Photo Credit: Isadora Vasconcelos
Twelve games, twenty-eight goals. Prior to July of this year, D.C. United was not exactly known in recent years for their scoring prowess. But as evidenced by Wednesday night in RFK Stadium this is a very different D.C. United side. Thanks to three late goals United bested their Eastern Conference rivals Columbus Crew SC by the score of 3-0.
Lloyd Sam opened up the scoring for United in the 71st minute. He was later joined by Lamar Neagle (85′) and Alvaro Saborio (90′) to help give United their first back-to-back wins of the 2016 MLS season.
Considering the conditions at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night it is a bit surprising that any goals were scored. With four to six inches of rain expected over the next twenty-four hours both ides seemed to be prepared for a long, drawn out fight on the ground. For the better part of the first forty-five minutes both sides opted for short slow passes over quick strikes.
Faced with the prospect of being virtually eliminated from the playoffs, Columbus fought early to gain the advantage. In the 22nd minute midfielder Harrison Afful hit a bullet from distance that forced United goalkeeper Bill Hamid to make the last-minute save.
Columbus would attempt to strike again just three minutes later when midfielder Justin Meram’s cross looked dangerous inside the United box. But once again Hamid would dash the hopes of Crew supporters looking to continue their late run up the MLS Eastern Conference standings.
United’s attack was stymied early in part due to Crew SC clogging the middle of the pitch. Without space to move, midfielder Luciano Acosta struggled to connect with forward Patrick Mullins up top. Mullins, who had scored in three consecutive matches entering into this match, had his best opportunity in the 31st minute when his angled header appeared to be too much for the Crew SC defense. But credit to Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark for making the kick save to keep the match level at 0-0.
In the second half, Acosta would finally breakthrough the stout Columbus defense setting up a give and go with Patrick Nyarko. Nyarko would hit it back to Acosta who find Sam all alone with just Clark to beat. Sam’s goal was his third goal of the season and second with United.
Despite waiting a bit late to make his substitutions, United coach Ben Olsen’s decision to bring in Neagle, Saborio, and Julian Buscher would prove that the adage of better late than never is very true. In the 86th minute Buscher linked up with Nyarko to find Neagle in open space down the right flank. Neagle would knock home his sixth goal of the season to put D.C. up 2-0.
Saborio would cap off a frenetic final twenty minutes with his fourth goal of the season and his first since United’s 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls.
Although D.C. (9-9-13, 40 points) were unable to gain any ground on the Montreal Impact (who defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 tonight) in between themselves, Orlando City SC (7-10-14, 35 points), and the New England Revolution (9-13-9, 36 points). United will travel north of the border on Saturday to face Toronto FC (7PM EST NewsChannel 8, MLS Live).
For Columbus (7-12-11, 32 points) the loss all but ensures that the will miss out on the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in three seasons. They head home on Saturday and host the Chicago Fire (7:30pm MLS Live).
MATCH SUMMARY
D.C. United- Bill Hamid, Taylor Kemp, Bobby Boswell, Steve Birnbaum, Nick De Leon, Rob Vincent, Patrick Nyarko, Jared Jeffrey, Luciano Acosta (Julian Buscher 80′), Lloyd Sam (Lamar Neagle 72′), and Patrick Mullins (Alvaro Saborio 86′)
Goals- Sam (71′), Neagle (86′), and Saborio (90′)
Columbus Crew SC- Steve Clark, Corey Ashe (Adam Jahn 75′), Nicole Naess, Michael Parkhurst, Harrison Afful (Hector Jimenez 68′), Mohammed Saied, Wil Trapp, Justin Meram (Dilly Duka ’64), Tony Tchani, Ethan Finlay, and Ola Kamara.
ATTENDANCE: 12, 094
