Chris Pontius returned to the D.C. United boxscore in style on Saturday, notching his first goal since suffering a broken leg late last season and leading the club to a dramatic 2-1 win on the road against the New England Revolution.
WATCH: Pontius gets the winner
Pontius’ goal came from what has become a signature move from the former 2009 SuperDraft pick. After picking the ball up in the box in the 82nd minute, Pontius squared up to Revs defender Stephen McCarthy, stepped to the right, and curled a shot to the far post, around goalkeeper Matt Reis.
“[Nick DeLeon] did well to flick the ball in,” Pontius told MLSsoccer.com. “I’m just trying to chase the defender, and get one on one. It’s something I’ve been able to do before, and I did it again.”
OPTA Chalkboard: Track the match for Pontius
The win pushed D.C. United’s unbeaten streak to four games, with a taxing two-game spell in the next eight days.
“It was a huge win for us,” Pontius said. “We’ve now picked up eight points in the last four games. It’s going to be a huge week for us, so we need to pick up as many points as possible.”
Pontius also offered an intereresting look for head coach Ben Olsen, who has used his star player off the bench each of the past four games after starting him in the first two.
“He certainly made my life more difficult today, and that’s all I ask him to do,” Olsen said. “We thought we needed to be more mobile, and have someone who could run. Their backs got a little leggy, and Chris took advantage of it.”
Pontius may have gotten the accolades in the end, but Maicon Santos also found the back of the net for the second time in three games with a goal in the 19th minute that cancelled out an early strike from New England’s Saer Sene.
“You never want to give up a goal early,” defensive midfielder Perry Kitchen told MLSsoccer.com. “But we did well to get the goal back in the first half. We showed great character. Sometimes on the road you just have to dig out results, and it’s a huge three points for us.”
Added Olsen: “It’s a tough place to come. It wasn’t a great day for either team, but for us to come back from an early goal was a credit to our guys.”
WATCH: Full Match Highlights
