Sometimes in soccer the ball may not always roll in your favor. For D.C. United, that trend continued on Saturday night as they drew with Toronto F.C. 1-1 at RFK Stadium.
Ben Olsen’s side may have snapped a six-match losing run in the process but a mistake paired with an unfortunate bounce cost them a chance at three points over one of Major League Soccer’s best sides.
Kofi Opare headed in the opening goal just six minutes in, finishing off Lloyd Sam’s cross. It was the defender’s first goal of the season. Sebastian Giovinco later forced a pair of saves from D.C. keeper Bill Hamid, which kept the score at 1-0 to the hosts.
As the half rolled on, Toronto failed to lack the finishing product in front of goal as Victor Vazquez and Nicolas Hasler saw attempts go astray. The first-half concluded on a dramatic note as Sam was sent off after a foul on Chris Mavinga.
Toronto got themselves back into the match early into the second-half, thanks to an own goal from D.C. defender Steve Birnbaum. However, the visitors couldn’t capitalize on the earlier sending off of Sam and both teams had to settle for a point apiece. Toronto failed to force Hamid into another save, after the score was drawn level.
D.C. United moves to 19 points on the season, and will next host Real Salt Lake on August 12. The Eastern Conference-leading Toronto FC (12-3-8) return home next Saturday for a showdown with the Portland Timbers.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Kofi Opare deserved man of the match honors for his goal in Saturday’s 1-1 draw. It was the 26-year-old’s first goal of the season, and an important one for his team.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
The dismissal of Lloyd Sam flipped the match entirely. It allowed Toronto FC to dominate possession even more than they were already doing, and could’ve been even more harmful if the visitors found a second goal.
MATCH TO FORGET
Lloyd Sam’s red card hurt his team’s chances of a possible three points Saturday evening. It was the 32-year-old’s first red card since June 2013 and it helped lead to TFC’s comeback.