U.S. Open Cup qualifying: D.C. United 2, Real Salt Lake 1 OT
D.C. United played a reserve-heavy hand tonight in the first of two matches this week against Real Salt Lake, leaving just enough room to pull the ace from its sleeve when it needed a spark.
Andy Najar, inserted to start the second half of overtime in a deadlocked U.S. Open Cup qualifier, needed less than two minutes to make his presence felt, scoring a dramatic game-winning goal that earned United a place among the final 16 teams in the country’s oldest knockout tournament and secured the club’s third victory in a row in all competitions. They’ll rematch with the defending MLS Cup champions in league play on Saturday.
“There’s a real positive attitude with the team right now after beating AC Milan and Chivas USA,” said Najar through an interpreter. “After the game tonight we’re feeling very good about ourselves, and hopefully we can keep it up.”
With the score tied, 1-1, in the 107th minute, the 17-year-old received the ball on the right side of the box, split Salt Lake midfielders Tony Beltran and Will Johnson and slipped the ball past goalkeeper Kyle Reynish. It was his second goal in as many matches and his third overall since graduating from United’s academy system to join the first team this spring.
“We were discussing putting him in a little earlier,” said United assistant coach Kris Kelderman. “But we had some guys cramping and we had to hold on to that last reserve for as long as we could. We felt real good about the energy that he would be bringing in, and he made the coaches look good tonight.”
With another 15 minutes to play, United managed to hang on where it wasn’t able to do the same in the second half. Rookie Barry Rice, making his first start for D.C. United, fought off a cramping left calf to clear a pair of balls off the goal line in the final five minutes, each time writhing in agony on the ground afterward.
Troy Perkins was also tidy in the net, accumulating a pair of saves in the final period to give him six for the match, more than enough to make up for the 80th minute penalty kick that Johnson put past him.
Rice was the victim on the call that led to the spot kick a mere five minutes after United went ahead on its own penalty, getting his arm in the way of Fabian Espindola’s bending ball from the end line.
On a muggy night in front of an announced crowd of 3,074 at RFK Stadium, both team slogged through a quiet first hour. Perkins denied Collen Warner and Johnson at one end, while at the other Reynish parried Luciano Emilio’s long-distance effort over the bar and saw Thabiso “Boyzzz” Khumalo blow D.C.’s best scoring chance – shooting wide after bursting down the middle on a solo counterattack. As such, both teams inserted regular starters for the final half hour of regulation in the hopes of infusing the game with a dose of offense.
United finally struck first when Jordan Graye came down the left side wide open. Reynish saved Graye’s shot, but the ball bounced up, and substitute Chris Pontius audaciously tried a bicycle kick. When his shot glanced off Warner, referee Mark Kadlecik blew his whistle and pointed to the spot, where Luciano Emilio converted easily.
“The first half was hard, there were a lot of heads and elbows thrown in my face,” said Perkins, who had ice pressed to a swollen cheek afterward. “But we just have to be better obviously with our marks. We fought, they fought, and now we have to fight them again on Saturday.”
D.C. played the match with suspended head coach Curt Onalfo watching from above in the mezzanine after he was ejected in D.C.’s previous U.S. Open Cup qualifier win over FC Dallas.
