Recap: D.C. best 10-man Seattle 2-1 with Benteke brace

Featured image courtesy of D.C. United, Hannah Wagner

D.C. United won 2-1 over the Seattle Sounders in a gritty match at Buzzard Point in the clubs’ first meeting since 2019.

The Black-and-Red started the evening on the front foot, determined to snap back from a disappointing 2-0 loss at New York City FC. Head coach Troy Lesesne’s squad, now more robust with the return of Mateusz Klich and Aaron Herrera from suspension, looked more clinical and focused on the attack.

The Black-and-Red dominated the early runs of play, keeping the match mostly contained in Seattle’s defensive half until a fiery counter in the 13′ from the Rave Green’s attack bested D.C.’s backline.

In the 14′, Seattle’s Léo Chú headed a cross from Jordan Morris to slot home a goal for the visitors, much to the chagrin of the Black-and-Red faithful. With the scoring open, D.C. came under early pressure to secure a response.

D.C. United’s quick turnovers and high press put the Sounder’s backline under pressure. However, the Black-and-Red’s struggle with defending quick turnovers left their own backline vulnerable.

In the 28′, D.C. United’s luck changed for the better after Sounders’ goalkeeper Stefan Frei fouled Jared Stroud in the box. The play saw Frei ejected from the match, and Christian Benteke stepped up to convert a penalty that brought the Black-and-Red level with Seattle in the 32′.

Benteke’s presence upfront, combined with Jared Stroud and Aaron Herrera’s creativity, gave the Black-and-Red a solid foundation to build their attacks. The veteran striker made it a brace in the 45′, capitalizing off Herrera’s cross.

Seattle struggled to gain momentum. Due to suspensions, defenders Jackson Ragen and Alex Roldan were missing. Unfortunately for the Rave Green, Frei’s ejection in the 28′ will impact the Sounders beyond their three dropped points in the District, placing them at a disadvantage in upcoming matches.

The Black-and-Red have work to do to maintain their forward momentum coming off their win, including better controlling the tempo of matches. Head coach Troy Lesesne said, “We want to be aggressive, but we don’t want to create fouls that slow the game down and then allow them to put balls in our box that are really dangerous.”

Notably, Steven Birnbaum returned to the lineup this evening, featuring in the 18. If training this week goes well, Lesesne said there may be an opportunity for the captain to get minutes next Saturday.

D.C. United remains at home to face Philadelphia Union on May 4 at 7:30 pm ET.

Three Takeaways

• Transition defending remains a challenge. As the Black-and-Red have leaned into their quicker turnover, high-press style, the backline has become particularly vulnerable in transition. If D.C. hopes to snag more points to establish some security before the summer push, they’ll have to tighten up on defense.
• Playing with what you have. Head coach Troy Lesesne hasn’t been shy about sharing that he intends to focus on the pieces he has rather than hold out for an all-but-impossible blockbuster signing. While we admire Lesesne’s sentiment, we do hope the Black-and-Red will build out the roster a bit to account for injury and the inevitable national team call-ups. Fingers crossed for the transfer window.
• Not perfect, but perfectly entertaining. D.C. United is still a work in progress under a new head coach, but the 2024 season is miles ahead of the past few years in terms of entertaining play and tenacity on the pitch.

Watch the highlights from D.C. United vs. Seattle Sounders

Box Score

D.C. United: 2 Benteke (32′ and 45′)

Seattle Sounders: 1 Chú 14′

Lineups

D.C. United: Alex Bono, Lucas Bartlett, Matti Peltola (Jackson Hopkins 64′), Christopher McVey, Aaron Herrera, Jared Stroud, Mateusz Klich, Gabriel Pirani (Martin Rodríguez 63′), Cristian Dájome (Kristian Fletcher 90′), Jacob Murrell (Pedro Santos 75′), Christian Benteke

Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei, Jonathan Bell, Yeimar Gomez Andrade, Cody Baker (Paul Rothrock 79′), Joao Paulo, Cristian Roldan, Josh Atencio, Albert Rusnak, Léo Chú (Andrew Thomas 31′), Jordan Morris (Raul Ruidiaz 46′), Danny Musovski (Obed Vargas 21′)

Misconduct Summary

D.C. United: McVey 5′, Bartlett 38′, Stroud 42′, Hopkins 67′, Rodríguez 82′

Seattle Sounders: Frei 28′ (Red), Morris 41′

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