Midfielder scored twice in victory over Toronto
The goal harkened back to Chris Pontius’ magical MLS debut.
When the third-year midfielder cut the ball back and sent a bending right-footer into the net for the second of his two goals in D.C. United’s 3-0 victory at Toronto last weekend, it couldn’t help but feel a bit like his strike in his first ever MLS match two years ago at Los Angeles.
Going forward, Pontius would rather recapture the form of his rookie season, not the campaign that followed last year and was derailed by a right hamstring injury.
“It feels good,” Pontius said of his first goals since scoring twice last June in a 3-2 win at Seattle, his only goals last season. “Last year, on either of those goals, I wouldn’t have been able to burst out and use the speed on the first one, and on the second one, that cutback would’ve hurt pretty bad, that motion on my hamstring.”
Pontius managed 17 games (13 starts) for D.C. last year, but was never himself after getting hurt in U.S. national team training camp in January. By September, he shut things down altogether and underwent surgery. It was the opening day of training camp before he touched a ball again.
“It’s never a fun situation because [last year] he could play, but he couldn’t play to his maximum potential, and that’s frustrating both for him and for us because we didn’t necessarily know what it was,” said United coach Ben Olsen.
But the uncertainty over Pontius’ health and his position both seem to be gone. After a failed stint at forward early last year, he began this year at left midfield, and he’s one of just three players to start every regular season match (along with Dax McCarty and Marc Burch) so far for D.C. United (2-2-1).
“Sometimes your idea of a player isn’t always how it works out,” said Olsen. “Sometimes it’s important to ask them where they feel comfortable and what they think is their best spot. After some experimenting, I think he’s in a good spot right now for him. He seems to like to face the field, still working on his ability to combine and be active and be a threat not just with the ball but without. … He’s got some creative parts in his game, and he can finish so I’m glad he got his two goals.”
Pontius said he’s 100 percent and hasn’t changed the way he plays or the way he runs, only adding more hamstring exercises, but that’s simply part of taking better care of his body.
“Everything is pretty much the same,” he said. “I’m just able to get into another gear now, which my body is finally allowing me to do.”
