Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer.

D.C. United entered their encounter with the Montreal Impact last night in dire need of some points. Sitting four points out of playoff contention in a league where damn near everybody makes the playoffs, United welcomed the Impact as the opener to a four-game homestand, one which D.C. desperately needs to farm for maximum points.

Having lost only one of their past nine matches, the Impact did not appear to be the ideal club to break D.C.’s doldrums. Yet on Sunday, United put in the work.

They outpossessed Montreal. They outshot them, nearly two-to-one. And they kept Didier Drogba—the former Chelsea legend ended up getting an 81st minute red card—off the scoresheet.

It wasn’t enough. United gave up an 86th minute equalizer and were forced to settle for a draw. After the match, there was much chatter about how well D.C. played, how it may have been their best top-to-bottom performance of the year—but all of that only made D.C.’s players and coaches all the more bitter.

Highlights:

Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer

The Good: Patrick Mullins, Taylor Kemp & Nick DeLeon. Mullins, acquired just last week in a trade with New York City FC, wasted no time in opening his D.C. United account, scoring just 20 minutes into his debut. His perfectly timed run and lovely header came on the end of a Taylor Kemp cross. Kemp’s game has evolved this year; while United has always loved his offensive upside—his left foot and his ability to cause danger on the overlap—his defending has always been average at best. This year, however, Kemp has started to shine on both sides of the ball.

DeLeon looked comfortable out wide; he’s been deployed centrally this year and has looked a little out of his element, so it was a refreshing change of pace to see him used correctly against the Impact.

The Bad: Missed opportunities and another late goal. D.C. truly deserved more than a draw on Sunday, but were punished when the Impact’s Hernán Bernadello sent a 20-yard strike goalwards in the 86th minute, tying the match. D.C. have made a habit of giving up goals both in the opening minutes of their matches and also in the dying moments as well.

What’s more, United could’ve easily closed the game out. Argentine midfielder Luciano Acosta missed a pair of golden opportunities in the second half to double their advantage, and others—DeLeon and Alvaro Saborio, among them—missed the mark as well. Of their 16 shots, D.C. only put three on frame.

“We missed a shitload of chances,” United head coach Ben Olsen said after the game. “It’s a pretty simple synopsis of this game.”

“But we were great,” he continued, “I thought we were great. Unfortunately we only get a point out of being great. But I told the group afterward, there is a lot of good here. That was some good stuff. The best I’ve seen a team play here in quite a while.”

Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer

The Ugly: Didier Drogba’s 81st-minute red card. You could really see this one coming. Drogba has made a habit of pressing his luck with refs in MLS, and he has gotten away with a lot. On Sunday, he pushed his luck a little too far, kneeing Marcelo Sarvas in the back after the whistle. Referee Ted Unkel didn’t have a choice and didn’t hesitate to eject Drogba. Take a look:

Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer