D.C. United came into Saturday night’s game both optimistically and urgently. An animated crowd of 21,022 cheered enthusiastically as United was presented with the Supporter’s Shield. The match at hand would provide them with a quality opponent, the New England Revolution, indicative of the competition they would confront in the rapidly-approaching MLS Cup playoffs. Such a stage would seem the perfect situation to right the ship and make a bold statement before entering the ultimate competition of the season. Unfortunately, United were not able to make such a statement. Though they did show periods of verve and brilliance during the game, in the end they were saddled with a disappointing 2-1 loss.

United’s starting 11 revealed few surprises, as coach Peter Nowak played most of his starters in preparation for the playoffs. The lineup’s only anomoly was the inclusion of Rod Dyachenko at forward. The rookie flashed his skill on several occasions: beating defenders off of the dribble, staying on-sides, and making attacking runs. However, his game will unfortunately be remembered for his disallowed goal from an off-sides position, and, more eggregiously, his misfire on a perfectly served Christian Gomez ball that left New England GK Matt Reis out of position.

Such miscues were excusable in the first half, which United undeniably dominated. With the Revs’ midfield giving United’s back half plenty of space, United was able to control the tempo of the game, aggressively setting up crosses and attacking runs. Matias Donnet looked as comfortable as he’s been this year in United’s offensive scheme. Freddy Adu roamed from the left side to the right with ease. The team flowed offensively, covering each other’s positions and avoiding dangerous counterattacks competently.

Photos by Kyle Gustafson.