D.C. United finally got a result they wanted in this year's Carolina Challenge Cup.
After being outplayed during their first two games of the tournament, D.C. United claimed a 2-0 win over the USL First Division's Charleston Battery in the final game of the event at Blackbaud Stadium.
Luciano Emilio had a goal and an assist to lead D.C. United.
D.C. United got their first scoring chance in the 13th minute off a half-volley from midfielder Rodney Wallace from about 20 yards out.
Wallace had another scoring opportunity near the end of the first when he got behind the Battery defense again in the 40th minute from a long ball served from Christian Gomez. Wallace's half-volley from about 10 yards out beat Hudock, but the rookie from Maryland was ruled offside on the play.
D.C. United finally broke through on Emilio's goal in the 57th minute to make it a 1-0 game. Ange N'Silu got a long ball from the back that he headed forwarded to a streaking Emilio. Emilio stepped past a Battery defender and blasted a shot past Charleston keeper Keith Wiggans for the score.
Six minutes later, D.C. United striker Francis Doe got around the left side of the Battery defense and took a blast from just inside the six-yard box. Wiggans came off his line to make a diving kick save to force a corner kick.
The Battery got one of its best scoring chances in the 71st minute off a turnover. Darren Spicer ran down a badly played ball and got it wide to Tsuyoshi Yoshitake. Yoshitake ran down the right flank and served the ball to the back post to Pedro Faife. But Faife's header bounced off the goal post as United were able to clear the ball.
D.C. United pushed their advantage to 2-0 on Andrew Jacobson's goal in the 82nd minute. Emilio again started the play for D.C., getting the ball to Jacobson in the middle of the field. Jacobson took one touch and then blasted a shot on net. The ball appeared to hit someone inside the six-yard box as it bounced over a sprawled out Wiggans for the score.
Andrew Miller is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
