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

D.C. United and Philadelphia Union split points in a frustrating 2-2 draw at Buzzard Point. The District had been subject to light rain all day, making it a less than optimal evening to turn out for a soccer game, yet 17,237 were in attendance, the Chico Stand providing superb ambiance as always.

D.C. started off the match in control, dominating play. In the 9′, Jared Stroud found Cristian Dájome with a cross in the middle of the box to open the scoring for the Black-and-Red. D.C. United soundly denied Jim Curtin’s men of the first-goal advantage and pressed the Union, keeping the action in the visitor’s defensive half.

Although visiting head coach Curtin had shared in his pre-match press conference that the club was looking to “focus on getting as many points as possible against Eastern Conference opponents,” it was always going to be a battle for the Union, sans Andre Blake, at Audi Field.

With the Chico Stand in full voice despite the rain and unseasonable chill, visiting supporters could barely be heard. Spirits were high as D.C. remained dominant for much of the first half and it seemed things would go the home team’s way.

Philadelphia had a few bright spots around the half-hour mark that had the Black-and-Red faithful holding their breath. Striker Julián Carranza had a close call but was denied by the post in the 31′, while Nathan Harriel tried his luck in the 32′ only to be shut down by Alex Bono.

Homegrown player Jacob Murrell netted his first goal in Black-and-Red to double D.C. United’s lead in the 33′, putting Philly keeper Oliver Semmle to the test. Once again, Stroud came in clutch with impeccable service. Murrell said, “My teammates have put me in really good spots to score and have given me good opportunities to finish. And you know, I’ve been waiting for this for my whole life.”

Troy Lesesne was notably proud of Murrell, saying, “I was so happy for Jacob. Again, you know he was very impactful the other night against Seattle and probably was knocking on the door. He could have had a goal the other night and then he scores his goal tonight. And he actually had one more big opportunity whenever we were up to you know, to maybe make it three. And that’s Jacob. He’s going to look at that opportunity more than the first goal… He’s a good young player, 19 years old, and I’m excited to see how he keeps developing.”

Alejandro Bedoya finally found the net for the Union in the 42′, capitalizing on a set piece to fling in a left-footed shot from the center of the box. Kai Wagner provided the assist. Union captain Bedoya has played for the club since 2016 and is one of the most recognizable names in the Philly lineup.

Although Philly had cut D.C.’s lead in half before the teams headed to the locker rooms, the Black-and-Red came out ready for a fight. Bolstered by Bedoya’s goal, the Union entered into the second half with a bit more grit than they displayed in the first 45′.

Bono saved a well placed attempt from midfielder Quinn Sullivan in the 54′. Sullivan had tried to slip a shot past the D.C. goalkeeper from the wing.

Steve Birnbaum entered the match in the 75′, making his 2024 debut, much to the delight of the Black-and-Red faithful. Birnbaum is a D.C. United veteran, having played for the club for the past 10 years. He has been a stalwart piece of D.C.’s backline, anchoring the club’s defense and sharing a wealth of experience with his teammates.

Lesesne said, “Steve is such an integral part of our club. He helps me, helps our team, and he helps everything that we do and in more ways than just what shows up in 90 minutes on the weekend. So it’s a really important moment for us to have him back, and now we build off of that 20 minutes and see him continue to grow into a more 90-minute fit form.”

Early on, the second half didn’t showcase many clearcut chances for either team. However, the Union finally found their equalizer in the 79′. Jack McGlynn came through for Philly with an absolute banger from well outside the box to find the top left corner of the net well above Bono’s head. Harriel came through with the assist for McGlynn.

Despite five minutes of stoppage time, neither side could find a game-winner. Although Klich had an opportunity, he took an extra touch, losing the chance. The Black-and-Red would leave the pitch justifiably frustrated after a well-played match. A performance that head coach Troy Lesesne said “may have been our best performance of the year. I told the guys just now. I’m very, very proud of what we put together.”

D.C. United will head south to face Atlanta United on May 11 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before returning home for a midweek matchup with the New York Red Bulls on May 15.

Watch the highlights from D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union

Box Score

D.C. United: 2 Dájome 9′, Murrell 33′

Philadelphia Union: 2 Bedoya 42′, McGlynn 79′

Lineups

D.C. United: Alex Bono, Cristian Dájome (Gabriel Pirani 86′), Lucas Bartlett, Matti Peltola, Christopher McVey, Aaron Herrera, Jared Stroud (Kristian Fletcher 86′) Mateusz Klich, Jackson Hopkins (Steven Birnbaum 74′), Jacob Murrell (Ted Ku-DiPietro 64′), Christian Benteke

Philadelphia Union: Oliver Semmle, Jako Glesnes, Damion Lowe, Nathan Harriel, Kai Wagner, Daniel Gazdag, Alejandro Bedoya, Jack McGlynn, Leon Flach (Jose Martinez 67′), Quinn Sullivan (Mikael Uhre 66′), Julián Carranza

Misconduct Summary

D.C. United: Ku-DiPietro 90′ + 2′

Philadelphia Union: Carranza 20′, Flach 45′ + 2′, Lowe 45′ + 2′