United fell to the Chicago Fire 1-0 at RFK Stadium on May 20 to end their three-match homestand.
The Black-and-Red lined up in a 4-4-2 for the first time this season with Luciano Acosta suspended because of a red card in the previous match. A transition in formation saw Patrick Mullins and Sébastien Le Toux paired up top for the first time this season, while Chris Korb slotted in at right back for his first start since Aug. 13, 2015. United came out of the gates strong and found success down the left-hand side with Lamar Neagle and Taylor Kemp linking up numerous times early on.
“I felt good," Korb said. "My fitness isn’t where it was, but it’s getting there. It sucks to get another loss, but for me, it’s good to get another 70 minutes in there and keep progressing forward.”
After both teams struggled with chances throughout the first 45 minutes, David Accam raced on to a pass behind the D.C. defense from Luis Solignac and slotted home in the 52nd minute.
“Effort is not our problem," head coach Ben Olsen said. "The will is there...a little belief right now and a little quality is the difference. We’ll keep trying to get better."
United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who surpassed 15,000 minutes played last week, had another strong performance and recorded seven saves for the second time this season. In the 85th minute, the 26-year-old Homegrown Player dove down to his right to palm away a Nemanja Nikolic effort and keep the score within reach.
Another Homegrown Player, Chris Durkin, made the bench for the first time in an MLS game for the Black-and-Red. The 17-year-old had just recently returned from international duty with the U.S. Under-17 team in Panama, and after making his D.C. United debut in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match last June, was named to the gameday 18 for the first time in Major League Soccer.
The Black-and-Red now head on the road for two matches, first to British Columbia, where they play the Vancouver Whitecaps on May 27 at BC Place, followed by Orlando to take on Orlando City SC on May 31.
