player that everyone wants lining up with Espindola, but the results merit him being in the spot.
Forward Fabian Espindola 9.5- A near-perfect match. His goal in the 14th minute gave United the confidence early on to continue to press. Laid an excellent corner kick in for Franklin on the second goal. Espindola’s pace and energy in just two matches has galvanized a stagnant United attack. The one knock was the bad yellow card late in the match.
Substitutes
Midfielder Michael Farfan 7- Gave United exactly what they needed in the second-half: a midfielder who can track counter-attacks and hit passes to open attackers. Was not called upon much but was effective when needed.
Forward Luis Silva 7- Brought energy off of the bench and fed Espindola a great pass in the box in the 75th minute. Appeared to have a penalty kick opportunity taken away late.
Forward Miguel Aguilar N.A- Came on late and did not factor prominently in the match.
