D.C. United entered Saturday evening’s match against almost-as-pathetic Toronto FC in familiar territory. Fifteen games into the 2013 season, United was already plenty comfortable in the Eastern Conference’s basement, having only won a single match. Just above them in the MLS garden apartment was Toronto with only eight points over 13 games.
Naturally, there was only one question on the minds of the 13,846 brave souls who attended Saturday night’s affair at RFK: Where’s our beer?
The ensuing result, a 2-1 D.C. United loss, sends the team even deeper into the MLS history books. United are averaging a scant 0.47 goals per game (MLS refuses to award fractional goals) and are also on pace to shatter the all-time record for lowest points per game average, at 0.40. It’s enough to make a grown man cry.
“I just don’t know how much more of this I can take,” said every United fan, ever.
United seized control of the match early, out-possessing Toronto through the first 15 minutes. United forwards Lionard Pajoy and Dwayne de Rosario both had early chances slip away – Pajoy’s driven cross was parried away by Toronto goalkeeper Joe Bendik in the third minute, while DeRo’s attempt from six yards out went wide some three minutes later.
D.C. finally broke through in the 19th minute from the penalty spot. United midfielder Nick Deleon made a galloping run through midfield, making contact with Toronto defender Gale Agbossoumonde just inside the area. De Rosario struck the ensuing penalty kick past Bendik’s outstreched arms, giving United their first lead since March 9.
But it was a short-lived one. Robert Earnshaw found TFC’s equalizer on a set piece, taking advantage of some poor defending from Brandon McDonald and heading the ball past United goalkeeper Bill Hamid. The score was Earnshaw’s sixth goal of the season. Toronto took the lead just minutes later when United center back Daniel Woolard inadvertently headed the ball past his own keeper, again on a set piece. Woolard’s own goal is United’s third this season.
A choppy, back-and-forth second half saw United get its share of chances to tie the game. De Rosario and Deleon combined for a near miss in the 59th minute, while second-half substitute Casey Townsend’s 69th minute attempt from about 20 yards out sailed inches wide of Bendik’s near post.
In the end, however, the story was the same for United, undone again by a combination of impotent offense and lackluster central defense. When asked if he had any thoughts about his club’s woes defending set pieces, United’s head coach didn’t have much to say.
“Yeah, I’ve got some thoughts,” a despondent Ben Olsen said. “But I’m not going to talk about them right now.”
Toronto, on the other hand, played an opportunistic match and took advantage of United’s inability to defend on dead ball situations, something many of TFC’s players harped on after the match.
“We watched video of D.C. and saw they struggled a bit on set pieces,” Toronto forward Luis Silva, who assisted on his team’s first goal, said. “I just put the ball in a good spot, and we had people attacking it.”
After the match, the mood in the locker room was about what one would expect. De Rosario, who was subbed out in the 70th minute, was unavailable for comment. DeLeon, McDonald, and Woolard put on brave faces, but their body language and downtrodden tone told a different story.
I asked McDonald if he thought the team was starting to lose faith in United’s ability to turn things around.
“After you lose so many, it’s natural,” he responded, shaking his head. “The group of guys we have in this locker room though—nobody is pointing fingers at each other or blaming each other. It’s something we’ve gotta turn around; we’ve gotta keep moving.”
After pausing briefly, McDonald offered up his final comment, one many United fans will likely find highly relatable.
“I think everyone’s just shaking their heads at this point and saying “what the hell?”
The full match highlights and audio from Ben Olsen’s post game press conference:
