First-half goals from Lamar Neagle and Sean Franklin proved to be the difference under the Saturday night lights of RFK Stadium, as United (5-6-5) topped the New England Revolution 2-0 and earned three crucial points in head coach Ben Olsen’s 100th home game—his 46th home victory at the helm of the Red-and-Black.
Lamar Neagle’s sure-footed volley in the 20th minute off a Luciano Acosta cross found the top-left corner and Sean Franklin’s finish in the 27th minute punched-in D.C.’s second goal of the night. It was Franklin’s first goal since May 2, 2015, and only his third in a Black-and-Red uniform.
But with set piece goals plaguing the Black-and-Red this season, goalkeeper Bill Hamid and his defensive team had their hands full with the presence of New England’s newest attacking piece, Kei Kamara. In the 2015 season, Kamara scored 22 goals in 32 matches with the Columbus Crew, leading the Crew to the MLS Cup Final. In 2016, Kamara has scored five times, but since his trade to the Revolution on May 12, he has made only five appearances and has yet to score in 450 minutes played.
Olsen, looking for a way to jump-start what has been an offense, changed the personnel up top, marking the first time that midfielder Luciano Acosta and forwards Fabián Espindola and Álvaro Saborío played at the same time.
“[I was] asking them to work in a way that isn’t always natural for them, but to do it for the benefit of the group,” Olsen said. “I think today they did that, and that’s a reason why we came out with three points."
Jalen Robinson, a United Homegrown player making his first MLS start, performed admirably in his dealings against Kamara and co. The 22-year-old made 16 appearances (all starts) on loan with USL Richmond Kickers in 2015, started twice in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and started four games in the 2015-16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
"It was a good 90 minutes for me. I don’t mind a performance like that," Robinson said. [But] it wasn’t just me, it was the team."
New England finished the match with 10 shots, four of which were on target. Their last win at RFK Stadium dates back to 2013.
Hamid did his part to ensure that record remained intact. The 2014 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year served as a wall for the D.C. United defense. Last week against the Houston Dynamo, the 25-year-old came out on top late, helping his team secure a critical point on the road. On Saturday, his four saves and one punch—paired with the stellar defensive efforts of Robinson and Kofi Opare—held the Revolution at bay.
“We gave them a chance for a goal. They took it, and we were playing catch up…We weren’t really dangerous after they scored,” Heaps said. “That’s the most disappointing part.”
D.C. United countered with 13 total shots and five shots on goal.
The Black-and-Red embark on a four-match road trip and won’t play at RFK Stadium again until they host the Montreal Impact on July 31st. And with three freshly-claimed points in their pocket and a month-long road trip ahead of his team, Olsen is preaching a mentality change going forward.
“Now we have to switch our mentality a little bit,” Olsen said. “It’s still about moving forward and trusting in the process, but it’s going to be a long month and we have to, everybody’s going to have to do their part.”
But at least for the Revolution, tonight marks the last time Heaps’ team will face-off against the Red-and-Black.
Heaps’ response to their last meeting this season echoed the tone when the final whistle sounded.
“Good,” Heaps said.
D.C. United travel to Real Salt Lake on Friday, June 1. Kickoff time is set for 10:30 P.M. (ET) on Unimás.
