Thirty minutes into Sunday’s match at Minnesota United, D.C. United needed to quell not only an inspired adversary but a dispute between teammates that unfolded in front of the sellout crowd and national TV audience.
Luciano Acosta and Paul Arriola snapped at one another for a short time before Steve Birnbaum and Donovan Pines intervened.
After the 1-0 defeat, United Coach Ben Olsen and captain Wayne Rooney played down the squabble, saying Acosta and Arriola had put their differences to rest in the locker room at halftime.
And on Wednesday, United’s first day back at work since returning home, Acosta laughed when asked about it.