While D.C. United have hit a bit of a rough patch in the MLS regular season, they continue to enjoy smooth sailing in their CONCACAF Champions League campaign. At RFK Stadium on Tuesday night, the Black and Red beat Panamanian side Arabe Unido 2-0 to win their group and advance to the quarterfinals of the continent’s club championship.
Entering the fixture needing only a draw to secure passage into the tournament’s knockout round, United’s reserve-heavy lineup did more than enough, riding first-half goals by Conor Doyle and Jared Jeffrey to a convincing victory before a sparse, but enthusiastic crowd.
“They take it as a big challenge,” United head coach Ben Olsen said after the match. “These are real games, and they mean a lot to these players, it means a lot to the club, and they understand that.”
D.C. wasted no time seizing the advantage, flipping the script on their season-long habit of giving up early goals. Just a half-minute into the match, Chris Pontius streaked up the left flank and sent a cross toward teammate Jairo Arrieta in the middle of the penalty area. The Costa Rican forward couldn’t corral it, but the ball found its way to Doyle, who was making a run into the right side of the box and one-timed a strike into the far-corner netting while Arabe goalkeeper Miguel Lloyd failed to react.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 22nd minute, when forward Facundo Coria delivered a well-taken corner kick to the far side of the six-yard box. A virtually unmarked Jared Jeffrey timed his jump perfectly and headed the ball inside the near post as Lloyd was a step slow on his save effort.
Arabe’s toothless attack did little to offset their defensive lapses. Although they outshot United 19-11 (mostly from distance), they were wildly inaccurate with their finishing, putting only two shots on target, with many attempts not even coming close.
The Panamanians wouldn’t seriously threaten until the 52nd minute, when striker Renan Addles unleashed a scorching free kick from 30 yards out that clanged hard off the crossbar above the outstretched hand of United keeper Andrew Dykstra. Off a corner kick in the 59th minute, Abdiel Macea got a good look from close range, but his right-footed volley also hit the woodwork.
United didn’t add to their tally in the second half, though it certainly wasn’t from a lack of trying. Jairo Arrieta, in particular, seemed hell-bent on scoring, constantly taking on defenders and pushing forward so aggressively on his runs that he was called offside seemingly every few minutes (it was actually seven times during the match).
With the win, D.C. (3-0-0, 9 points) claimed first place in Group H of the CONCACAF Champions League. The Black and Red will complete group play with a September 22 fixture against Montego Bay United in Jamaica, where they will seek to optimize their seeding for the quarterfinals, which will be played in early 2016.
“I’m happy we advanced,” Olsen said. “One game to play, obviously we’re going to go down there and try to make sure we get the fourth result that we want. They’re good wins, and these games are never easy, no matter who you play. The last two games, I still want a little bit more in the finishing product, really when we have so many chances and teams are pushing forward, and there is so much space in behind. We just need to connect a little bit more in the final third and get better with our chances. Overall, the group has a good spirit about them, and they continue to get wins in this competition, so it’s all positive.”
United return to MLS action this Saturday, taking on Columbus Crew SC in a key match-up of Eastern Conference contenders.
