Last night Club America stormed into RFK Stadium intent on claiming a SuperLiga result. Their boisterous contingent of supporters easily outnumbered United fans among the 18,604 in attendance. An early goal from Rod Dyachenko and a team-wide clinic of possession soccer stifled the C.A. attack as well as its supporters.

Coach Tom Soehn knew that an early goal would be important in taking control of the game, and his team’s focus on energy and determination paid dividends. United’s passing was crisp all night, and it served them well at the start. America began the game using high pressure in hopes of forcing a turnover in the United territory, but the tactic backfired. Wide spaces in the midfield left United with room to orchestrate their attack. Fred and Mark Burch combined to move the ball vertically along the left wing in the beginning stages of the match and continued to do so throughout the game. United created several chances in the opening minutes before Dyachenko put them on the board.

After a series of passes allowed D.C. to work the ball through the midfield, Ben Olsen slung in a looping pass across the box, which found Christian Gomez at the far post. Gomez leaped and headed the ball toward the middle of the box, where Dyachenko one-timed it into the lower left corner of the net with velocity.

Photos by Kyle Gustafson