Despite two goals on the afternoon, D.C. United lost a back-and-forth affair to their I-95 rivals, the Philadelphia Union, with a 3-2 loss Saturday afternoon at Talen Energy Stadium.
Zoltán Stieber provided a goal and an assist for the Black-and-Red, but United could not complete the comeback in the second half.
Stieber gave United an early lead when he took a pass from Luciano Acosta and fired it to the back of the net past a lunging Andre Blake in the 7th minute. The goal was Stieber's first of 2018, and the second of his United career.
The goalscoring sequence was initiated by Ulises Segura, who slid to thwart a clearing attempt by Philadelphia. The ball ricocheted off Segura to the waiting foot of Yamil Asad, who directed a back-heel pass to Acosta. The Argentinian fed a perfect ball to Stieber streaking to the box before beating the 2016 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year for his first goal of the 2018 campaign.
The Union threatened to level the score with a few chances around the United's goal. The Union put five shots on target in the first half, four of which required saves by United goalkeeper Steve Clark. Ultimately, the Union leveled the score when Keegan Rosenberry’s feed to the front of the net deflected off a body into the goal. The equalizer was credited to Ilsinho in the 37th minute.
After play resumed for the final 45 minutes, the speed of the game picked up and both teams were afforded scoring chances. The Union took a 2-1 lead in the 60th minute after a header from CJ Sapong.
A ball directed into the box by Haris Medunjanin found the head of a leaping Alejandro Bedoya who directed his headed pass to Sapong for the header past Clark.
As United battled to secure an equalizer, head coach Ben Olsen went to the bench in the 68th minute for a pair of substitutes. Darren Mattocks and Bruno Miranda entered for Patrick Mullins and Luciano Acosta.
Two minutes after entering, Miranda found Stieber with a diagonal pass to the left flank. Stieber directed a cross to the far post intended for Mattocks streaking to the goal. Mattocks leapt into the air to put the ball in the back of the net off his right foot. The goal was Mattocks' third of the 2018 season.
Just two minutes after United tied the score, the Union found themselves with a chance to secure the go-ahead goal in United’s final third after a failed clearance attempt. Borek Dockal collected a pass to the left of the goal, gathered the ball and scored over Clark at the top of the net in the 72nd minute.
United’s final two chances to secure a draw went by the wayside as an on-target shot by Nick DeLeon was saved by Blake in the 77th minute and a shot from Stieber went awry in the 90th minute.
United will have two weeks off to prepare for a match on May 12 against Real Salt Lake, as the team continues their extended road trip in preparation for Audi Field’s opening on July 14 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
