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However these early returns — which included a two-goal second-half comeback in forging a 2-2 draw in opposition to the Portland Timbers on Saturday — portend properly for a crew and a bruised fan base that hasn’t had a lot to have fun in years.
United (1-0-1) is enjoying proactive, high-energy soccer underneath first-year coach Troy Lesesne, and even with prime scoring menace Christian Benteke scratched on the final minute and a deficit doubling early within the second half, the guests caught to the plan.
Some alternatives had been squandered, others thwarted by Portland goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau. United’s persistence was rewarded on Mateusz Klich’s penalty kick within the 72nd minute and teenager Kristian Fletcher’s equalizer 10 minutes later.
“Even once we’re down one-nil, you’ll be able to see us pushing the sport,” Lesesne stated. “Once we’re down two-nil, we’re pushing the sport. We’re down 2-1, we’re pushing the sport. You possibly can say ‘relentless’ is one in all your values, however that’s the motion behind it. That’s what it ought to seem like to be a relentless crew.”
Lesesne and the gamers stated they in all probability deserved a couple of level.
“We might have received the sport. We should always have received the sport,” Klich stated. “We had been the higher crew. We had higher probabilities.”
United confirmed its sturdy resolve in opposition to a Portland crew (1-0-1) that had scored six objectives within the first 151 minutes of the season, together with 4 within the opener in opposition to Colorado.
“It will have been simple to pack it in and take a look at to not let it get any worse,” stated goalkeeper Alex Bono, who made one excellent save. “However we obtained the one aim after which we felt that momentum actually shift. There have been moments after we drew degree the place we might have gone and located a winner. We had a very nice, mature efficiency.”
The present of maturity got here from a bunch that, within the late levels, included three regionally skilled prospects: Fletcher, an 18-year-old substitute from Bowie; Jackson Hopkins, a 19-year-old sub from Stafford; and Ted Ku-DiPietro, a 22-year-old starter from Oakton.
The ending unit additionally included newcomers Christopher McVey, Lucas Bartlett, Aaron Herrera on the again line and Matti Peltola in defensive midfield. Returning ahead Cristian Dájome changed Benteke, who damage his groin throughout pregame warm-ups. “I hope it’s week to week,” Lesesne stated of Benteke’s harm.
Overlapping on the correct flank, Herrera arrange a number of alternatives. On the equalizer, his low cross buzzed out of Crépeau’s diving attain and linked with Fletcher on the again aspect for a straightforward end and his second profession league aim.
“Good ball from Aaron,” Fletcher stated. “I simply wanted to be there.”
Unhappy with tying the match, United continued taking the sport to the Timbers.
After United tied it, “Klich was pushing us again upfield [to restart the game] as a result of we knew we had all of the momentum,” Herrera stated.
Lesesne stated his crew “proved one thing in themselves about the kind of character we need to show.”
Nonetheless, “nobody’s actually glad,” he added. “And that’s factor, as a result of we have to maintain that edge about what we need to do and never be glad with the purpose when actually the efficiency was in all probability extra deserving the three factors.”
The gamers credited Lesesne for instilling an aggressive mentality.
“You get that relentless kind of perspective from him, and that passes all the way down to us,” Bono stated. “It doesn’t matter what scenario we’re in, it doesn’t matter what the rating is, there’s at all times one thing to play for.”
Fletcher added, “We’ve all purchased into it.”
Klich stated, “You possibly can see the positivity across the membership. We are able to’t anticipate the subsequent sport” subsequent Sunday in Cincinnati.
United nonetheless has just a few issues to wash up. Though the creation of scoring alternatives was good, the taking pictures was untidy. Passive defending led to Portland’s first aim when Santiago Moreno strolled free on the correct flank and Dairon Asprilla slipped into place for a 10-yard shot.
On Portland’s second aim, Moreno introduced down a stray cross on the again aspect and pushed the ball previous the advancing Bono.
The Timbers Military — the green-clad fanatics behind the north aim — celebrated and Timber Joey, the lumberjack mascot, revved his chain noticed.
United was unbothered. “We didn’t have any doubt for a second that we might flip the sport round,” Fletcher stated.
Final 12 months, United didn’t file any two-goal comebacks.
“There’s one million excuses we might have used and we didn’t use a single one,” Bono stated. “We knew Christian was going to be out and we determined nothing was going to vary: the identical sport plan, the identical aggression, the identical fashion.”
