FC Cincinnati were held scoreless by nine-man D.C. United Saturday evening at TQL Stadium, with the two sides playing to a 0-0 stalemate in the Eastern Conference clash.
D.C. United played with a numerical disadvantage for most of the second half after homegrown midfielder Moses Nyeman was sent off in the 52nd minute. The visitors were then forced to play out the closing few minutes of stoppage time with just nine men when Joseph Mora was a shown second yellow card, following his teammate with an early trip back to the locker room.
A sold-out TQL Stadium went from rambunctious to silent in the third minute, when Nyeman found the back of the net with what he thought was his first MLS goal. But a Video Review determined that the 17-year-old was offside in the buildup.
The Orange & Blue controlled the tempo and dominated in the midfield, boasting 67.5% possession in the first half. However, it only led to one major chance, where defender Nick Hagglund was denied from point-blank range by D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
The game's complexion changed in the 52nd minute, though, when the Black-and-Red were reduced to 10 men.
FC Cincinnati striker Brenner stole the ball from Nyeman and immediately went on the break. It looked as if the Brazilian would go 1-on-1 with Hamid, but Nyeman brought him down just past the halfway line. Head referee Rosendo Mendoza immediately pulled a red card out of his pocket, sending Nyeman off for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
Despite having a one-man advantage, FC Cincinnati's attack couldn't get going throughout the second half. The best chance the hosts had came in the 59th minute, when left back Ronald Matarrita's shot was denied by Hamid.
Late in stoppage time, D.C. United fullback Mora received a second yellow card for a tackle on Joe Gyau. But Hamid's stellar goalkeeping and a lack of clinical finishing meant FC Cincinnati had to settle for a point.
Goals
- None
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: For FC Cincinnati, this has to be their most disappointing result of the season. They averaged over 60% possession throughout the entire match and had a man advantage for 38 minutes in the second half. This now marks six matches without a win for Jaap Stam's men. D.C. United came into the match missing eight first-team players due to injury or international duty, with those eight players accounting for 14 out of the 21 goals they've scored this season. It wasn't pretty, but they should be happy with a draw on the road, particularly after playing with 10 men for most of the second half.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: When Moses Nyeman got sent off, the chance was there for FC Cincinnati to capitalize. But Hernan Losada's team held on for the road draw.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid moved to seventh in the MLS all-time regular-season shutout chart. He denied Hagglund from point-blank range in the first half, Matarrita in the 59th minute and pulled off a few more excellent saves to help salvage a draw.
Next Up
- CIN: Wednesday, August 4 at New York Red Bulls | 8:00 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- DC: Wednesday, August 4 at Columbus Crew | 7:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
