United goalkeeper Steve Clark could hardly contain his emotions when the final whistle blew on Saturday night as the Black-and-Red secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Columbus Crew SC at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
After embracing a few of his teammates, Clark ran toward the stands, proudly pointed at the United crest on his jersey and whipped supporters into a frenzy as if he was announcing his arrival.
Recording a five save shutout — the first of the season — and making a 1-0 lead stand for 90 minutes while down a man was certainly a way for Clark to announce his presence, and it gave United their first win of 2018.
“It was a big win in front of our home crowd in Annapolis,” Clark said. “It was important for the home fans to see us win.”
Clark, who was making his first start of the season and was celebrating his 32nd birthday, earned MLS Team of the Week honors for the impressive shutout. He also acknowledged that emerging with the win following United's second-half red card was a feat within itself.
“It’s tough when you go down a man and you have 40 minutes to play, but to come out with a win is a pretty incredible thing,” Clark said. “It doesn’t happen too often and I think it’s something we can build on.”
Clark had not seen regular season action since the final game of last season, and with the Crew bearing down on the shorthanded home side, he was tested often.
In the 61st minute, Pedro Santos slipped into the six-yard box and split the United defense where he flicked a header toward the near post, but Clark’s hand met the ball before it could cross the line.
Gyasi Zardes tested Clark’s reaction time again when he headed in a cross aimed for the lower corner before Clark swiped it away from the goal line.
If there were any questions about the goalkeeper's potential rust, his key saves answered them emphatically. Following the match, Clark made it clear that he was relishing the chance to step up and compete to the best of his abilities when the team needed him most, and his gritty performance gave United a win on which to build momentum.
“It was nice to be out there. I’m unchanged, what I said when I got here is that I’m a goalkeeper that likes to win,” Clark said. “I felt good in the game, I was able to do a lot with my feet to help the game before we went down a man. Overall, it was a good performance.”
United Head Coach Ben Olsen agreed, noting that Clark's passion and dedication made a difference in the game. For Olsen, it was no surprise that Clark made the most of his opportunity while David Ousted missed the match due to injury, and his performance reassured him that he will have two strong options in goal throughout the season.
“He’s given me a tough choice since the first day of preseason," Olsen said. "He’s a character, he’s vocal and he wants to play and win every day. He raises the level at training and that’s what you get with a guy that wants to win and hates losing. Sometimes that’s the personality the game needs. The two goalkeepers will continue to compete, and we’ll continue to have two good options.”
