Revolution, D.C. United play to 2-2 draw at Gillette
FOXBORO — D.C. United Coach Ben Olsen has been talking up his roster depth since training camp in Florida, and on a cool, clammy New England night seven weeks into the season, he put his faith in the reserves to the test.
With six injured starters out of the lineup Saturday, United created a wealth of danger in a free-flowing MLS match and seized its first away point with a 2-2 draw against the New England Revolution before an announced 16,591 at Gillette Stadium.
Jared Jeffrey and Sebastien Le Toux scored two minutes apart in the first half, but United (2-3-2) conceded the equalizer shortly after intermission against New England team (2-33), which was playing its second game in four days.
Given the circumstances, United shouldn't have any qualms with the outcome. What gnawed at Olsen and the players was conceding goals early in each half.
“We performed well for maybe 80 minutes,” Le Toux said. “The first five minutes of each half we were maybe not as awake as the rest of the game.”
The personnel issues played a part. United center back Steve Birnbaum, the captain, sat out with a concussion. Midfielder Patrick Nyarko (hamstring) and defender Nick DeLeon (groin) stayed behind.
Forward Patrick Mullins seemed set to rejoin the group after recovering from a hamstring ailment but, as a precaution, remained in Washington.
Playmaker Luciano Acosta (sore ankle) and left back Taylor Kemp (illness) traveled but didn't start.
Kofi Opare, in place of Birnbaum, made his first start of the year. Maxim Tissot, in place of Kemp, made his first appearance of the year. Lamar Neagle, in place of Nyarko, made his first start of the year.
Le Toux was in the lineup for the first time, getting the nod instead of Jose Guillermo Ortiz, who had started the previous three games.
Sean Franklin started for DeLeon. And Jeffrey and Marcelo Sarvas partnered in central midfield, putting the onus on rookie Ian Harkes to create in Acosta's absence.
Just 4 ½ minutes into the match, New England's Kei Kamara swung a cross that met Lee Nguyen on the run behind Opare for a sixyard header into the near corner for his fourth goal of the campaign.
“It was very disappointing,” Jeffrey said. “We talked a lot about reactions this week, especially after last week giving up a goal so early in the second half” of a scoreless game against the New York Red Bulls.
Harkes had a grand threat in the 14th minute, ripping a 20-yarder off the left post. Bill Hamid made a soaring touch save on Kamara's header and a diving slap on Diego Fagundez's distant effort.
United drew even in the 26th minute. Jeffrey pounced on Kamara's clearance of Sarvas's cross, slicing an 18-yard one-timer beyond Cody Cropper's extension and into the right corner for his first goal since last July in Toronto.
Two minutes later, Lloyd Sam played a through ball ahead of Le Toux in stride. Cropper raced off his line, figuring he could beat the forward to it. He miscalculated.
Le Toux got there first and flipped the ball over the keeper and into the far corner before retreating Josh Smith could catch up for his 58th regular season goal on the occasion of his 200th start.
The opportunities continued to flow right up to intermission: Cropper made sterling saves on Franklin and Opare, and Harkes's header hit the crossbar.
New England needed less than three minutes of the second half to level the score. Off a corner kick, Antonio Delamea headed from the back side to the six-yard box, where Juan Agudelo appeared to stab it on target. Official scoring ruled an own goal on Franklin. Nonetheless, the Revolution had earned it.
United struck the frame for the third time on Neagle's glancing header in the 61st minute. Hamid made a soaring stop on Kamara's bid in the 73rd.
Olsen turned to his bench, bringing on Ortiz and Acosta. The Revolution, though, was the greater threat to scoring a late goal. Kamara's close-range blast crashed off the near post and the hosts buzzed with threats down the stretch. New England finished with 15 corner kicks.
“It's a very satisfying point,” Olsen said. “We're not happy about starting off the game and the second half in that way, but the chances we created, the ability to bounce back in the first half and then to hold on down the stretch” offered encouragement heading into the last leg of a three-game away stretch next Sunday at expansion Atlanta.