Lewis O’Brien’s first MLS goal in just his second game was the difference in D.C. United’s 1-0 win against host CF Montreal on Saturday.
D.C. United (2-4-2, 8 points) won for the first time since its season opener on Feb. 25.
Montreal (1-6-0, 3 points) was shut out for a third straight game and has not scored in any of its six losses this season.
The goal came when United caught Montreal sleeping to open the second half.
Just 13 seconds into the second half, Taxiarchis Fountas sent a touch to Mateusz Klich for a shot from the top of the box that went off the right post and rolled to O’Brien on the far side of the goal area.
The first half featured little of anything from either side as both clubs struggled to generate much of an attack. By the 19th minute, the two sides had combined for only one shot on goal, taken by Montreal, and none on target.
Montreal’s Bryce Duke had the closest thing to an early opportunity in the sixth minute, but his shot sailed over the net.
After a slow start, D.C. United began to find their game and generate opportunities. In the 27th minute, Ruan tried to send a cross from the end boundary line into the box but was denied by Montreal defender Rudy Camacho, who got was able to kick it away. Four minutes later, Fountas had a chance from outside the top right corner of the box, but it went over the net.
The home side had one of its few chances in the 32nd minute when Zachary Brault-Guillard took a pass from defender Aaron Herrera and tried to send a cross into the box toward Duke, but D.C. United captain Steven Birnbaum got to it first to deflect it away.
D.C. United had several chances to break the ice in first-half stoppage time. Ruan tried to turn a pass from Russell Canouse into a cross for Fountas. Moments later, Pedro Santos tried for a deep cross into the box that was instead snared by Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
Shortly thereafter, Klich’s shot from just above the spot grazed over the crossbar.
–Field Level Media