Caught by Fire, United Gets Another Tie
United 1, Fire 1
Chicago's Daniel Woolard, left, gets off a header against United's Christian Gomez in the second half.
(By John Mcdonnell -- The Washington Post)
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
D.C. United settled for another tie last night, a 1-1 affair with the Chicago Fire before 15,895 at RFK Stadium, the second-smallest turnout for a home debut in the club's 14-season history.
Although this draw lacked the drama and controversy that overshadowed last Sunday's opener at Los Angeles, it was equally disappointing for United, which took the lead in the seventh minute on Luciano Emilio's strike but faltered defensively in the second half and yielded a 53rd-minute equalizer by former Virginia Tech star Patrick Nyarko.
"I've about had it with ties," midfielder Ben Olsen said. "It's another game that unfortunately is a good performance but lacked some moments, a 10- or 15-minute span there where we didn't focus."
United (0-0-2 MLS) was superior during a lively first half, but as the match progressed, D.C. lost its attacking rhythm and allowed the Fire (1-0-1) numerous opportunities after intermission.
Goalkeeper Josh Wicks accepted blame for Nyarko's goal and let two shots slip from his hands, but he also preserved the tie with a sensational leaping save on Chris Rolfe's bid in the 89th minute.
"I wish we would have come out with a little bit more [on the scoreboard] in the first half because we put so much into it," United Coach Tom Soehn said. "It showed because our legs were a little heavy in the second half. The tide changed and we were on the defensive end."
United's mounting injury situation didn't help either. Goalie Louis Crayton (hip flexor) and midfielders Santino Quaranta and Fred (hamstring) were joined on the inactive list by defender Greg Janicki and midfielder-defender Devon McTavish, who are recovering from head injuries suffered in a scary collision during the 2-2 tie in the opener.
After a solid first half, United's reconfigured defense showed cracks and made several mistakes.
"We needed to come out a little stronger, a little faster at the beginning of the second half," left back Marc Burch said. "As soon as they started knocking the ball around, I felt we dropped a little bit when we should have stuck in a couple tackles early. All of a sudden, it is swinging their way."
The second half unfolded in stark contrast to the beginning of the match, when United played with energy and execution.
On the goal, Olsen's dirty work in central midfield led to Emilio taking possession about 30 yards from the net. Instead of challenging the Brazilian striker, Chicago's Wilman Conde backed off. Emilio took advantage of the unexpected space and drilled a 22-yard shot beyond goalkeeper Jon Busch's reach and into the lower right corner.
Emilio, the 2006 league MVP, had not scored in a regular season match since last August and in any competition since September's U.S. Open Cup final.
