Report and Reaction: United Destroy ‘Caps as they open their new stadium in style
Everything was set up for a day of celebration for D.C. United on Saturday as they finally opened their new stadium with an eagerly awaited home match against Vancouver Whitecaps.
D.C. delivered the goods, as Vancouver struggled yet again to a team lowly in the standings, christening the stadium with a 3-1 opening day victory thanks to a brace from Paul Arriola and an opener from Yamil Asad. Three nice goals there, and Alphonso Davies didn’t want to be left out, firing home a stoppage time cracker, but by that time it was way too little too late for the ‘Caps on a night of capital punishment for Vancouver.
Carl Robinson made only one change to last week’s starting XI, with Sean Franklin coming back in for Jake Nerwinski, while Stefan Marinovic could still only find a place on the bench on his road back from injury.
It was D.C. who had the better of the early exchanges, with Rowe saving easily from Luciano Acosta before smothering a through ball before former Whitecap Darren Mattocks could get on the end of it.
Neither team was really threatening to break the deadlock though, but that was to quickly change in the 27th minute when Audi Field was christened with its first goal and what a beauty it was as well.
The ‘Caps did a poor job at pressurising a D.C. attack, allowing the ball to be played to an unmarked Asad on the edge of the box, and the Argentine curled a beautiful shot past Rowe into the postage stamp corner.
Asad's opening goal is the first goal scored at the new Audi Field.
1-0 | #VWFC | #DCvVAN pic.twitter.com/qSY1w0U8My
— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) July 15, 2018
A great play but some sloppy stuff from Vancouver, especially Alphonso Davies who really should have done better seconds before the ball was played to Asad.
Going behind on such an occasion and in such intense heat was then always going to be an uphill struggle for the Whitecaps to overcome. But they tried to get back into the game quickly and could only look on in anguish as Kei Kamara’s header from a free kick crashed off the United crossbar.
Jose Aja came close for the ‘Caps as the half wound down, rising to meet an Efrain Juarez cross but heading wide with David Ousted flapping in the D.C. goal.
And that was to be it for the half. Not a classic, but the home side won’t have been complaining about that.
The ‘Caps half time team talk seemed to breathe new life into them and they took the game to D.C. at the start of the second half.
When Jordon Mutch was brought down on the edge of the box by Frederic Brillant in the 49th minute it looked like Vancouver would be getting a man advantage as well as a free kick. The D.C. defender had already been booked and it looked like he knew exactly what he was doing in bringing the Englishman down as he’d have been in on goal, but no second booking was given by referee Hilario Grajeda, despite Whitecaps protestations.
The free kick was put out for a corner, but Vancouver kept the pressure on and nearly got their reward when Doneil Henry rose unchallenged to meet Felipe’s delivery but headed wide of the right post.
Definitely a huge wasted opportunity for the ‘Caps to draw level, and as D.C. brought on Wayne Rooney for his MLS debut, you wondered how much they would be left to rue that.
Yordy Reyna had been pretty ineffectual up to this point, but tried a shot from the edge of the box in the 63rd minute which Ousted easily saved.
Then it all went to shite.
The end.
Sigh, ok, I’ll finish this.
D.C. United found another gear from somewhere, as Vancouver spluttered, and pretty soon the match was out of sight.
Arriola doubled D.C.’s lead in the 69th minute, finishing off a great team move that saw home horrendous defending from a number of Whitecaps, including leaving Rooney unmarked with four ‘Caps players around him but nowhere near enough to stop him playing a night lay off to help switch the play.
THIS PLACE IS HYPED. #UnitedAtHome | #DCvVAN 2-0 pic.twitter.com/FWoiV1a5pg
— D.C. United (@dcunited) July 15, 2018
That was definitely game over but like a street urchin in Dickensian London, they wanted more.
They nearly got it from a Rooney header in the 79th minute, but Rowe spoiled the narrative many reporters would have been hoping for.
The home side’s pressure didn’t lapse though and Arriola grabbed his second, and United’s third, with a 20 yarder that gave Rowe little chance.
Brace for @PaulArriola, first MLS assist for @WayneRooney! #UnitedAtHome | #DCvVAN 3-0 pic.twitter.com/lw09zVBrZf
— D.C. United (@dcunited) July 15, 2018
To their credit, and there was little of that to go around on the night, the Whitecaps showed some flashes in the closing minutes and when Reyna crashed a header off the near post, that pretty much summed up the evening.
But Vancouver weren’t to leave empty handed, with some Davies magic deep into stoppage time saw some lovely footwork to make room to drill home a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
90' Here is the wonder-strike from the kid! Take a bow, Alphonso!
3-1 | #VWFC | #DCvVAN pic.twitter.com/DvNfnmIN78
— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) July 15, 2018
A fantastic goal but scant consolation at a night where it never felt the ‘Caps were at the races. A lack of threat up front, horrible defending yet again, some strange substitutions, and the lack of a real difference maker combined for another poor outing by this up and down team this season.
One of the few plusses is that they didn’t give three points to a playoff rival, but at a time where every point is crucial, their own postseason hopes are hanging by a thinner thread as the weeks go by.
It’s the start of a very busy period for the ‘Caps, with a Canadian Championship semi-final first leg in Montreal midweek and a trip to Seattle on Saturday next up. Two matches that could very well shape how this season will be viewed.
FINAL SCORE: D.C. United 3 – 1 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 20,504
D.C.: David Ousted; Oneil Fisher, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum, Joesph More; Christopher Durkin; Zoltan Stieber, Paul Arriola (Ian Harkes 84), Luciano Acosta, Yamil Asad (Russell Canouse 89); Darren Mattocks (Wayne Rooney 58) [Subs Not Used: Steve Clark, Jalen Robinson, Junior Moreno, Bruno Miranda]
VANCOUVER: Brian Rowe; Sean Franklin (Jake Nerwinski 67), Jose Aja, Doneil Henry, Marcel de Jong; Jordon Mutch (Nicolás Mezquida 72), Efrain Juarez, Felipe Martins (Aly Ghazal 72), Alphonso Davies; Yordy Reyna, Kei Kamara [Subs Not Used: Stefan Marinović, Anthony Blondell, Brek Shea, Russell Teibert]
REACTION:
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
CARL ROBINSON
Thoughts on the game:
“Well I think the game had a little bit of everything. We knew it would be an emotional occasion, especially for D.C. United. A momentous occasion. Sell out. First game at home. You could see that the crowd was very energetic. We came with a gameplan. I think the first goal was always going to be key. Obviously they got a goal. A wonder strike from the edge of the box, which is probably fitting for the opening of a new stadium. We had a couple of chances to get back into it. Unfortunately we were unable to take them, then they got the second and third. I’m disappointed that we concede two goals from well outside the box, which is not very good, and that’s little details that we need to improve on. We kept going. We got the goal at the end, but there were a few players that were slightly off it today.”
On Alphonso Davies’ goal:
“If you look at the set pieces we had, we had a number of chances. We hit the bar, we hit the post. I think it was just reward that we got a goal out of the game. I’m disappointed that we conceded three, but on another day it could quite easily have been 3-3. It was a wonderful strike from the young boy. He kept going, the team kept going, which is credit to them as well, but we need to tidy up on the areas of individual defending. Because if we don’t, we let good players, Arriola was arguably the best players on the pitch today, and if we let good players shoot from distance, then that’s what they’ll do.”
*** Rest of the postgame reaction to follow once posted ***
Read Further on AFTN.ca
Everything was set up for a day of celebration for D.C. United on Saturday as they finally opened their new stadium with an eagerly awaited home match against Vancouver Whitecaps.
D.C. delivered the goods, as Vancouver struggled yet again to a team lowly in the standings, christening the stadium with a 3-1 opening day victory thanks to a brace from Paul Arriola and an opener from Yamil Asad. Three nice goals there, and Alphonso Davies didn’t want to be left out, firing home a stoppage time cracker, but by that time it was way too little too late for the ‘Caps on a night of capital punishment for Vancouver.
Carl Robinson made only one change to last week’s starting XI, with Sean Franklin coming back in for Jake Nerwinski, while Stefan Marinovic could still only find a place on the bench on his road back from injury.
It was D.C. who had the better of the early exchanges, with Rowe saving easily from Luciano Acosta before smothering a through ball before former Whitecap Darren Mattocks could get on the end of it.
Neither team was really threatening to break the deadlock though, but that was to quickly change in the 27th minute when Audi Field was christened with its first goal and what a beauty it was as well.
The ‘Caps did a poor job at pressurising a D.C. attack, allowing the ball to be played to an unmarked Asad on the edge of the box, and the Argentine curled a beautiful shot past Rowe into the postage stamp corner.
Asad's opening goal is the first goal scored at the new Audi Field.
1-0 | #VWFC | #DCvVAN pic.twitter.com/qSY1w0U8My
— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) July 15, 2018
A great play but some sloppy stuff from Vancouver, especially Alphonso Davies who really should have done better seconds before the ball was played to Asad.
Going behind on such an occasion and in such intense heat was then always going to be an uphill struggle for the Whitecaps to overcome. But they tried to get back into the game quickly and could only look on in anguish as Kei Kamara’s header from a free kick crashed off the United crossbar.
Jose Aja came close for the ‘Caps as the half wound down, rising to meet an Efrain Juarez cross but heading wide with David Ousted flapping in the D.C. goal.
And that was to be it for the half. Not a classic, but the home side won’t have been complaining about that.
The ‘Caps half time team talk seemed to breathe new life into them and they took the game to D.C. at the start of the second half.
When Jordon Mutch was brought down on the edge of the box by Frederic Brillant in the 49th minute it looked like Vancouver would be getting a man advantage as well as a free kick. The D.C. defender had already been booked and it looked like he knew exactly what he was doing in bringing the Englishman down as he’d have been in on goal, but no second booking was given by referee Hilario Grajeda, despite Whitecaps protestations.
The free kick was put out for a corner, but Vancouver kept the pressure on and nearly got their reward when Doneil Henry rose unchallenged to meet Felipe’s delivery but headed wide of the right post.
Definitely a huge wasted opportunity for the ‘Caps to draw level, and as D.C. brought on Wayne Rooney for his MLS debut, you wondered how much they would be left to rue that.
Yordy Reyna had been pretty ineffectual up to this point, but tried a shot from the edge of the box in the 63rd minute which Ousted easily saved.
Then it all went to shite.
The end.
Sigh, ok, I’ll finish this.
D.C. United found another gear from somewhere, as Vancouver spluttered, and pretty soon the match was out of sight.
Arriola doubled D.C.’s lead in the 69th minute, finishing off a great team move that saw home horrendous defending from a number of Whitecaps, including leaving Rooney unmarked with four ‘Caps players around him but nowhere near enough to stop him playing a night lay off to help switch the play.
THIS PLACE IS HYPED. #UnitedAtHome | #DCvVAN 2-0 pic.twitter.com/FWoiV1a5pg
— D.C. United (@dcunited) July 15, 2018
That was definitely game over but like a street urchin in Dickensian London, they wanted more.
They nearly got it from a Rooney header in the 79th minute, but Rowe spoiled the narrative many reporters would have been hoping for.
The home side’s pressure didn’t lapse though and Arriola grabbed his second, and United’s third, with a 20 yarder that gave Rowe little chance.
Brace for @PaulArriola, first MLS assist for @WayneRooney! #UnitedAtHome | #DCvVAN 3-0 pic.twitter.com/lw09zVBrZf
— D.C. United (@dcunited) July 15, 2018
To their credit, and there was little of that to go around on the night, the Whitecaps showed some flashes in the closing minutes and when Reyna crashed a header off the near post, that pretty much summed up the evening.
But Vancouver weren’t to leave empty handed, with some Davies magic deep into stoppage time saw some lovely footwork to make room to drill home a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
90' Here is the wonder-strike from the kid! Take a bow, Alphonso!
3-1 | #VWFC | #DCvVAN pic.twitter.com/DvNfnmIN78
— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) July 15, 2018
A fantastic goal but scant consolation at a night where it never felt the ‘Caps were at the races. A lack of threat up front, horrible defending yet again, some strange substitutions, and the lack of a real difference maker combined for another poor outing by this up and down team this season.
One of the few plusses is that they didn’t give three points to a playoff rival, but at a time where every point is crucial, their own postseason hopes are hanging by a thinner thread as the weeks go by.
It’s the start of a very busy period for the ‘Caps, with a Canadian Championship semi-final first leg in Montreal midweek and a trip to Seattle on Saturday next up. Two matches that could very well shape how this season will be viewed.
FINAL SCORE: D.C. United 3 – 1 Vancouver Whitecaps
ATT: 20,504
D.C.: David Ousted; Oneil Fisher, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum, Joesph More; Christopher Durkin; Zoltan Stieber, Paul Arriola (Ian Harkes 84), Luciano Acosta, Yamil Asad (Russell Canouse 89); Darren Mattocks (Wayne Rooney 58) [Subs Not Used: Steve Clark, Jalen Robinson, Junior Moreno, Bruno Miranda]
VANCOUVER: Brian Rowe; Sean Franklin (Jake Nerwinski 67), Jose Aja, Doneil Henry, Marcel de Jong; Jordon Mutch (Nicolás Mezquida 72), Efrain Juarez, Felipe Martins (Aly Ghazal 72), Alphonso Davies; Yordy Reyna, Kei Kamara [Subs Not Used: Stefan Marinović, Anthony Blondell, Brek Shea, Russell Teibert]
REACTION:
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
CARL ROBINSON
Thoughts on the game:
“Well I think the game had a little bit of everything. We knew it would be an emotional occasion, especially for D.C. United. A momentous occasion. Sell out. First game at home. You could see that the crowd was very energetic. We came with a gameplan. I think the first goal was always going to be key. Obviously they got a goal. A wonder strike from the edge of the box, which is probably fitting for the opening of a new stadium. We had a couple of chances to get back into it. Unfortunately we were unable to take them, then they got the second and third. I’m disappointed that we concede two goals from well outside the box, which is not very good, and that’s little details that we need to improve on. We kept going. We got the goal at the end, but there were a few players that were slightly off it today.”
On Alphonso Davies’ goal:
“If you look at the set pieces we had, we had a number of chances. We hit the bar, we hit the post. I think it was just reward that we got a goal out of the game. I’m disappointed that we conceded three, but on another day it could quite easily have been 3-3. It was a wonderful strike from the young boy. He kept going, the team kept going, which is credit to them as well, but we need to tidy up on the areas of individual defending. Because if we don’t, we let good players, Arriola was arguably the best players on the pitch today, and if we let good players shoot from distance, then that’s what they’ll do.”
*** Rest of the postgame reaction to follow once posted ***
Read Further on AFTN.ca
