It looked like D.C. United would walk away from Toyota Park empty-handed, but a stoppage-time equalizer by captain Bobby Boswell left the visitors with a share of the points in a 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire on Friday.
After Rob Vincent scored his first career MLS goal in the 19th minute on an indirect free kick in the box, Boswell's 92nd minute header, following a series of shots and blocks in the box, gave United a point that could prove valuable in the MLS Cup Playoffs race.
The game's opening goal came off a Chicago mistake, as Johan Kappelhof sent a back pass under pressure to Sean Johnson, who pushed the ball aside with his hand. An indirect free kick in the box was called and Luciano Acosta sent a short pass on the ensuring kick back to Rob Vincent, who shot it above the wall of Chicago players on the goal line.
Chicago's Razvan Cocis scored the equalizer on a near post header off a corner kick three minutes after Vincent's tally before the Fire added a second shortly thereafter. Ghanaian David Accam's curling shot from distance put the hosts ahead 2-1 in the 29th minute.
While D.C. pushed throughout the second half for a tying goal, they had to wait until the dying minutes for the equalizer, but Boswell pounced on a floated ball in the box to earn the draw. The goal was Boswell's first since October 18 of last season, coincidentally also against Chicago.
The dramatic result marked the third consecutive match United scored a game-tying goal in stoppage time and put the Black-and-Red back above the red line, albeit with an extra game over Orlando before their match Saturday against Columbus Crew SC. United now return home after a three-game road trip and face Orlando in what is shaping up to be a critical matchup between both sides hovering around the sixth and final postseason berth.
