A dynamic performance from prodigal son Santino Quaranta sparked D.C. United's fickle strike force back into life with two goals in the first five minutes in a 4-1 victory against Toronto FC on Saturday night, as four different players found net for the Black-and-Red in front of a festive crowd at RFK Stadium.
With United suffering through a two-match goal drought, Quaranta earned the nod ahead of Argentinean Franco Niell in the second striker spot alongside Luciano Emilio and quickly repaid head coach Tom Soehn's trust with a fifth-minute tally to open his scoring account for 2008.
It was the first start for the Baltimore native in his return to D.C. and he capped his evening with an assist on Marcelo Gallardo's close-range finish seven minutes after halftime.
"It was a really humbling experience tonight, because it's been a while since I've, I guess, succeeded and enjoyed the game and it was pleasurable tonight," said Quaranta. "It was just nice to be out there in front of the fans again, working hard."
Soehn made the move based on his analysis of last Tuesday's CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal first-leg loss to Pachuca CF, citing dissatisfaction with Niell's defensive work up top.
"The pressure from the front runners, making sure that you dictate which way they go and making it harder for their backs, Franco's still got to learn how we do things," explained the D.C. boss. "Tino's been here before and he understands it a little bit better, so we're going to have to spend some time with Franco so he understands it. But Tino added a lot of energy and life, and his feet were good today."
Kevin Harmse's early red card simplified United's task, forcing the visitors to chase the game shorthanded for more than an hour. But while racking up a comfortable home win against a 10-man team pales in comparison to the task of vanquishing one of the best teams in Mexico, the result offers renewed hope for Wednesday night's crucial Champions' Cup second leg against Pachuca CF.
D.C. will need a victory of at least two goals to revive their hopes for a trip to the continental final, a tall task against 'Los Tuzos' -- but Saturday's display provided a reminder of United's dramatically enhanced comfort level on their home field and with that in mind, they'll be eager to attack their Mexican visitors from the opening whistle.
"We look to do it every time we step on the field at RFK," said midfielder Devon McTavish of his team's forceful start. "It'll be a little different match against Pachuca, but if we can do that, if we can score a quick goal then put them on their heels a bit, completely change the game, then that's an advantage for us."
In another encouraging development for United, captain Jaime Moreno logged 45 solid minutes in his first appearance since a strained hamstring forced him off in the first half of the Champions' Cup opener against Harbour View FC. The Bolivian displayed a good understanding with Emilio and Gallardo and notched a 78th-minute goal that suggests he could yet play a telling role in the Pachuca series.
"For me it was important to get Jaime into the game and get some fitness for him. The way the game was, it was a good game to get him in, because now he can get a lot of touches on the ball," said Soehn. "He's got a calming force, you know. His feet are good. And his experience now, we wanted to keep the ball and let them work, and obviously that's one of his strengths."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
