Announcer voice over: We have secretly replaced this years' lousy DC United side with a halfway decent team. Let's see if anyone notices . . . .
We noticed.
In an intense match, United played 90 minutes of good team defense to capture three points on the road. Well-acquainted with DC's propensity this season for not working hard for the full duration of a game, I held my breath for the inevitable collapse, but it never came.
For United, the night was all about team defense. For the Fire, it was their turn to run out of quality in the final third. Chicago ended the night with 5 shots on goal to United's 2. The road win was the result of effort and tenacity rather than skill, but, for a United team desperate for points--and having shown a distinct lack of intensity over the course of the season--the result was welcome indeed.
Talon Rating: 3 out of 5 birds