A water-logged Wednesday fixture between Columbus Crew SC and D.C. United at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. was decided by a trio of second-half goals. The Eastern Conference clash remained knotted and scoreless until the 71st minute, with United's Lloyd Sam, Lamar Neagle and Alvaro Saborio combining to claim maximum points against a surging Crew SC.
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Holding an overwhelming amount of possession (60-40) from start to finish, Crew SC pushed forward in search of goal-scoring chances. Despite the aggression that led to 11 shots and eight corner kicks, Crew SC placed only two shots on frame.
Crew SC goalkeeper Steve Clark made several monumental saves to keep the match scoreless early. He first saved a point-blank downward header by Patrick Mullins in the 31st minute. Then, in the 61st minute, he silenced Luciano Acosta's right-footed shot from the center of the box.
Sam's goal broke the deadlock right before he was substituted off for Neagle. Sam was chipped through in on goal, but tight defending forced him to create a challenging individual goal. With his back to goal, Sam spun to his right and aimed for the far post from almost point-blank range.
Neagle added the second in the 86th minute. He broke free into a 1-on-1 with Clark, with about 15 yards separating the two. Neagle shot low and hard to his left.
Saborio — an 86th minute substitute — scored the final goal in the 90th minute after a cut back to the penalty spot.
Crew SC will play its third match in seven days on Saturday, hosting the Chicago Fire at MAPFRE Stadium in the regular-season home finale. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
