In front of a crowd of the 14.088 in a chilly evening D.C. United showed that they had finally found their game, winning not only their first game of the season but their first game in the past six weeks.
The Black-and-Red team started the game this Saturday as a well-oiled machine with defense, midfielders and attack all synchronized creating goals opportunities right from the 2nd minute of the game with Marcelo Sarva. Espindola, Nick DeLeon, and Steve Birnbaum also made the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Goal Keeper, David Ousted, work hard.
D.C. United’s first goal came in the 38th minute with Espindola after Ousted’s save from Rolfe attempt from outside the penalty area.
However, that was only one of the two goals Espindola would score that day.
The second goal came in the 54th minute, after a corner kick by Taylor Kemp and headed by Birnbaum that hit the crossbar and Espindola finished with a kick from 4 yards away.
Vancouver tried its best, but missing two of its starters players the defensive midfielder Matias Laba out with a suspension and the central midfielder Pedro Morales out with injury there was not much to do.
They tried to change the game during the second half of the match, using all of its substitutions by the 67th minute, but it was not enough to stop the Black-and-Red that scored two more times with incredible goals by Alvaro Saborio with the assistance of Luciano Acosta.
Head Coach Ben Olsen is happy with the group he is working with “Satisfaction is a good word. I’m glad we hung in there with that group of guys and continued to grow and not panic. We are better off for it.”
D.C. United will play again next Saturday, April 16th against Toronto FC.
D.C. United
Vancouver Whitecaps
