COLUMBUS, Ohio – When their backs are to the wall, D.C. United are at their best.
D.C. United found their eighth goal in the final 15 minutes of matches this season in a 1-1 draw on the road with 10-man Columbus Crew SC on Saturday, pulling level at MAPFRE Stadium via an 89th-minute Fabian Espindola strike.
After the match, head coach Ben Olsen credited his team’s dangerous bench options for the club’s ability to earn points late.
“We’re a deeper team, so a lot of that sometimes comes down to what type of guns you have on the bench,” Olsen said. “Who can come in and change the game? We seem to have some guys who have been able to make impacts, and that’s a very healthy thing when you can look on your bench and have weapons.”
D.C. benefited from a disputed red card given to Harrison Afful in the 74th minute, following a challenge on Marcelo Sarvas. Olsen admitted that it gave his team an opening, though United were already pushing for an equalizer.
“We’re down, so of course we have to go anyway,” he said. “So now you get your wide backs that much higher and we made a few adjustments ... and then you bring [Espindola] and [Alhaji Kamara] on who can help you score goals and we found a way to get one.”
Olsen said the disputed play and an altercation between Nick DeLeon and Wil Trapp moments earlier are products of the tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
“The East is very tight,” Olsen said. “It’s going to start heating up from here. It’s natural stuff. Whether it was a red or not, I don’t know.”
Olsen said the draw showed D.C. United have “got some character in the squad,” and called the performance “our best game in a while.”
And despite not panicking about the team’s nine-point road record, Olsen admitted that some of the late draws need to turn into victories.
“Our away record overall isn’t that bad, when things shake out,” he said. “So we’ve got another one next weekend to try to continue hanging in there in some of these tough environments. But we’ve got to find ways to get wins, too. That means we have to convert chances.”
