For the first time since last September, D.C. United won a game—and did so convincingly, routing FC Dallas 4-1 at RFK Stadium Friday evening.
D.C. United came out of the gate shaky, and nearly went down 2-0 within 10 minutes. Goalkeeper Joe Willis, filling in for an injured Bill Hamid, made not one but two crucial saves in the games opening moments. “I guess they caught us ball watching a bit at the beginning but I was able to make the saves and we got rejuvenated after that,” Willis said after the match. “I just did what I was supposed to do.”
His efforts would be rewarded. The stadium came alive in the 28th minute as United forward Maicon Santos buried an absolute stunner from about 20 yards out, giving D.C. an early 1-0 lead. The lead would prove to be short lived, however, as Dallas took full advantage of a costly United defensive error, leveling the match late in the first half.
For United fans, the late goal was part of what’s become an all too familiar storyline—poor game management. Many in attendance probably expected to see a D.C. United side emerge from the locker room deflated, put in a lackluster second half and call it a day. Dallas would just crash two or three defenders on DeWayne DeRosario, and D.C. United would be forced to play the long ball, settling for a draw or perhaps even walking away with a loss.
Wrong. The Black and Red were dominant throughout the second half. Wingers Danny Cruz and Nick De Leon gave Dallas more than they could handle on both sides of the field. “Danny Cruz is just a pain in the ass,” Head Coach Ben Olsen said. “I’d hate to play against him. He’s a really competitive guy and just doesn’t quit. Nick [DeLeon] has very good soccer instincts for a young kid and I thought both of them played very well.”
As a result of D.C. United’s wing play, the hoops were forced to give DeRosario more room to operate. The result was what many D.C. United fans have been waiting to see all year—a cohesive offensive unit that seemed to score at will. De Leon added his second goal of the season, then assisted on Cruz’s first of the campaign. By the time Maicon Santos headed home his second strike of the match—off of a beautiful DeRosario cross—the game was all but over.
The win leaves Olsen with an enviable problem—who to start in midfield and who to start in goal (once Hamid recovers.) With options like Chris Pontius, Andy Najar and Branko Boskovic at his disposal, it will be interesting to see who gets the nod in the next few games. If Olsen can find the right formula this weekend against Seattle, United could do something they haven’t done in 84 games, dating back to 2009: Win two games in a row.
Team Notes: Goalkeeper Bill Hamid and MF Perry Kitchen returned from Olympic qualifying duty earlier in the week, after the U.S. was sent packing after a shocking loss to Canada and a draw with El Salvador. Hamid suffered an ankle sprain in the El Salvador game and won’t be available for 2 weeks … On a fairly warm night, four DCU players (DeRosario, De Leon, Santos and McDonald) wore hoodies (hoods up) during the pregame lineups and national anthem, ostensibly in support of Trayvon Martin … The game was nationally televised but poorly attended—under 14,000 filed into RFK … Looks like D.C. United will be without the services of MF Andy Najar for several games this summer, as his Honduras side qualified for the Olympics Saturday night.
