D.C. United continued their best-ever start in Major League Soccer history with a 2-0 home victory over Columbus Crew SC, courtesy of goals by Fabian Espindola and Sean Franklin. United were able to dominate stretches of their match utilizing mostly their counterattack, with the Crew only garnering a handful of dangerous chances in each half. United defended formidably, breaking up most of Columbus’s build up play in midfield. Strong games from Davy Arnaud, Nick DeLeon, Chris Pontius, and Perry Kitchen created opportunities for D.C. to play out attacks from further up the field than usual and made D.C. lethal on the counterattack. From the first minute, D.C. took an aggressive stance and was rewarded with two impressive goals in the first half. Ben Olsen’s team capitalized off of their two greatest strengths: set pieces and counterattacks.
Espindola’s return to the D.C. lineup after a 6 week suspension has been seamless, as he has returned not only match-fit, but able to make impressive moves on and off the ball. The story of D.C. may yet again be the story of Fabian Espindola leading the club and dictating the tempo of matches. In both matches since his return, he has been disruptive to two upper echelon MLS clubs; he has been equally valuable as a goal-scoring threat and as a chance creator for the pieces around him. “Him getting back into form I don’t think was a real concern of ours, physically and mentally. It’s just what he does,” Head Coach Ben Olsen noted in post-match remarks. A team that was doing alright in Espindola’s absence has been elevated by his presence; D.C. appears, for the moment, to be one of the teams to consider for the Supporters Shield. Olsen humorously nodded to critics and disbelievers of his team’s potential and skill, “We’re lucky. Haven’t you read anything about us? We’re lucky and that’s all I read. It’s just luck.”
Some notes:
- The Rubber Band Tandem: Both Chris Rolfe and Fabian Espindola are among the more creative players in D.C. United’s roster. The reintroduction of Espindola has created a huge opportunity for D.C., both on the quick counterattack and upon intercepting deeper passes; Rolfe and Espindola create ample space for the midfield to reinforce the offensive play. They stretch the field like a rubber band: they all of a sudden snap, opening up passing lanes that few other players can see. Despite his obvious lack of goals, Nick DeLeon is one of the players who stands to benefit most from the extra space, capitalizing on several opportunities into space in the opening minutes of play due to the work of the Rubber Band Tandem.
- The Opare-Boswell center back pairing is becoming less prone to costly mistakes as they play together with more regularity, but what will happen when Birnbaum returns? Boswell is still among the best CBs in MLS, but as players continue to develop will the younger guys start taking over more of the workload? D.C.’s young guns are their best cause for hope in the coming seasons, with players like Michael Farfan, Miguel Aguilar, Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, Steve Birnbaum, and Kofi Opare, the nucleus of United’s team of tomorrow is maturing and getting decent minutes today. With at least two national team players in that mix, D.C.’s future looks bright. (Also: a big name DP signing upon completion of the new stadium could make for a very strong United lineup in 2018-19)
- Ben Olsen has made the decision to congest the area in front of the goal for the past four matches. Twice that has resulted in the opposing team coming back to tie the match. Is this tactic sustainable? Can United afford to play high pressure defense for 90 minutes instead of retreating into their shell? It appears that as the team’s management is tinkering and correcting the mistakes that lead to dropped points, the answer is increasingly “Yes.” In a performance that was
- Chris Pontius is improving match-over-match since his return to the starting lineup for D.C. United. His strength on the ball makes him both an aerial threat and a decent option when United wants to maintain offensive pressure.
- Popeye eats spinach to become super strong…Bill Hamid signs a new contract.
Look back here Sunday evening for photos from the match, courtesy of Hugh Clarke (Clarke Studios).
