Match Report (W17) D.C. United 2 - 1 Toronto F.C.
- elclasicohonduras
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Washington, D.C. –
D.C. United extended its unbeaten run to four matches with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night at Audi Field, as Tai Baribo converted a stoppage-time penalty to secure all three points in front of the Black-and-Red faithful.
Entering the match, D.C. United had drawn three consecutive matches against St. Louis City, CF Montréal, and the Houston Dynamo, while Toronto FC arrived in the nation's capital equally desperate for points as both clubs remained in the lower half of the Eastern Conference standings. Historically, D.C. United held the advantage in the all-time regular-season series, entering the evening with an 18-13-13 record against Toronto.
The opening 45 minutes were evenly contested, with both sides creating opportunities but struggling to find the breakthrough. That difference finally arrived in the 41st minute from a D.C. United corner kick. Kurokawa delivered an dangerous service into the penalty area that Toronto defender Kobe Franklin inadvertently headed into his own net while attempting to clear the danger. The goal was initially credited to Kye Rowles before later being ruled an own goal, giving D.C. United a deserved 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Toronto emerged from the break with renewed energy and gradually took control of possession and the tempo of the match. Sean Johnson, facing his former club for the first time since leaving Toronto, was called into action several times and produced a series of impressive saves to preserve D.C.'s lead.
The visitors' pressure eventually paid off in the 76th minute. After Johnson parried away an initial effort, Theo Corbeanu reacted quickest to the rebound and fired a volley into the net to level the score at 1-1. Toronto continued to push forward looking for a winner, but Johnson denied them on six occasions.
Just when it appeared the teams would settle for a draw, D.C. United found one final opportunity deep into stoppage time. Following a foul inside the penalty area against Dozzell, Tai Baribo stepped to the spot in the 100th minute to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory.
The victory extends D.C. United's unbeaten streak to four matches and provides another boost in the club's pursuit of an Eastern Conference playoff position.
Post-Match Quotes
René Weiler on grinding out the victory:
"We needed to keep the ball a little bit more. It's very difficult to win games and I'm very happy for the boys."
Tai Baribo on converting the match-winning penalty:
"I was ready. I always believe until the last minute."
Andre Dozzell on defending under pressure:
"There's gonna be spells where we are under pressure and we have to grind that out. We've got to be smarter in the next games. We're working on it and we're grinding for each other."
Richie Laryea on Toronto's missed opportunities:
"We were not able to do what we wanted to do in the final third. We need to get more clinical in front of goal. We created a lot of good chances in the second half that we could have scored and we didn't."
Three Points
Baribo in Contention for Golden Boot:Tai Baribo scored his 10th MLS goal of the season with the 100th-minute penalty kick and finished the match with three chances created, strengthening his case in the MLS Golden Boot race.
Johnson Shines Against His Former Club: Sean Johnson recorded six saves on seven Toronto shots, making several crucial stops during a dominant second half from the visitors to keep D.C. United in the match.
Unbeaten Run Continues : D.C. United extended its unbeaten streak to four consecutive MLS matches, recording one victory and three draws during the stretch.
Starting XIs
D.C. United (4-4-2)
Johnson; Hefti, Bartlett (C), Kurokawa, Rowles (Nealis 80'); Dozzell, Servania (Kijima 80'), Peglow (Stroud 65'), Hopkins (Peltola 65'); Baribo, Munteanu (Ordaz 85')
Unused Substitutes: Bono, Avilez, Markovic
Head Coach: René Weiler
Toronto FC (3-4-2-1)
Gavran; Monlouis (Coello 46'), Franklin, Laryea, Zimmerman, Gilman, Corbeanu (Henry 90+2'), Sallói, Osorio (C), Etienne Jr. (Mihailovic 54'), Aristizábal (Kerr 54')
Unused Substitutes: (Not listed)
Head Coach: Robin Fraser
Scoring Summary
D.C. United
41' – Kobe Franklin (Own Goal)
90+10' – Tai Baribo (Penalty)
Toronto FC
76' – Theo Corbeanu
Booking Summary
D.C. United
Munteanu (53') — Yellow Card
Toronto FC
Osorio (88') — Yellow Card
D.C. United returns to Audi Field on Saturday, August 1, when the Black-and-Red host Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC at 7:30 p.m. ET. Toronto FC travels to New York to face New York City FC on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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