Entering as a halftime sub for Brandon McDonald, Homegrown defender Ethan White logged time on the field – in a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Crew – for the first time since 10/22/11. Following the interval, United only allowed two shots (0 on target) and two corner kicks from the Crew. White himself posted significant numbers in key defensive categories, including successful passes (29), headers (4) and clearances (3).
“I thought defensively, almost everyone was pretty tuned in,” said Head Coach Ben Olsen. “We had a guy that had a bad night and that’s the way things have been going.”
On the flip side, United dominated just about every offensive aspect of the game, including shots (21), shots on target (6), corner kicks (6), open play crosses (26), passing accuracy (82% to the Crew’s 71%) and possession (58.3%). While the Black-and-Red’s record stands at 1-6-1, the performance on the field shows a team that is capable of so much more.
“I don’t feel like our record reflects the talent we have on his team,” said United midfielder Perry Kitchen. “It only takes one game to get this thing turned around, so we just have to stay in it, stay focused and stay positive.”
