D.C. United squared off against Real Salt Lake last night in what turned out to be an exciting match. For much of the game, it appeared Real Salt Lake would come out the victor, but D.C. didn’t stop playing until the final whistle, which is why this game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Let’s be clear, Real Salt Lake should have won this game. The third-place Western Conference team was in control for most of the game, dominating time of possession, especially in the first half. Real Salt Lake had 51 minutes of possession (28 in the first half) while D.C. United had a mere 39 minutes of possession (17 in the first half). In most sports, soccer included, whichever team has more time of possession usually comes out as the winner. And with so many shots on goal (RSL had eight compared to D.C.’s two), you would think Real Salt Lake would’ve scored more than one goal, a Juan Manuel Martinez chip shot in the 56th minute.
The only reason Real Salt Lake did not score more than they did is because of the heroics of D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Time and time again, Hamid stepped up for his team, challenging shots with incredible effort. In the 16th minute, Real Salt Lake’s Yura Movsisyan had a great opportunity to score in the box. He was challenged by Hamid, who laid out to block the shot. The ball bounced back to Movsisyan, who tried to score again, only to be blocked by Hamid, who laid out a second time to save his team from going down 1-0.
In the 89th minute, with D.C. still down 1-0, RSL’s Olmes Garcia had a 1-on-1 opportunity against Hamid. A goal at this point would’ve all but secured a Real Salt Lake win. Hamid stepped up in the moment and nullified Garcia’s attempt to give Real Salt Lake a late 2-0 lead.
While Hamid was undoubtedly the game’s MVP, he couldn’t do it all for his team. Someone needed to score if D.C. wanted to get out of Utah with a tie. In stoppage time, D.C. United set up for a corner kick, knowing it was their last opportunity to score. Fabian Espindola crossed the ball from the corner. The pass was near perfect, as midfielder Jared Jeffrey headed the ball in to tie the game. The Real Salt Lake crowd, who had been relentlessly loud the whole match, fell silent. Jaws dropped, no one could believe what had happened. Real Salt Lake was clearly the better team on the pitch last night, but they faltered in the game’s final moments and the match ended in a 1-1 tie.
Hamid finished the match with seven saves, earning praise from his teammates and even from Real Salt Lake.
“He’s one of the best keepers in this league,” Movsisyan admitted after the game.
“When he’s in the zone, it’s extremely difficult to score,” said D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen. “It’s nice to see because on the day our team was second best.”
Hamid’s play, along with D.C.’s willingness to not give up until the final whistle is the only reason this match ended in a tie. Otherwise, this game would’ve been a blowout.
