RFK Stadium. Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer.
30,943 people came out to watch D.C. United play on Sunday.
That’s not a typo.
And while many in attendance likely came to see New York City FC’s duo of international legends—Spanish great David Villa and Italian maestro Andrea Pirlo—those who did turn up to watch the home team did not leave disappointed.
D.C. used a trio of first-half goals to cruise to victory, the 3-1 result good enough to clinch United’s third consecutive playoff appearance.
Highlights:
The Good: The crowd, and United rising to the occasion. The crowd was D.C.’s biggest in years. The last time they broke 30,000 for a league match at RFK was in 2008, when the LA Galaxy (and, more importantly, David Beckham) visited town.
On a perfect fall day, RFK recaptured a bit of its former glory. The far sidelines bounced and swayed under the weight of supporters who leaped and sang at every turn in the action. And United seemed to rise to the occasion.
Bill Hamid celebrates United’s third goal. Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer.
“No one player stands out in that first half, which is a beautiful thing when you’re up 3-0,” United head coach Ben Olsen told DCist after the match. “A complete, collective effort. Everybody on high alert on every little play for the entire half. That’s what we can do.”
It was a collective effort for sure, but former NYCFC forward Patrick Mullins continues to be a standout, scoring United’s first goal and assisting on their third. After the match, Mullins said he treated the encounter with his old team like any other.
“From the get go, when [the trade between DCU and NYCFC] happened, I was always thankful for my time there. I put a lot of equity into the club when I was there and wanted to be special there and for the club to be special. Obviously they’ve had a great year. I think both the club and I have moved past that and have respect for each other.”
David Villa scores NYCFC’s only goal of the match. Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer.
The Bad: Not much. There’s little to complain about here. D.C. were solid on both sides of the ball. What’s even more heartening is that this recent run of good form—United are unbeaten in six matches—comes at the perfect time. In general, teams that have fared well in the playoffs have rounded into form as they enter them, and D.C. is riding a wave of momentum at the moment. We’ll see if they can keep it going against Orlando next week.
Sad Pirlo. Photos by Pablo Iglesias Maurer.
The Rest: MLS is looking into allegations that NYCFC player Diego Martinez directed a homophobic slur at a ballboy yesterday, I’m told …. United’s victory did qualify them for post-season play, but they’ll have to play in one of MLS’ “knockout round” games (think wild card games in the NFL). Results next week will determine who they play and where the match takes place. If DCU win, they’ll host a match against Philadelphia; if they lose, they’ll need other results to go their way to get a home game, or will possibly travel to Montreal for a match against the Impact.
