Featured image courtesy of D.C. United, Hannah Wagner

In last night’s intense matchup at Providence Park, D.C. United snapped back to draw level late in the match, after going 2-0 down to Portland.

The Black-and-Red were dealt a big blow prior to kick off as Christian Benteke took a knock in the warm up, subsequently being left out of the lineup. While Cristián Dájome put in an ample shift in his stead, Benteke’s presence was missed in a close matchup where D.C. weren’t able to make the most of their attacking chances.

Leading up to the match, D.C. United coach Troy Lesesne emphasized how important a strong start would be in a place like Providence Park, and that is what he got from his team. Seemingly unfazed by the abrupt change, D.C. looked very up for it in the opening stages, applying that heavy pressure early on.

In the opening minutes, Portland captain Diego Chará added to his record number of MLS fouls in unlucky fashion. Winning the ball cleanly from Jared Stroud, he was disciplined with a yellow card in the 7′. A game changing infraction for a defensive midfielder.

Despite going toe to toe with the Timbers in the preliminary stages, Portland opened the scoring in the 18′ through a trademark goal from quick transition, as Santiago Moreno drove down the right flank and found Dairon Asprilla who routinely finished from the center of the box. A goal made in Colombia.

D.C.’s best, chance from the opening 45′ came in the 31′ from a pinpoint cross by Jared Stroud that was met well by a Dájome header, only to be denied by an outstanding save by Maxime Crépeau. Heroics from the Canadian keeper became a theme in the match as he saved six of United’s eight shots on target, arguably serving as Portland’s best player on the night.

D.C. came out aggressive following the break, creating several good chances. The best from this flurry came in the the 50′, when Ted Ku-DiPietro played through Dájome who was unlucky to see his well placed shot ricochet off the post. Ku-DiPietro followed the play and was in line with the ball’s redirection but was unable to convert the rebound.

Portland doubled their advantage in the 61′ when a hectic long freekick was bumbled out wide, where Portland’s second chance delivery found its way to an unmarked Moreno at the back post to slot home under an approaching Alex Bono.

United’s persistence was eventually rewarded with penalty, giving them an avenue back into the match. Coming from a strange sequence of play starting from a D.C. set piece, several Portland defenders raised their arm for offside while the ball was in flight toward the box. Christopher McVey’s flicked-on header struck the appealing arm of Chará, resulting in a spot kick that was calmly slotted away by Mateusz Klich.

The goal reinvigorated the D.C. players who were eventually able to level things despite the persistant denials from Crépeau. 18-year-old substitute, Kristian Fletcher, evened the score in the 82′ with his second ever MLS goal. A great switch field ball by Pedro Santos was controlled well by Jackson Hopkins who then played the ball into stride for the overlapping Aaron Herrera to square it to the unmarked forward in the six yard box. A goal that silenced the previously vocal home fans.

Takeaways:

A new sense of togetherness: In a match that required a continued fight and determination from the D.C. players to get a result, they showed that character and dug deep – both individually and as a team – to get back in the match. Ted Ku-DiPietro embodied the effort mustered up from United with his performance, outdistancing every other player in the match by some margin. His tireless running has fit the team’s new philosophies to a tee.

New signings were key to the result: Jared Stroud, Matti Peltola, and Lucas Bartlett are some new names on the team sheet that put in solid performances once again. Aaron Herrera deserves some special recognition though. His relentless up and down coverage of the right side, the defensive ability shown to box out Antony, his assist, and his long range passing ability were just a few of the great qualities displayed by the new full back. What a performance.

Finishing needs improvement: The new high pressing style that Lesesne has introduced has helped United creating more attacking chances. With the increased volume of attacking looks, an issue that was apparent last season has remained visible in this year’s first two matches. The team are creating chances and putting in the work to get into good positions, but when the time arrives to finish off those moves, there is a lack of killer instinct. The prospect of this side tidying up their finishing is an exciting one.

Watch the highlights from Portland Timbers vs. D.C. United

Box Score

D.C. United: 2 Klich 72’ (PK), Fletcher 82’

Portland Timbers: 2 Asprilla 18’ , Moreno 61’

Lineups

Portland Timbers: Maxime Crépeau, Kamal Miller, Eric Miller (Dario Zuparic 65′), Zachery McGraw, Juan Mosquera (Miguel Araujo 85′), Antony (Nathan Fogaca 81′), Eryk Williamson (David Ayala 65′), Diego Chará (C), Cristhian Paredes, Santiago Moreno, Dairon Asprilla

D.C. United: Alex Bono, Lucas Bartlett, Matti Peltola, Pedro Santos (C), Aaron Herrera, Christopher McVey, Jared Stroud (Jackson Hopkins 73′), Gabriel Pirani (Kristian Fletcher 72′), Ted Ku-DiPietro, Mateusz Klich, Cristián Dájome 

Misconduct Summary

Portland Timbers: Diego Chará (yellow card) 7’, Maxime Crépeau (yellow card) 59’, Zachery McGraw (yellow card) 68’

D.C. United: Mateusz Klich (yellow card) 62’, Aaron Herrera (yellow card) 90+1’