Substitute Ted Ku-DiPietro scored in the 83rd minute to help D.C. United salvage a 1-1 draw at home against Nashville SC on Saturday night.
Ku-DiPietro’s second career MLS goal and his first since his stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 victory over Toronto FC on opening weekend, answered a bizarre tally from Nashville’s Alex Muyl 10 minutes earlier.
It helped D.C. avoid a third home defeat of the season on a night they were arguably the more threatening side throughout the contest.
Muyl’s first goal of the season came as the result of blocking D.C. defender Donovan Pines’ clearance attempt directly into the home side’s goal.
It helped the visitors extend a modest unbeaten run to four matches on a night both teams were short-handed.
D.C. (4-5-3, 15 points) began the game without team-leading scorer Christian Benteke as a result of an unspecified minor injury. And it lost second-leading scorer Taxi Fountas midway through the first half with what looked like a hamstring injury.
Nashville (5-3-4, 19 points) played without center back and captain Walker Zimmerman, who did not dress after he was questionable coming into Saturday with a groin injury.
The visitors’ best conventional scoring chance came moments before their fortunate goal when Fafa Picault got down the left wing and picked out Hany Mukhtar in the box.
Mukhtar’s effort was on target, but Tyler Miller reacted well to prevent the attacker from adding to his team-leading total of six goals.
Only moments later though, Miller looked slow to react to a loose ball in his box. Pines also reacted hesitantly, and after reaching it before his goalkeeper tried to blast it clear. Instead, it caromed off Muyl’s rib cage and into the goal.
United answered when Mateusz played Kristian Fletcher down the left.
Fletcher cut into the box and after nearly losing control of the ball played a pass to his right for Ku-DiPietro, who hammered a low finish from about the penalty spot past Joe Willis.
–Field Level Media
