|
Acosta's game-winner came just seconds after
Wayne Rooney sprinted back to stop an Orlando City breakaway at
midfield with the D.C. United net empty. Rooney then spun around
and booted a long crossing pass to Acosta, who headed it into
the net from the left corner of the 6-yard box for his fourth
goal of the season.
David Ousted made three saves for D.C. United (5-9-6, 21
points), which improved to 2-0-1 in its past three games. D.C.
United remains in last place in MLS' Eastern Conference but has
at least three games in hand on each of the other 10 teams.
Dom Dwyer scored his 11th goal of the season and Joe Bendik
stopped three shots for the Lions (7-15-2, 23 points). However,
eighth-place Orlando City lost their ninth consecutive road game
and are now 0-5-1 in their past six games.
Orlando City, which came into the contest allowing an MLS-worst
54 goals in 23 matches, and D.C. United, which had allowed the
sixth-most goals (36), both focused on defense at the start with
few quality chances in the first 40 minutes.
Rooney had the best chance in the first 22 minutes when he had a
breakaway that started about 10 yards outside the penalty box.
However, Lions midfielder Oriol Rosell caught up with Rooney
before he could attempt a shot, and the former Premier League
star instead had to pull the ball out and pass it to trailing
Zoltan Stieber, whose left-footed attempt sailed wide of the
goal.
The Lions' best early scoring chance occurred when midfielder
Chris Mueller came in free on the right side of the penalty box
and fired a right-footed shot toward the near top corner of the
net. A leaping Ousted knocked the ball away in the 28th minute.
D.C. United's first shot on target didn't come until the fourth
minute of first-half stoppage time when Acosta, breaking in on
the right side of the penalty box, took a pass from Rooney and
blasted a shot past Bendik into the far corner of the net.
D.C. had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 47th minute, but
Stieber's left-footed shot from just outside the top of the box
hit the left post and bounced out of bounds.
Orlando City tied it 1-1 three minutes later when Rosell's
crossing pass from near the right goal line hit Ousted's back
foot and caromed in for an own goal.
In the 55th minute, Orlando City's Cristian Higuita was
red-carded for violent conduct after elbowing Yamil Asad in the
face as they ran down the field. The Lions were forced to play
with 10 men the rest of the way.
Acosta made it 2-1 in the 64th minute when he redirected Asad's
long looping pass through the legs of Bendik before crashing
into the Orlando City goalie. The play was initially ruled
offside, but the goal was eventually allowed following a video
review.
Dwyer tied it in the 71st minute, breaking in alone after taking
a pass from Rosell and then scooping a short shot over Ousted's
shoulder.
Bendik had two big saves down the stretch to keep the match
even, stopping a short left-footed shot by Darren Mattocks in
the middle of the box off a nice feed by Rooney in the 85th
minute and also a short header by Kofi Opare in stoppage time
before allowing Acosta's game-winner.
--Field Level Media
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
