D.C. United’s wide play critical in 3-1 win over NYCFC

If D.C. United make a deep run in the 2016 MLS Cup playoffs they can thank Lloyd Sam and Patrick Nyarko.

Sometimes teams need a full ninety minutes to deliver a result. Other times need just a half. On Sunday afternoon at RFK Stadium for D.C. United it was a case of the latter. Thanks to two early goals from Patrick Mullins and Bobby Boswell United pulled away from New York City Football Club and would go on to win 3-1.

Mullins would open up the scoring side for D.C. in the 27th minute. He would be joined by Bobby Boswell four minutes later and Luciano Acosta just before halftime on United’s side of the scoresheet. NYCFC’s lone goal would come from David Villa in the 73rd minute. The victory was United’s (11-9-13, 36 points) first against NYCFC (14-10-9, 51 points) this season, having lost both previous encounters.

As opposed to the previous two match-ups where NYCFC appeared to have the edge in terms of attacking chances in this match United were the aggressors. United coach Ben Olsen opted to play both Lloyd Sam and Patrick Nyarko as outside midfielders with Luciano Acosta and Jared Jeffrey splitting center midfielder responsibilities. The move paid off with Acosta serving diagonal passes into both Sam and Nyarko, splitting the NYCFC defense.

More from Playing for 90

It also meant that Mullins got a chance to show off his play-making skills, as evidenced by his service out to Nyarko in the ninth minute. Although Nyarko’s shot would ultimately be saved the style of going inside, then out, then back in to break the defense would be utilized heavily during the match. A similar attempt occurred in the 15th minute when Jeffrey would find Sam outside whose cross would find Nyarko on the back post. Nyarko’s header would find Mullins but he his shot would go over the bar.

NYCFC would nearly take the lead in the 17th minute when Villa would lace in a pace for forward Jack Harrison. Harrison provided a bit of a deflection with the aim of hopefully getting past United goalkeeper Bill Hamid. But Hamid would make the stop, lifting Harrison’s chance over the bar and out of danger. Although they had more shots on target than United (eight to seven), NYCFC struggled to create opportunities inside of United’s eighteen yard box. Credit to United center-backs Steve Birnbaum and Bobby Boswell for pushing Villa and Harrison and limiting their ability to create give-and-go opportunities.

After a series of close opportunities United would finally break through in the 27th minute. Off of a low cross in from Sam, Mullins would find another opportunity on NYCFC’s back-post and deliver his eighth goal of the season.

“You see that play happen all the time and usually the ball just trickles through. Once I again, I think me and Patty just had a good understanding,” said Mullins. “He knows how to get to the front post, and he got there, so I knew I wanted to get to the back post because he had done my job and I wanted to do his.”

Sam’s crossing would also provide vital to United’s second goal just four minutes later. Off of a high corner kick by the Ghanaian international Boswell would drill a low curling header past an unsuspecting Saunders for his second goal of the 2016 campaign.

Sep 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York City FC goalkeeper Josh Saunders (12) drinks in his game against the FC Dallas at Yankee Stadium. New York City FC and FC Dallas tied, 2-2. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Saunders day in goal would go from bad to worse just before halftime. Thanks to an errant pass back from defender Andoni Iraola Saunders was forced to attempt to make a diving stop. But before he could avert disaster Mullins made the interception and found Vincent with a wide open net. The former Pittsburgh Riverhound calmly and coolly knocked home his third goal of 2016 and put United up 3-0 just before halftime.

“It was a shock because I’ve trained with Andoni Iraola for a long time. I’ve never seen them make a bad pass, really ever,” said Mullins. “It rarely happens, and it was just a crazy sequence. The ball got to my feet and then I saw Rob and he finished it off.”

“I think in the first half we didn’t play, we didn’t turn up,” said NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira. “But it’s not fair that we didn’t play. I think we just didn’t compete enough in the first half. Of course the way we wanted to play, the quality of the pitch as well didn’t help us. We didn’t manage to find the solution, and we struggled.”

Vieira remained firm after the match on his decision to use Saunders. “I think like the rest of the team, it’s difficult to pick out one player who came out with a performance today. I think Josh was like Andrea , Andoni , David , everybody. I think when players don’t perform, it’s difficult to get something from the game,” he said. “You guys analyze the game and I analyze the season so far.”

Although the loss did not affect NYCFC’s chances to qualify for the playoffs (they already had clinched a birth) it did mean that the club would not finish first in the Eastern Conference. “If you remember quite well, last year in the same period I think the football club was out of the playoffs,” said Vieira. “Tonight, we are disappointed because we can’t fight until the last day to win the Eastern Conference, and I think that shows how we improved as a football club.”