On Thursday evening D.C. United’s slow start to the season continued, as they were beaten 2-1 by the Columbus Crew. United also lost in front of their home fans, who are starting to grumble because of the high expectations of the team after all the off season acquisitions. To add salt to the wound, not only for the team but for the fans as well, Columbus won the game on an own goal by United.
The score was tied 1-1 in the first half and Columbus’s Adam Moffat was on the edge of the penalty box and sent a cross to Alejandro Moreno was surrounded in the box by both Bryan Namoff and Gonzalo Peralta in front of the United goal. Peralta jumped for the ball in order to clear it but instead he accidentally headed the ball into his own goal giving Columbus a 2-1 lead heading into halftime, which would eventually be the final score.
In the 42nd minute Namoff scored his 2nd career MLS goal and his first goal since back in the 2005 season. Even though the goal that decided the game was an own goal the goal for United was also a little lucky. Luciano Emilio found Namoff wide-open 15 yards from the goal and Columbus’ Frankie Hejduk slid to block Namoff’s shot but the ball hit Hejduk’s heel and right into the Columbus goal.
The first goal of the game came in the 32nd minute as Frankie Hejduk chipped a ball to Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who then sent a ball to Moreno who was cutting down the left side and sent a shot on goal from close range that found the twine to give Columbus a 1-0 lead.
In the 2nd half, with Columbus holding onto a 2-1 lead, there were several chances by both teams but neither team could find the back of the net. This was the second loss in a row for D.C. United. They are now near the bottom of the Eastern Division and it seems the team has not gelled with all the new faces on the team. United is now 1-3-0, while Columbus is 3-1-0. Fans of United had high hopes going into the season and there were a lot of experts who picked United to be the team to beat in the East. Even though the season is still young United has a lot of work to do to meet the lofty expectations that many experts and especially their fans have of the team.
