Slow start overshadows strong ending for D.C. United

It wasn’t just the humidity that was causing D.C. United to supporters to sweat on Saturday night. After surrendering an early goal to the Philadelphia Union, it appeared that the club’s seventeen game home unbeaten streak was done. But like so many matches this season United finished the second half strong and pulled off yet another late winner. Thanks to a late penalty kick goal by Chris Rolfe, United extended their home unbeaten run to eighteen games and a five point cushion for first place in the Eastern Conference.

To put Saturday night’s result in to perspective: United has put earned 13 points (4-0-1) this after being behind at some point during a match this season. “Bad starts, that’s part of it right?re” said D.C. United coach Ben Olsen. “But there’s a lot of courage in that group. They aren’t shy of challenges and they will more times than not rise to the occasion.”

While the late-game heroics make for a great story, for United there is also some pause for concern. In each of those matches D.C. United would have to come back from an early goal, a position that is not always the easiest to overturn.

If there is one particular problem that seems to plague the squad early in matches it is defensive miscues. It happened once again in the fifth minute at RFK Stadium on Saturday night when Union forward Andrew Wenger would intercept a pass in the United defense. Wenger would then use the inside of his left foot to find forward Sebastian Le Toux in space on the right flank. Le Toux’s shot would not be saved by United goalkeeper Bill Hamied and the Union would take the 1-0 advantage.

“You know we started off pretty slow,” said D.C. United center-back Steve Birnbaum. “First half wasn’t really what we wanted, You know we wanted to come out on a strong foot and kind of put them under pressure and it was kind of the opposite.”

Things almost got worse before they got better for United. The Union, buoyed by the early score and a two-game winning streak, used the passing of Le Toux and the pace of Fernando Aristeguieta to continue to find little holes inside the center of the United defense. The movement by Le Toux and Aristeguieta freed up Wenger to hit a cracker from twelve yards out in the 36th minute. His shot hit the cross-bar and was cleared away from danger.

It might have appeared that the Union had United’s number. But as has happened in so many matches this season for D.C. United, the club played its best when it was cornered. Once again, the play of their wingers would helped boost the sagging United attack. Just before half-time, United left-back Taylor Kemp would deftly deliver a cross into the Union box where forward Chris Pontius would finish off the chance. The goal was Pontius’ second of the 2015 campaign.

” Taylor has one of the best left foots in the league so any time he gets time to serve we look to whip balls in, and thank God it came before half and we had time to regroup,” said Pontius.

Luck would once again prove to be United’s favor in the second-half when Union midfielder Zach Pfeffer would be called for a handball in the penalty box. On the ensuing kick, Rolfe would hit a low shot past Union goalkeeper to give United the 2-1 advantage. What is most interesting about the timing and the players involved with this series of plays was that it was Pfeffer who would score the game-winning goal in injury time for the Union against United just two weeks prior.

Despite getting the victory the concern over how United starts matches still lingers. “Yeah, absolutely it’s concerning,” said Olsen. “You have to think about this game all week, or however many days you have after your last game. You have to switch on, and you have to prepare for these games. That starts at the whistle, and that means you’re bringing everything you got.”