DC United were once again defeated on Saturday at Crew Stadium 0-3 as the Columbus Crew handled matters fairly easily. The scoreboard at Crew Stadium set ablaze on Saturday and it was certainly not because DC United had tallied so many goals that the jumbo screen malfunctioned – if anything, the Black & Red had no use for the scoreboard at all. The continued struggle to find the back of the net continued at the weekend as the visitors did enjoy the majority of the chances on the afternoon outshooting the Crew 21-7, only six on target.
For Columbus, three shots on goal resulted in three goals. As the home side capitalized on their chances, Brandon McDonald was quite adamant that it was because of his poor play, his side lost. McDonald told reporters via The Washington Post "I know [Hamid] is pushing and working really hard. This is the most focused I've seen him since I've been with this club [for his efforts] to get on that national team. Something like that tonight is not doing him any justice and it's not his fault."
The scoreboard debacle did not slow down the home side as goals from Josh Williams, Dominic Oduro and Federico Higuain propelled the Crew to a 3-0 victory. The Columbus Crew's coach Robert Warzycha noted via Comast SportsNet Washington "We came out pretty strong. We talked about scoring the first goal and start the game well and that's what we did." And the home side certainly did that.
For the Black & Red, defensive midfielder Perry Kitchen may have been the brightest blimp on DC's radar on Saturday as he netted what looked to be the equalizer in the 23rd minute, which was then called off after he was called for a foul. Kitchen did the best he could on the afternoon holding a streaking Oduro and Higuain at bay; however with Eddie Gaven and Williams joining the attack with menacing speed – DC in many ways stood no chance.
The general sense from the DC United locker room, is frustration. Ben Olsen declined to talk about McDonald's statements as did captain Dwayne De Rosario. The entire DC staff has been frustrated with their performance this season, and after losing five straight – questions arise whether or not this losing skid is permanent and going to be a regular occurrence this season. A dismal 1-6-1 record after their first eight matches, DC United is currently off to their 2nd worst start in the club's history – a history that spans 18 years.
Next Match: May 8th (7pm) DC United vs Houston at RFK Stadium
(image courtesy of USA Today Sports Images)
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