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DC United Wins Late Thanks to Two-Late Goals Against Toronto FC

MLS: Toronto FC at D.C. United as D.C. United Wins Late at Audi Field

ANALYSIS – DC United wins thanks to two late goals against Toronto FC. A big reason for their success was their ability to create space as well as TFC giving them a lot of space. The credit though should go to D.C., who were able to win the game as they never gave up at Audi Field.

DC United Wins Late in the Home Opener at Audi Field

Three Keys to the Game

D.C. United Took Advantage of the Space They Had Against Toronto FC

D.C. United had a lot of space to work with against TFC. Toronto FC’s defence was not tight, but it was also a credit to United’s speed, which was too fast for the TFC defence and also midfielders. There were many instances when United’s speed was too much for the Reds.

  • The goal scored by Mateusz Klich was a classic example of this. The former Leeds United striker had all the time to prepare and place the ball perfectly past goalkeeper, Sean Johnson.
  • Pedro Santos had a lot of room with the ball, the only thing was that his cross was not met by any D.C. United players early in the half.

Looking at the two goals scored, that happened because TFC’s defence was not tight enough against Washington D.C. Looking at the second and third D.C. goals, that was clearly the case. The second and third goals were also team goals.

The second one was scored by Christian Benteke, who got a great pass from Theodore Ku-DiPietro in the 90-minute. Then, in the 90+8-minute of play, Mohanad Jeahze delivered a great pass to Ku-DiPietro for the goal. Notice with the game-winning goal, TFC had trouble keeping up with D.C.’s defence. Also, Toronto did not defend well as they allowed the passes/crosses to go into their box both times a bit too easily as D.C. took advantage of the space late in the game.

These were just some of the examples TFC had with defending. They were better defensively in the second half than in the first half. However, overall, they were too many instances where D.C. was allowed to get near TFC’s box too many times.

 

READ MORE: 2023 Toronto FC Season: Cautious Optimism

Toronto FC Struggled Early in the Game

Toronto FC really struggled early in the game. One thing to note was the turnovers TFC committed throughout the game. They did not look sharp and gave the ball away too easily at times.

  • In the ninth minute, Toronto FC gave the ball right back to D.C. United.
  • Mark-Anthony Kaye turned over the ball, which resulted in a United scoring chance.

Overall, the midfield and defence did not have a great game. For much of the first half, it felt like TFC’s midfield had a lot of trouble and it resulted in many D.C. scoring chances. They will need to play tighter defensively in future games if they want to get a result. What was also noticeable was D.C.’s goalkeeper, Tyler Miller, who passed the ball to his teammates, which sometimes resulted in a scoring chance for D.C. United a few times on the other end.

D.C. United Played Well Enough Defensively

D.C. United did not play great defensively. However, they did just enough to win the game. They were two plays in particular that helped United win the game. These were:

  • Michael Bradley’s shot was blocked early in the game.
  • Matai Akinmboni made a fantastic defensive play against Richie Laryea.

 

There were instances where United had trouble with TFC’s defence, as they had trouble with Toronto FC’s press in most of the second half. The goal scored by Mark-Anthony Kaye was a clear example of this as Tyler Miller was forced to make a stop from Federico Bernardeschi’s shot. The defence though was not able to clear it as Kaye scored TFC’s second goal. The tackle inside the box was made by Akinmboni on Richie Laryea, this resulted in Bernardeschi’s goal.

In general, United did a much better job defending TFC in the first half than in the second half. It felt like they kept the TFC offensive players quiet in the first half, even though Toronto did have some great chances that they failed to convert on.

Other Factors as DC United Wins Late at Audi Field

Lorenzo Insigne getting injured was a big setback for Toronto FC. It is unclear what Insigne’s injury is, but it did not look good. Losing one of Toronto’s Designated Players was not something TFC planned. Ayo Akinola could be a great replacement for Bernardeschi if his 2020 form can return. Akinola had a great chance late in the first half, but overran the ball and wasted the scoring opportunity.

Defence continues to be a question TFC will need to ask themselves. They were not tight enough and gave D.C. far too much space to create crosses for themselves. Toronto’s defence also looked slow against D.C.’s attack.

For D.C., it was a moment of nothing but euphoria as they opened the MLS season with late goals in the 90 and the 90+8 minutes of play. Also, it was a special moment for former Leeds United striker, Klich, who scored his first-ever MLS goal.

READ MORE: Toronto FC 2022 MLS SuperDraft Picks – Analysis

Games Coming up for Both Teams

Both teams have a full week before getting back to it next week. D.C. United will travel in Columbus Crew SC’s home opener at 7:30 p.m. ET next Saturday at Lower.com Field. At the exact same time and date, TFC will play in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both games will be shown live on Apple TV.

It is too soon to see if these wins and losses throughout the league are trends or not. It is important to wait and see how all these MLS teams perform in the future.

 

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports on February 25, 2023, of a D.C. United Headshot

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