Najar’s two assists key in victory vs. Seattle
Facing an early season crisis after two demoralizing results in a row, D.C. United’s needs were clear: more fire on defense and a spark of inspiration on the attack.
With an altered back line and the return of Andy Najar to the midfield, United got both and earned its first victory over Seattle in three tries at RFK Stadium 2-1.
Najar set up both of United’s strikingly similar goals with passes threaded through the Sounders’ back line.
In the 31st minute, the 18-year-old found Charlie Davies, who fought off Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and slid a perfect ball across the 6-yard box to Josh Wolff for a clinical left-footed finish and a 1-0 advantage.
On the opposite end of the field in the 52nd minute, Najar fed Wolff, who returned the favor for Davies with another sharp ball across the middle that resulted in Davies’ MLS-leading sixth goal of the season.
The precision of D.C. United’s scoring sequences was matched by the toughness of a reworked defense that needed to be nastier and harder after giving up four goals in consecutive league matches.
Rookie Perry Kitchen, starting at right back with both Jed Zayner and Marc Burch sidelined by hamstring strains, got his arms, legs, body and whatever else he could in the way to keep Alvaro Fernandez from beating United goalkeeper Bill Hamid off a corner kick in the 22nd minute. Even that couldn’t prevent the Uruguayan’s header, but Hamid tipped it over the bar.
Ethan White, taking Kitchen’s spot in the middle, was also a physical presence, as was Daniel Woolard on the left.
United defender Dejan Jakovic gave the Sounders (3-3-3) a chance to try and preserve their six-match unbeaten run when he tangled with Fredy Montero in the box midway through the second half. Brad Evans powered his penalty kick low and left past Hamid in the 71st minute, but the young goalkeeper soon made two crucial saves in three minutes, denying another Fernandez header and a Montero shot headed for the upper corner to keep United (3-4-1) in front and give the crowd of 11,254 a reason to bounce in the stands as the final whistle sounded.
