Even with D.C. United playmaker Luciano Acosta sidelined by injury, this match didn't lack for opportunities at both ends of the pitch -- but you couldn't tell it by the scoreline.
D.C. United's Bill Hamid and Sporting Kansas City counterpart Tim Melia both came up with huge saves in the early going, and the two sides played to a goalless draw in Saturday night's season opener -- the last opener at RFK Stadium for United.
Goals
None
Three Things
- WHERE'S LUCHO? Acosta, who unlocked DC's offense while on loan last year and became the team's most expensive acquisition ever when they bought him outright from Boca Juniors in the offseason, was held out with an unspecified lower body injury and no immediate timetable was given for his return.
- SAVED, SAVED, AND SAVED AGAIN: Both goalkeepers came up big in the game's opening moments, with Hamid leaping to tip away Benny Feilhaber's bending free kick in the 14th minute and Melia making a double save in the 18th 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.
- SAVED x 3, PART 2:. if you thought that sequence was crazy, you should see what happened around the turn of the 67th minute in front of Sporting's goal. First, Jimmy Medranda kept a ball from going off midfielder Roger Espinoza and in for an own goal. Then striker Dom Dwyer blocked a shot at the near post. Then Melia got down at the far post to snuff out yet another shot and defuse the threat.
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