WASHINGTON ā Naturally, there was heartbreak in the D.C. United locker room at RFK Stadium after Wednesday nightās 2-1 US Open Cup overtime loss to the Columbus Crew.
But there was also confusion and anger, all centered around the 59th-minute ejection of Pablo Hernandez, a fateful call that turned a dramatic match on its head.
Most of the DC players and coaches did not see the tussle between HernƔndez and Crew midfielder Danny O'Rourke as it happened. During postgame media availability, several asked reporters what had taken place.
A staff member cued up footage of the incident on the locker roomās big-screen TV and replayed it over and over as nearly the entire squad watched intently, prompting bewilderment from some and vocal outrage from others, especially club president Kevin Payne.
The decision to dismiss HernĆ”ndez and caution OāRourke despite his violent reaction was the most controversial moment of a disappointing night for D.C. United, who will miss the final after making it there for the past two years.
And it marked the latest wallop from lady luck in a season which has been chock-full of them for United.
āHe kicked me on my stomach and I sort of reacted, but I didnāt hit him,ā HernĆ”ndez said. āThat wasnāt my intention. I thought that the [red] card wouldāve been for him. I was surprised.
āI thought about my teammates,ā added the Argentine, who had earned and then scored a penalty kick to give United the lead some 45 minutes prior. āI let them down. I want to say Iām sorry to my teammates, but I didnāt expect that decision by the referee at all.ā
The Black-and-Red may not have deserved to play a man down for the final hour of the 120-minute contest. Yet they responded to the setback with grit, matching Columbus with 10 men as they labored to give their fans some joy in the final competition in which they remained contenders.
But they had only themselves to blame for their inability to hold off the Crew at the end of regulation, surrendering Andy Iroās 89th-minute equalizer on a chaotic goalmouth sequence, as well as their failure to convert two golden opportunities to score afterwards.
First Andy Najar, then Dejan Jakovic raced downfield to cap rapid counterattacks, only to miss the target from close range with Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum at their mercy.
āThey had it,ā D.C. interim head coach Ben Olsen said. āWhat do you want me to say? They had it. In the end, youāve got to finish it out. The guys, Iām very proud of them. They just canāt reward themselves. Itās very frustrating.
āItās becoming a gutsy group. I just wish we would reward ourselves for some of the good work we do. Itās pretty cruel sometimes when the guys, for the most part, do what I ask. They come out and they fight, they make chances and we just donāt reward ourselves.ā