Tonight will be my first time covering DC United from the press box, and the conditions couldn't be better, with the temp. a sunny 64 degrees. There was even a match between DC United's U-16 Academy team and Real Madrid's U-16s. It was the opening match in the Tiffany Trophy Cup, a U-16 tournament pitting several area soccer academies against their international counterparts here in DC. While Real Madrid won 1-0 with a goal on a scramble at the top of the box, it was still a good game to watch.
Now there's some down time as everyone gets ready for tonight's big game, which is scheduled to kick off at 7:30. Both DC and Houston are looking for their first win of the young season. The Dynamo sit near the bottom of the Western Conference after a 1-1 tie and a 3-2 loss. DC United sits in the middle of the East with a pair of ties, the first a 2-2 draw at Los Angeles, the second a 1-1 deadlock with Chicago.
United looks forward to a full roster for tonight's game, something they haven't had in quite a while. Says the Washington Times' John Haydon;
The club was badly hit by injuries last season but enters Saturday's meeting with the Houston Dynamo healthy for the first time since June. Every player on the roster participated in training this week, and only backup goalie Josh Wicks will be sidelined against the Dynamo at RFK Stadium.
A bright spot among all the injuries has been the play of United's two first-round picks from this past draft.
[Rodney] Wallace, a Bullis School graduate who left Maryland after two seasons, has started on the left side of midfield. [Chris] Pontius, from UC Santa Barbara, started at forward and scored in the season opener at Los Angeles before shifting to the right wing last weekend against Chicago.
Even with nearly all the veterans back from injury tonight, these two may still find themselves starting because of their impressive play so far.
Houston also "expect(s) to have Brian Ching and Kei Kamara together for the first time this season", so United's defense won't have it easy. Ching is Houston's go-to guy up front. He led the Dynamo with 13 goals last season and scored in the only game he's played this season. United's D has the task of shutting him down while not letting any of Houston's other attackers sneak free. Certainly a tall order for goalie Louis Crayton's first start of the season.
Both teams are warming up on the field, and I know I'm excited to see the game start. Both squads look relaxed as they go through their routines. Hopefully that confidence carries over to the game, and we see an exciting contest tonight.
Check out the game commentary after the jump.
First Half
* Rodney Wallace streaks down the sideline after a long ball, getting position on the defender and playing the ball, which leads to a United shot that lands just over the crossbar and on top of the net.
* After Houston puts the pressure on high in the United end, the black-and-red counter, keeping the ball in the Houston half, and earning a long free kick just 5 minutes in.
* The low kick is headed out, and Houston nearly gets a breakaway, but the ball is stolen by a United defender.
* Minutes later Houston gets their own long free kick, and it's United's turn to drive it back down the field.
* Across the field the stands are packed with Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles fans, and when they start jumping up and down you can literally see the stands bending under the weight. Kinda reminds me of that old gatorade US Soccer commercial.
* Just over 10 minutes in United striker Ange N'Silu makes a great dummy move on the Houston defender and gets dragged down, earning a free kick.
* A great cross ball for United isn't finished, but is negated anyways by an offsides call.
* A nice long ball finds Dynamo forward Chris Wondolowski down the wing, and he fired a shot off the defender.
* Everything is just so precise at this level. Nearly every pass has just the right amount of pace, defenders get in perfect position to cut off passing lanes, and the players are so deliberate with almost every move they make.
* The Barra Brava fans get their first police talking-to as a full water bottle comes flying out of the stands and lands fairly close to a Dynamo player and the ref.
* Chris Pontius traps a high pass and has open space down the wing, but is whistled for a hand-ball.
* Ben Olsen gets hauled down trying to play the ball near midfield.
* DC United is really working the lead pass down the wing to the corner. N'Silu alone has had the ball 3-4 times by the corner flag.
* Emilio collects a pass at the 18, shields off the defender, and turns and fires a low shot on it. He puts it right at the keeper who makes an easy save.
* A great ball into the box finds the head of Chris Pontius, but the timing is a little off and he redirects it high over the net.
* N'Silu gets a ball in the box by the goal line, and puts the tough-angle shot right into the keeper's gut.
* Houston's Chris Wondolowski gets bumped in the corner and embellishes it with a fall, and gets no call.
* Emilio gets a tough-angle shot off in the box, and it rolls just past keeper Pat Onstad and right by the far post.
Second Half
* Just 2 minutes in Luciano Emilio chips takes a long pass off the bounce just inside the 18 and chips it over the head of Onstad for the first goal of the game.
* Ray Barrett gets a yellow card for bowling over a United player.
* United goalie Crayton gets bowled over punching out a corner kick, and the rebound is destined for twine until defender Bryan Namoff makes a stellar kick save on the goal line.
* In the 57th minute United sends in Fred to replace Christian Gomez.
* Rodney Wallace makes some nifty moves in the corner to get past two defenders, and sends in a cross that gets headed right at the feet of Onstad, who makes a nice save.
* In the 65th minute Jaime Moreno subs in for Ange N'Silu, who has played a hell of a game.
* Houston's Brian Ching is replaced by Corey Ashe.
* I'm starting to get a little annoyed by United goalie Louis Crayton. A few times now I've seen him make what appear to be easy saves that don't require much movement only to make huge dives onto his elbows afterwards. Don't get me wrong, he's made some spectacular saves, but there's no need to overly embellish the simple ones like that.
* In the 71st minute Jaime Moreno gets a red-card for a sliding tackle from behind, barely more than 5 minutes after coming onto the field as a sub.
* A long Dynamo shot sails inches over the far side of the crossbar.
* A turnover deep in the United zone gives Houston's Brian Mullan an open cross into the box, but he puts it long.
* Crayton again makes an unnecessary dive on the ball. Others in the press box are laughing about it, but I personally think Crayton is embarrassing himself.
* DC United's Greg Janicki comes off the bench for Ben Olsen in the 79th minute.
* Houston's Ricardo Clark falls flat on his face with no one near him. I hope he legitimately tripped or stumbled, because if he was trying to draw a foul it was an ugly dive.
* Crayton again with the unnecessary dive after the save. I've officially found my least favorite United player, if not soccer player overall.
* After deflecting a long shot off the crossbar, Crayton goes up for a 50-50 ball. He doesn't get it, but draws the foul.
* After getting tangled up with a Houston defender Fred gets a stern talking to with some finger waving by the ref.
* A Fred foul in the corner gives Houston a dangerous free kick. It's headed over the crossbar.
* A low shot from the top of the box goes just past the post. United got lucky, as Crayton wouldn't have had a chance.
* Emilio goes down on a 1-on-1 and draws a yellow card against Houston. The contact looked questionable, and for a second I thought the ref was going to give the card to Emilio for the dive, but apparently there was a legitimate foul.
* Chris Pontius carries the ball to the flag, but with United a man down no one was making the run to the box. He tried to force the corner kick, but Houston ends up with a goal kick.
* With only a few minutes to go and a man up, Houston is really pressing for the equalizer.
* Crayton with another unnecessary dive as he goes to pick up the loose ball in the corner of the box with no one near him. Foolish stuff.
* A 50-50 header off a corner sees Crayton get knocked over, and United gets the free kick early in extra time.
* The ref blows the whistle to signal the end of the game, and United has their first win of the season.
