D.C.’s Eddie Johnson (center) vies with Collen Warner (right) and Nick Haggelund during United’s 3-0 victory over Toronto FC.

Two of Major League Soccer’s most improbable comeback stories met at RFK stadium on Wednesday night.

Toronto FC—perennial Eastern Conference cellar dwellers who’ve never made the playoffs since entering the league in 2007—entered the match in playoff position. TFC used a bit of financial muscle in the off-season, bringing in U.S. national team midfielder Michael Bradley and former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermaine Defoe in hopes of a turnaround.

D.C. United took the pitch in the midst of an even more improbable turnaround: the black-and-red have essentially gone from worst to first. After a 2013 campaign billed by many as the worst season in MLS history, United’s mix of youngsters and MLS veterans have found the recipe for success in 2014, gelling quickly and righting the ship in record time.

On Wednesday, the home team would add another positive chapter to their comeback tale, riding an early Eddie Johnson goal, Chris Rolfe tally, and a TFC own goal to a convincing 3-0 victory in front of 16,171 fans at RFK Stadium.

The win leaves United within a point of first place team Sporting Kansas City, and eleven points clear of TFC, who remain in third.

Highlights:

The Good: Chris Rolfe. D.C.’s other off-season acquisitions—Bobby Boswell, Fabian Espindola, and Sean Franklin to name a few—have gotten their share of praise this year, but Rolfe’s contributions have been equally massive. The former Fire midfielder has brought a craftiness as well as creative flair to United’s attack, something that has been badly missing for years.

“He’s just a guy that can change the game for us,” United head coach Ben Olsen told DCist after the match. “We’ve asked him to do more work than he’s used to in midfield—the amount of miles he’s putting on while still giving us a threat in the box—he’s just what we need.”

In Wednesday’s match, Rolfe seemed to put on more miles than he has all year: he was active in both halves and combined quite nicely with Nick Deleon and EJ.

Honorable mentions: Bill Hamid, Perry Kitchen.

The Bad: Issues with ticketing at RFK Stadium. The team has wisely responded to sagging attendance figures with a set of deals that are hard to beat, frankly—a 3-game package at $20, and a hot dog and ticket deal for a paltry $15.

Last night, however, the crush of fans looking to claim those deals seemed to overwhelm the club’s ticketing department, leaving some fans out in the cold after the opening whistle. Others simply left when they spotted the massive, massive lines at the handful of ticket windows open for the match:

Moment of the Match: Chris Rolfe’s second half goal.


A dagger to TFC, Rolfe’s goal was the result of three things: 1) Nick Deleon’s craftiness, which drew what could’ve been a penalty kick. 2) Referee Chris Penso’s solid decision to delay calling that foul in favor of giving United the advantage. 3) Rolfe’s veteran awareness, which kept him with the play even after the foul. From there, it was an easy finish.

The Rest: Never a dull moment with Eddie Johnson, who took to Twitter last night to respond to former Houston Dynamo and US national team member Brian Ching’s claims that EJ should only be given an incentive-laden contract. Keep it classy, boys… Incidentally, D.C. travel to Houston on Sunday, which will give Ching and EJ time to catch up, or do whatever…Random assortment of folks in the DCU locker room last night: members of Inter Milan, NBA star Mike Miller, and United owners Erick Thohir, Will Chang, and Jason Levien.

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