The endless discussion of D.C. United’s inability to get a shutout has become irrelevant.
Averaging three goals per game over the past month, United’s attack has given the team new life at the midpoint of the regular season, and it matched the hype of a nationally televised showdown with David Beckham and the potent Los Angeles Galaxy offense with an overwhelming 4-1 victory in front of a hot and humid 35,979 at RFK Stadium.
“They’ve got some clever players,” said Beckham. “Soccer is about having clever players. We spoke about it before the game this week. They’ve got players that can destroy a back four.”
United (7-7-1) moved into third place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, extending its unbeaten run to six games on the back of two more goals by Luciano Emilio — the Brazilian’s picked up nine of his 10 this season during the streak — and a goal and assist a piece for both Jaime Moreno and Marcelo Gallardo.
“There’s a better understanding with the attack right now, especially with Luciano,” said Gallardo. “Earlier in the year, we didn’t have that good chemistry.”
Emilio put D.C. ahead, 2-1, with a long-range header in the 37th minute, finished off a combination with Gallardo and Fred in the 68th, and had four other shots on goal turned away by Steve Cronin, who kept the Western Conference-leading Galaxy (6-5-3) — also the league’s highest-scoring team – from being completely embarrassed with nine saves.
After Moreno opened the scoring with a fifth-minute penalty kick, Edson Buddle made the United defense pay for reacting poorly to a soft Landon Donovan pass into the box, tying the game, 1-1.
Despite having yet to go a full match without surrendering a goal this season, United goalkeeper Zach Wells deserved little blame for the Galaxy goal, and he denied Donovan (league-high 11 goals) on multiple occasions, including an overhead swat in the first half and a reaction dive in the 61st minute.
“Landon kind of scampered free, and I closed him down,” said Wells, who also parried Donovan’s 89th minute one-timer. “The ball popped over the goal. Then we went down and scored a couple minutes after that. Instead of going 3-2, we went 4-1, and that pretty much sealed the deal.”
