D.C. United picked up all three points in an eight-goal thriller against the Chicago Fire at RFK Stadium. Propelled by a hat trick from Patrick Mullins (the first by a United player since June 11, 2014), United scored six goals for the first time this season and extended their unbeaten streak to six games. The win moves D.C. four points clear of the red line.
“The mentality was good and the guys went after it and, again, got a bunch of goals, which for us is a big deal,” said United coach Ben Olsen of the win. “That’s a good feeling that I think this team has been waiting for, so again, it’s a little bit of everything in this game.”
United opened the scoring with a beautiful team move in the 25th minute of a frenetic first half. Patrick Nyarko’s clever back heel pass freed Marcelo on the right flank, whose low cross along the six-yard line was hammered home from close range by Luciano Acosta. The Fire hit back just six minutes later with a goal by Dutch forward Michael de Leeuw, but Chicago were reduced to 10 men shortly thereafter when Khaly Thiam appeared to throw the ball at Nyarko, who had just been fouled.
The Black-and-Red then seized the advantage, getting two goals from Patrick Mullins in the span of six minutes to go up 3-1. United looked to be in control heading into halftime, but the Fire’s Razvan Cocis pulled a goal back for the visitors when his shot from distance took a wild deflection and ended up in the net. However, United quickly put the result beyond doubt when Nyarko scored D.C.’s fourth in the 51st minute and Mullins completed his hat trick in the 74th. Nick DeLeon tacked on a late goal to make the score 6-2, tying United’s largest margin of victory this year.
“We’ve been saying for a long time that the goals were coming,” said United defender Bobby Boswell. “Six is great, [now] we’ve got to keep scoring goals and defensively we don’t want to give up those goals… Any time you’re scoring goals, as a defender, you appreciate that.”
United’s attack was near perfect on the night, taking their chances clinically and putting together multiple fluid passing moves. Luciano Acosta and Patrick Nyarko each scored a goal and combined for five assists, while Patrick Mullins scored United’s first hat trick since Luis Silva scored three against Montreal in June of 2014. The offense is heating up at the ideal time, with the connection between Acosta and Mullins up front looking particularly dangerous.
"It’s simple with [Acosta]," Mullins said. "He’s got so much talent that if you move, he’ll find you...It was a special night for me and obviously for the team to get three points. It was a fun one to share with RFK. I'm not going to forget this one.”
The Black-and-Red will hope to build off of tonight’s dominant performance in back-to-back upcoming road trips to New York. The win strengthened United’s hold on the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and the team will look for more of the same when they face New York City FC on Thursday.
