WASHINGTON, D.C.--Fans at RFK Stadium have a tradition of throwing beer in the air in celebration of goals for the home team. But thanks to strong defensive play from both sides, D.C. United fans evaded the chill of a below-freezing beer shower during a scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City in Saturday night's season opener.
Missing fan favorite forward Luciano Acosta due to injury United quickly found themselves under fire. The back line of Taylor Kemp, Sean Franklin, newly-named captain Steve Birnbaum and Nick DeLeon hung in against high-powered forward Dom Dwyer and new Designated Player Gerso on the wing.
“We defended more than we would have liked,” said United coach Ben Olsen. “The guys looked after each other. I think the back four and the wide mids and the wide backs did a very good job dealing with the aggressive overlaps.”
In the 14th minute, Birnbaum made one of his few defensive mistakes and fouled Dwyer in dangerous shooting range. Veteran goalkeeper Bill Hamid bailed him out, though, when he stopped a well-struck upper-corner strike from Benny Feilhaber.
“[Hamid] was doing what he does best,” Franklin said. “He made some big saves for us tonight, and that is something we will need throughout the season.”
Four minutes later, it was Tim Melia's turn to come up big for the visitors, after he was whistled for a foul on Julian Buescher just inside the end line in the area. Melia dived to his right to parry away Marcelo Sarvas' soft attempt, then made a reaction save on Patrick Mullins' putback attempt.
Things really got crazy in the 67th minute, on a sequence that started with Lloyd Sam's corner kick for United.
First, Sporting winger Jimmy Medranda kept a ball from going off midfielder Roger Espinoza and in for an own goal. Then, Dwyer blocked DeLeon's shot at the near post, and Melia got down at the far post to snuff out yet another shot and defuse the threat.
“It was just instinct,” Dwyer said of the play. “I was near the post and the ball came out. I thought about coming out, but I stayed on the line and that was the right decision.”
