D.C. United records its first shutout in almost a year but settles for a draw
United had not held an opponent scoreless in almost a year, a span of 31 matches. Its previous clean sheet was also against Montreal and also at home.
Kim Joon Hong, a 21-year-old goalkeeper in his first MLS season, was not placed under a lot of pressure but managed the penalty area well, saw two threats hit the goal frame and received a solid defensive effort from his teammates. It was marked improvement for a team that conceded 70 goals in 34 games last season, third worst in the league and the second most in club history.
D.C.'s attack, though, did not click, failing to replicate the two-goal performances in each of its first three matches. The closest United (1-0-3) came was Christian Benteke's disallowed goal in the first half, the result of video replay.
Three of United's first four matches have been at home, yet it has earned just five of a possible nine points in those games.
The same D.C. lineup that produced a 2-1 victory over visiting Sporting Kansas City last weekend took the field against a Montreal team (0-3-1) playing the fourth of seven consecutive away matches to start the season until the weather warms in Quebec.
United was a little loose defensively in the first half. Montreal's Fabian Herbers was given ample space in the 13th minute for a 25-yard shot that hit the base of the left post. Moments later, United midfielder Boris Enow made a critical challenge to disrupt Jules-Anthony Vilsaint's 12-yard threat. Herbers's misfortune continued in the 26th minute, when his bid in transition skipped off the crossbar.
United — and the announced crowd of 16,133 — thought Benteke had shattered the deadlock a minute later, when he collected Jared Stroud's pass just inside the penalty area and slid the ball past goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois. But video replay showed Benteke pushing the ball with his right hand; after checking the monitor, referee Guido Gonzales Jr. annulled the goal.
United's Brazilians, João Peglow and Gabriel Pirani, combined in the box late in the half, but after Peglow's no-look flick set up his countryman, Pirani lifted it wide of the near corner.
Early in the second half, David Schnegg's lovely chip set up the sliding Stroud in the six-yard box, but Sirois made a fine block.
Lesesne made his first changes in the 60th minute, replacing Enow and Hosei Kijima with Matti Peltola and Brandon Servania. One of Peltola's first touches was a sizzler from distance that streaked over the crossbar. In the 73rd, Jacob Murrell took Pirani's place.
Montreal had a grand opportunity in the 75th minute with a free kick at the edge of the box, but Kim was well-positioned to block Bryce Duke's bid, then thwarted Montreal's second chance.
Lesesne's last moves came in the 83rd minute, with Fidel Barajas making his debut after arriving on loan from Chivas Guadalajara and newcomer Rida Zouhir making his second appearance.
Here's what else to know about United's draw:
Because MLS does not usually pause for international windows, Peltola and starters Kye Rowles and Aaron Herrera will miss next Saturday's match at Orlando City (1-2-1).
Rowles will join Australia for 2026 World Cup qualifiers vs. Indonesia on Thursday and at China on March 25. Herrera was summoned by Guatemala for a two-leg Concacaf Gold Cup playoff against Guyana on Friday and March 25. Peltola's Finland will visit Malta on Friday and Lithuania on March 24 for World Cup qualifiers.
Forward Kristian Fletcher, who is on loan to Nottingham Forest in England, was called up for U.S. under-20 friendlies against Mexico and Japan in Spain.
Midfielder Randall Leal (thigh) missed his third consecutive match, and backup striker Dominique Badji was ruled out with an undisclosed minor ailment. Midfielder Jackson Hopkins (ankle), rookie winger Hakim Karamoko (sports hernia) and defender Conner Antley (knee) continue to recover. Antley seems closest to returning. ...
Montreal was missing designated player Giacomo Vrioni (groin), who has yet to play this year, and captain Samuel Piette (hamstring), sidelined since the opener. U.S. national team prospect Jalen Neal (knee) remains out as well.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
JJ Pegues climbing up depth chart with preseason performance
The Las Vegas Raiders are looking for a defensive tackle to step up after the Christian Wilkins saga. So far, rookie JJ Pegues has answered the call during the Raiders' first two preseason games. Pegues had a handful of quality reps as a run defender against the Seattle Seahawks and managed to record four pressures as a pass-rusher versus the San Francisco 49ers, tied for the second-most among interior defenders according to Pro Football Focus. Additionally, the Ole Miss product continued to stand out against the run last weekend. That likely secured his spot on Las Vegas' 53-man roster, and also should help him gain some traction on the team's depth chart. So, let's flip on the tape and break down his performance on Saturday. Let's start with a good example of the former Rebel's knockback power as a run defender. The 49ers run lead zone to the weakside of the formation, putting the center one-on-one with Pegues, who appears to be two-gapping, meaning he's responsible for both A-gaps. Pegues uses good pad level and his impressive upper body strength at the point of attack to push the center into the backfield and reset the line of scrimmage. From there, the defender makes sure the strong side A-gap is protected by shading to that side of the center while peeking into the backfield. Because he won at the point of attack, once Pegues sees the running back cut into the weakside A-gap, he's able to cross the center's face and get involved in the tackle while the offensive lineman is still hanging onto him. Considering Las Vegas could use help at nose tackle, this is a pretty encouraging rep from the rookie. This next rep is almost identical to the last one, where Pegues is physically dominant at the point of attack to reset the line of scrimmage. Again, he knocks the center into the backfield, which helps cut the field in half by forcing the running back to cut up the field. Also, Pegues manages to get involved in another tackle while the center is still hanging onto him. Another strong rep against the run while lined up as a shade nose tackle. Unfortunately, Las Vegas has issues on the back end covering San Francisco's play-action pass here. So the ball is out of the quarterback's hands too quickly for the defensive tackle to get a sack, but he does manage to record a win as a pass-rusher. Post-snap, Pegues quickly recognizes it's a play-action fake and not a run play, transitioning from run to pass defense and abandoning his run responsibilities (the A-gap). Then, Pegues does a great job of using the left guard's momentum against him, winning with a hump move to get pressure. Again, the ball is out too quickly for the defensive lineman to hit home, but reps like these can pay off later with better coverage. The 49ers had a lot of quick passes to attack the Raiders' soft zones on Saturday. So the play above is another rep where Pegues gets a win without anything to show for it, since the quarterback gets rid of the ball almost immediately after his back foot hits the ground. Regardless, the defensive tackle does a good job of recognizing the quick set from the guard, adjusting his path to win around the outside by defeating the guard's hands. Again, plays like this one will pay off later when the offense runs a longer developing pass play or the quarterback is forced to work through his reads. Later in the game, the Raiders found success by having Pegues slant inside or running line games with him. Here, they run Cover 0, where both linebackers and the nickelback blitz while the defensive tackle lines up as a 3-technique in the B-gap pre-snap before slanting into the A-gap post-snap. He manages to capture the guard's attention by squaring up the guard before going inside, which allows the nickel to be a free rusher on the blitz. Granted, the running back does a good job of coming off the linebacker and picking up the defensive back in the protection scheme. However, Pegues keeps his feet moving and goes from attacking the center to bull rushing the guard, freeing up the linebacker (No. 43, Michael Barrett) to get the clean-up sack. So, the rookie managed to help two teammates get pressure on the quarterback while collapsing the pocket himself. This time, the Raiders run a T/E stunt where Pegues is the penetrator. Initially, he disguises the line game well by working up the field with his first two steps before pivoting to the outside and attacking the right tackle. As a result, he catches the right tackle off guard and is physical at the point of attack to win the rep and get pressure. Unfortunately, the ball is out quickly again, but this is still another quality rush from the rookie.
Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Washington Post
After delaying their NFL dreams, No. 2 Penn State's stars are chasing an elusive national title
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The longer Penn State quarterback Drew Allar weighed his options, the more he thought how sweet it would be to bring a national championship to Happy Valley. After No. 2 Penn State's down-to-the-wire loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal last season, the allure of unfinished business outweighed professional prospects for the rocket-armed senior who'll lead one of college football's deepest and most experienced teams.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Arsenal ‘set to enter transfer market' after injury that could derail Liverpool challenge
Arsenal is facing an anxious wait to discover the extent of a knee injury suffered by Kai Havertz, with the Gunners considering signing a new player as cover. Havertz came on as a second-half substitute against Manchester United on Sunday, but he has since sustained a knee problem and did not take part in an open training session on Wednesday. The Athletic reports that assessments are at an early stage, with the anticipated lay-off time still unclear. It is a cruel blow for Havertz, who was sidelined for over three months between February and May last season with a hamstring injury. READ MORE: Alexander Isak could use little-known FIFA rule to force Newcastle transfer exit READ MORE: Bruno Guimaraes posts cryptic Instagram story minutes after bombsell Alexander Isak update Havertz's injury leaves new signing Viktor Gyokeres as the only striker currently available to Mikel Arteta. Leandro Trossard does have experience playing centrally but that is not where is at his most effective. Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino was also used as a striker toward the end of last season, while Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were sidelined through injury. Merino acquitting himself well, scoring against PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid, Leicester, Chelsea and Fulham while playing up front, but while the transfer window remains open, it would make sense for the Gunners to recruit a more conventional forward to deputize for Havertz. Brazil international Jesus remains unavailable with a serious knee injury that he sustained during an FA Cup game against Manchester United in January, and he is not expected to return any time soon.
