Despite a late second-half goal by Juan Pablo Angel, his fifth consecutive game with a goal, Ben Olsen stole the show with his first career hat trick as D.C. United survived playing a man down for the majority of the second half in a 4-2 victory Sunday afternoon against the New York Red Bulls at RFK Stadium.
Luciano Emilio's goal early in the second half proved to be the decider after Olsen and Dema Kovalenko traded goals early in the contest. United are now unbeaten in their last six games after dropping the first three games of the season, and the Red Bulls have now lost two of their last three, allowing eight goals over those games after conceding just four over their first eight.
Red Bulls boss Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that defeated Toronto FC 2-1 on Wednesday at BMO field, with the return of goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus to the first team after battling a sprained left ankle and forward Clint Mathis, after having served a one-game suspension for a red card received in last weekend's loss against the Kansas City Wizards. The former Dutch international had only allowed one goal in five appearances this season but was left helpless all afternoon against United.
Angel, who came into the game with six goals in just five MLS matches, uncharacteristically missed a sitter very early in the game after Kovalenko's cross from the left side of the midfield banged off Fred in the middle of the penalty box and landed at the feet of Angel. He had only to knock the ball home from point-blank range, but the Colombian international's shot skied over the woodwork.
United central defender Bobby Boswell earned a yellow from referee Brian Hall for the game's first hard tackle when he and Dane Richards raced to a ball down the right wing and the United defender gave the diminutive Jamaican a body check that sent the speedy winger off the field, into United's bench, and a little shaken up.
United took the lead in the 15th minute as Olsen beat Seth Stammler to a long cross from United left back Josh Gros inside the box and headed home off the bounce to the opposite corner past a helpless Wattereus for his second goal in three games and an early 1-0 advantage.
The Red Bulls, though, equalized just a few minutes later after United failed to clear the ball wide out of the box, letting former United midfielder Kovalenko get a head of steam running with the ball at the penalty area. He then unleashed a right-footed strike that deflected off United defender Bryan Namoff past a wrong-footed Troy Perkins for his second goal of the year.
United nearly regained the lead in the 20th minute. Fred played the ball into Jaime Moreno, who then laid the ball off for an onrushing Emilio, but his one-time effort was driven hard and low just past the left post. Then a Brian Carroll adventurous effort in the 26th minute from 35 yards was well struck and forced Wattereus to dive to his right as the ball whistled just wide of the goal.
Angel made the most of a Dave van den Bergh cross into the penalty area in the 28th minute, but the forward's header flew just above the top right hand side of the frame.
United continued to look dangerous from the left side of the field when Fred got in behind the Red Bulls' defense and makeshift right back Markus Schopp, and the Brazilian lasered a cross to the far post where a wide-open Christian Gomez was unable to put enough muster on his header to seriously test Waterreus.
Red Bulls captain and field general Claudio Reyna found Richards open on the right wing behind Gros and the Jamaican international fired in two successive dangerous crosses that United did well to head to safety in the 37th minute.
United were showing great build up and patience, working the ball around the field and it nearly paid off in the 42nd minute. Olsen made a darting run into the box and fed the ball into Emilio, who had set up shop at the penalty spot. The Brazilian quickly turned and hit a low shot that forced Waterreus into a solid diving save to his right.
Fred sparked United to an early 2-1 lead to open the second half. First, a chance was wasted. Fred made a darting run through the Red Bulls defense and laid the ball off to his left just outside the penalty box to an open Gomez. The Argentinean had a bad first touch, though, and was forced to try a cheeky chip of Waterreus as the goalkeeper rushed out, which just went over the top of the crossbar.
But just moments later Fred again found himself darting through the Red Bulls' defense. He laid the ball off to the right to an open Emilio, who cooly slotted the ball home for his third goal of the season, ending a seven-game scoring drought for the Brazilian striker.
Arena, looking for an offensive spark, inserted Jozy Altidore in the 57th minute for winger van den Bergh, and it had the desired result just a few minutes later when Clint Mathis played Altidore into space behind Boswell. The United central defender promptly pulled the youngster down to prevent a breakaway, earning his second yellow of the game giving the Red Bulls the man advantage.
Arena brought on Jeff Parke in for a tiring Schopp in the 66th minute, but the defensive reinforcement didn't help as United extended their lead just six minutes later.
Despite being a man down, United again got in behind the Red Bulls' defense. Brian Carroll received a pass in the middle of the field about 25 yards from net from Gomez on the left, turned and fed a wide open Olsen into the right hand side of the box. Stammler did well to track down Olsen, but the United midfielder simply faked a right-footed shot, pulled the ball back to his left, and knocked a deflected shot off Waterreus into the net for a commanding 3-1 lead.
Olsen wasn't finished, however, when he received a ball from Gomez in the middle of the park and hit a wicked volley to the upper right-hand side of the net to complete his hat trick in the 84th minute for a 4-1 D.C. lead.
Angel pulled one back just minutes later after latching onto a header nodded on by Altidore. The Colombian coolly slotted the ball home for his seventh goal in six games, but it was not enough as D.C. United cruised home to victory.
Jordan Brown is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
