It took 2011 MLS MVP and D.C. United captain Dwayne De Rosario eight games to find the back of the net this year. And while some had wondered if he’d lost his scoring touch, he has rapidly made up for lost time.
Fueled by DeRo’s fourth and fifth goals of the campaign and yet another one from Hamdi Salihi, United continued their climb to the top of the Eastern Conference on Saturday night with a 3-1 win over visiting Toronto FC. The win leaves DCU at 7-4-3 and in sole possession of second place in the east, while sending TFC even deeper into the basement. At 0-9-0, the Reds are one win away from tying the MLS record for most losses in a row set by Real Salt Lake in 2005.
“I don’t know it anymore. It’s so frustrating. You are back in the game, only one minute later it’s gone. It’s painful.” said TFC’s Danny Koevermans after the match. “We’re setting a record for the worst team in the world, man.”
The full video of Koevermans’ interview is here, but be warned—it’s pretty soul-crushing (though it may make you feel better about your Monday morning.)
D.C. United did its best to put Toronto out of its misery as quickly as possible. De Rosario wasted just 57 seconds before heading the opener home. The goal—the fourth fastest in club history—came on a set piece. Suddenly in-form DCU midfielder Branko Bošković swung a Beckham-esque ball into the box, and DeRo made no mistake with it.
United’s Captain would strike again just before halftime, tapping in a Chris Korb cross to give his side a 2-0 advantage. And while TFC would answer in the 71st minute with a goal of their own, Hamdi Salihi would put the game away for good just two minutes later. The goal, which was the end result of some sensational footwork by midfielder Andy Najar, was the Albanian’s fourth goal in five matches.
DCU’s final goal might not have been their most picturesque of the season, but it may have been their most impressive. How many times have we seen a United squad fold under pressure in the past four years? The way this team continues to bounce back from adversity is a thing of beauty, and an indicator of the teams growing confidence.
For De Rosario, the key to the teams success lies in, among other things, staying focused. “It’s always a good feeling to see the smiles on the faces. It’s good to play with confidence and I think it’s a good mentality to have,” said DeRo. “But we can’t get complacent and comfortable. We’re still fighting to get to first place and were going to keep working hard, stay disciplined and most importantly, stay humble.”
The game wasn’t completely without incident for United, as midfielder Danny Cruz pulled up lame in the first half. Seen hobbling around the locker room after the match, he told the assembled media that he’d have an MRI on Monday to examine the extent of the damage.
Given United’s newfound depth at almost every position, Cruz was painfully aware of the ramifications of his injury. “This is not something I want right now because of how well the team is playing,” he said in a post-game interview. “Our staff has stressed how deep we are, and I think you’ve seen that the past few weeks and you’re going to continue seeing it all season. “I have time to hopefully get back and work hard to try and get back on this squad. It’s not going to be easy with this group, which is something every single one of us enjoys.”
The black and red next face the New England Revolution at RFK on Saturday evening. It’ll be your last chance to see the squad at home until June 30, and DCU will have a chance to string together three wins in a row for the first time since 2009.
As for TFC, its next task isn’t an easy one, but it’s fairly simple. When asked what his squad’s next challenge is, Toronto head coach Aron Winter, who may find himself in the MLS unemployment line by the end of this week, kept it simple: ““The challenge for us is to get our first points in the League. That is the biggest challenge.”
Team Notes: Bošković’s assist was his first career point of any kind in an MLS league match. Hard to believe, but true ….. Several TFC players were involved in some mid-week trash talking of DCU’s defensive corps – on game day their comments were plastered all over the United locker room as a motivational tool. ““When you are 0-8 I don’t think you should be pointing to another team’s defense,” said defensive anchor Brandon McDonald after the match. “You have to look inside and see what is going on with yourself.” …… During the week the team finalized plans for a July 28th match at RFK against Serie A champion Juventus.
