On Friday night, D.C. United stepped onto the pitch at Audi Field to face their latest challenger: the New England Revolution. The visitors from Foxborough are on the longest active unbeaten streak in MLS, coming into the match with undefeated in their last seven MLS matches.
The Black-and-Red went down 2-0 early in the game. But they were able to mount a comeback with a goal at the end of the first half from Leonardo Jara and an 86th-minute equalizer from Quincy Amarikwa. They earned a 2-2 draw thanks to two young players who each scored their first MLS goal for the club.
Jara’s goal came in the 42nd minute. Paul Arriola sent a long ball into the box and Jara managed to get on the end of it. New England goalkeeper Matt Turner got a hand to it, but he couldn’t halt the momentum, and the ball went into the back of the net.
“We practiced this play before,” Jara said after the match. “They were closing us down aggressively but I was looking for that second post, and Mora and I were ready for that type of cross, which was placed in the right spot.”
The New England Revolution went down a man in the 63rd minute after Wilfried Zahibo received his second yellow card of the evening. They tried to capitalize on their advantage, but New England focused all their energy on defending their lead. The Black-and-Red weren’t able to get that final touch until Amarikwa stepped up. In the 86th minute, Wayne Rooney took a free kick from about 25-yards out. He sent the ball into the middle of the box and Amarikwa beat his defenders, sending the ball past Turner and into the back of the net.
Amarikwa celebrated by running to the corner and pretending to hold a spike over the ground. Donovan Pines came over and pretended to hammer it into the ground. When asked about the celebration, Amarikwa said “Me and the guys have been working on the MS railroad.”
“MS” stands for mental strength and it is exactly what was required on Friday night for the team to snag a point at home. For Jara and Amarikwa, their hard work was rewarded with their first MLS goals in the Black-and-Red. Hopefully, they will be the first of many.
