D.C. United defeated Atlanta for the third consecutive time on Wednesday night, this time with a 1-0 victory at RFK Stadium. The Black-and-Red have now won back-to-back matches for the first time since April.
The first half of the game featured chances from both sides, with Atlanta testing United's back line early. Strong defense from Kofi Opare, Nick DeLeon, Jalen Robinson, and Chris Korb, combined with some timely saves from Bill Hamid, kept Atlanta off the board, though.
United also had chances of their own, with Russell Canouse, Luciano Acosta, Lloyd Sam, and Paul Arriola leading the attack, but the teams entered halftime tied 0-0.
The Black-and-Red's breakthrough came in the 46th minute when opportunity met luck. After Canouse fired a screamer that was saved by Guzan, United recovered the ball in the box. Sam sent a cross to Canouse, who attempted to head the ball across frame, but the ball deflected off of Atlanta's Michael Parkhurst for an own goal.
While Atlanta pressed hard for an equalizer, United's defense remained tight, and the Black-and-Red held on for the 1-0 victory. Now, with two consecutive wins under their belts, United will push to keep the momentum going when they take on New England at home on Saturday.
"We still believe, we’re just trying to take it game by game," Opare said following the match. "Obviously, today was an important three points, but we’ve gotta look forward to the game versus New England. Another big game. As long as we continue to improve game by game, that’s always great to see."
After earning back-to-back 1-0 victories courtesy of own goals for the first time in MLS history, United now shoulder a quick turnaround and host the New England Revolution at RFK on Saturday at 7:30 PM.
