At 7:25 p.m. Saturday, 17 minutes 23 seconds into D.C. United’s fourth match of the MLS season, Jose Guillermo Ortiz’s deflected shot took flight in the south end of RFK Stadium and, to the relief of an exasperated team and its impatient supporters, floated over the Philadelphia goalkeeper and settled into the net.
For the first time since last fall, United had scored a goal – a drought of 287-plus minutes since launching a campaign full of hope and wonder.
Luciano Acosta added a penalty kick before the half expired, and United endured extreme pressure in the last 25 minutes to secure a 2-1 victory over the Union before an announced crowd of 14,560.