On a classic rainy night at RFK, D.C. United battled Sporting Kansas City to a 0-0 draw, earning the Black-and-Red a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. As the first Eastern Conference team to clinch, United played with typical grit and heart to solidify its place in the postseason.
The shutout of the reigning MLS Cup champions was United’s 11th of the season, and it ended the regular season series 2-1-0, giving D.C. seven points from a possible nine against SKC.
“You heard the guys at halftime in the locker room saying let’s keep this zero, let’s get a goal,” Assistant Coach Chad Ashton said. “We certainly had our chances, but that’s what you want. That’s a good trait for a team, to always want more, never be satisfied. We’re in now, and now we can concentrate on trying to win the East.”
This match had a typical playoff feel to it. Though United had a few chances at goal, it was a defensive battle that saw great individual and team efforts from both sides.
“These games just become tighter,” Ashton said. “Teams are afraid to make mistakes, they’re afraid to open up. I think we gradually start to figure out how we are going to be successful in this environment.”
While the entire squad, from goalkeeper Bill Hamid through the forwards put in the work necessary to earn the point and keep the zero, rookie center back Steven Birnbaum continues to impress. He shut down Dom Dwyer, the second-leading scorer in MLS (20 goals), and the rest of Kansas City’s experienced attack, showing the poise of a veteran.
“Birnbaum is a stud,” said Ashton. “I can’t say enough about him, for a guy of his age to step in as a rookie and basically fill the void of Jeff Parke, it’s just incredible. There are not many guys over the history of this league who could step in and do the job he’s done. In my mind, he is clear cut Rookie of the Year.”
Talk of end-of-season awards and the fast-approaching playoffs means an end to the regular season, a time when everything matters that little bit extra. United understands this, but knows the importance of taking a step away before moving forward. The team welcomed the extra days of training and rest before returning to action at Houston on Sunday (3:00 p.m. - dcunited.com/live).
“The fact that we clinched, it’s nice to able to take a breath and get away, maybe even take a break somewhere within the week,” he said. “We still need some freshening up. We understand that we need to take the time and relax and get our legs back and continue to grow here to do what we have to do.”
United continues its run atop of the Eastern Conference this Sunday against the Houston Dynamo, then returns home to host the Chicago Fire in the last regular season home match. Buy your tickets now!
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