It was Luciano Emilio from the right, Luciano Emilio from the left -- and D.C. United got their first road win of the season.
Given little chance to steal a win from the stingy Fire, United came back from a one-goal deficit, then stole the victory with a stoppage-time goal by Emilio to beat the Fire 2-1 at Toyota Park. United were 0-5-1 in road games coming into the contest, and trailed the Fire in the Eastern Conference standings by nine points.
The Fire had given up just six goals in their first nine games. The victory gives United a 2-0-1 record in their last three games, and provides a lift to a team that lost four consecutive games in early May.
"We want to keep building on what we have done," United coach Tom Soehn said. "We are getting results. We are getting 10 or 11 shots on goal, which means we are doing something right."
D.C. United had 10 shots on goal Saturday to just five for the Fire. The victory came despite being a man down after Bryan Namoff was sent off in the 88th minute for his second yellow card in four minutes. United had already lost midfielder Marcelo Gallardo in a mixup with Fire defender Brandon Prideaux in the 55th minute. Prideaux was also sent off.
"I give them a lot of credit, even when they were a man down. Luciano didn't make the play by himself," Soehn said.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, United tied the game in the 63rd minute when Emilio set up Jaime Moreno for his sixth goal. Emilio dribbled the ball on an angle on the right side toward two Fire defenders, cut back to the middle and fired a shot that glanced off Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch's glove to the foot of Moreno who was right in front of the goal.
The game winner came in the second minute of stoppage time. With the Fire pushing forward for a win at home, the ball shot back the other direction in a classic counter, and Emilio ended up facing Fire defender Diego Gutierrez 1-on-1 on the left side.
Attacking on an angle, Emilio waited for defender Dasan Robinson to get back, then cut back to the middle again while Gutierrez and Robinson danced around the ball, and Emilio's right foot shot went inside the near post past Jon Busch for the win.
"Even with the second card, our guys didn't quit," Soehn said. "When you out-compete someone, good things happen."
"It shows we have a lot of heart and character," said Moreno about winning while a man down. "We are happy with the three points, but we know there is a lot of play out there. The hardest thing is to maintain the same level. That is what we are going to work at, having the same attitude."
Emilio's goal was his fourth of the season and he has scored in each of the last three games.
"I said all along with Luci, you don't want to be the first one he scores on, because he is going to start putting them in regularly," Soehn said.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
