It almost seems to be a yearly occurrence for D.C. United. Every season it seems as if the club has to go on the road for a match with a depleted roster and somehow the club always ends up with at least a point. Last season it was two wins against Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City. This season it was a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution.
Prior to game it was announced that Nick De Leon, Steve Birnbaum, Patrick Nyarko, Luciano Acosta, and Taylor Kemp would all be out due to injuries or, in the case of Kemp illness. Those issues coupled with the loss of Patrick Mullins and Rob Vincent left Olsen with minimal options to turn to. Kofi Opare, Lamar Neagle, and Maim Tissot all earned their first starts of the season while Jared Jeffrey took over for Nyarko.
Early on it appeared that the Revolution would have little trouble with D.C. Kei Kamara busted through the United defense early and help set up Lee Nguyen in just the sixth minute. The Revolution focused their efforts early on at destabilizing the patchwork United defense which saw Kofi Opare and Maxim Tissot making their first starts of the season.
But United fought back. In the 26th minute Jared Jeffrey, a replacement for Luciano Acosta delivered a strike from just on the edge of the eighteen yard box to even the score at one. The goal was precipitated by defensive error from Kamara who failed to clear United’s previous attacking chance.
D.C. would seize on another opportunity just minutes later. Midfielder Ian Harkes sent a pass out to Loyd Sam whose right-footed effort into space found Sebastian Le Toux. Le Toux, who signed with the club in the offseason from the Colorado Rapids, would flick his shot over Revolution goalkeeper Cody Cropper to give United the 2-1 advantage.
“Yeah, I saw him come out,” said Le Toux on whether or not he saw Cropper come out of his box. “Lloyd [Sam] brings the perfect ball and it was great timing so luckily the keeper didn’t come as fast as he could have and I just chipped it. I was lucky and it went in so I’ll take the goal but yeah, saw it coming so that’s why I just chipped it.”
Although D.C. would give up an own goal in the second half United coach Ben Olsen was pleased with his squad’s effort. “It’s more about a group of guys that gave everything for each other out there to get something out of this game. Kofi [Opare], Sebastien [Le Toux], Lamar [Neagle], Max Tissot, got their first real minutes this year,” said Olsen. “With that many changes and a new midfield formation…it was an overall pretty good performance.”
DC United
NE Revolution
