Gabriel PIrani scored two goals in second half stoppage time to lift DC from a 3-2 deficit (which would have ended playoff hopes for all practical purposes) to a 4-3 road victory over Nashville (that kept their playoff hopes very much alive). It was without a doubt the most thrilling ending to a game this year.
DC started the same lineup as last Saturday against Columbus: Bono in goal; Stroud, Peltola, Bartlett, McVey and Herrera in defense; Ku-Dipietro, Klich, Rodriguez and Badji in midfield; and Benteke at forward.
The first half started poorly for DC. Nashville's Alex Muyl beat an offside trap and slid a shot past Bono in the 6th minute to give Nashville an early 1-0 lead. DC equalized in the 24th minute off a corner kick; it went to the far side to Benteke, who headed the ball in front of the box where Bartlett looped a header into the net, tying the game at 1-1.
Late in the half there were a series of 3 questionable yellow cards on DC players. McVey got one in the 38th minute, Herrera got one in the 41st minute, and Bartlett got one in the 43rd minute. On Bartlett's card, the Nashville player ran into him and then fell down. The DC bench got a yellow for protesting. Even the Nashville announcers on Apple TV thought it was a bad call. It proved costly, as Nashville's Hany Mukhtar scored on a beautiful free kick. It was 2-1 Nashville at halftime.
DC came out with lots of energy in the second half. Santos replaced Badji, and hit the post with a 48th minute free kick. Nashville had chances, too; Muyl hit the post in the 55th minute, and then scored after a beautiful assist from Mukhtar in the 62nd minute to make it 3-1 Nashville. Things looked grim for DC.
After a triple substitution in the 67th minute (Enow for Rodriguez, Dajome for Peltola, and Pirani for Ku-Dipietro) Benteke hit the crossbar. Nashville almost scored a 4th goal a couple of times but defense and luck held.
Murrell replaced Stroud in the 75th minute and immediately contributed, passing to Benteke for a goal in the 76th minute to cut the lead to 3-2. Benteke missed a possible equalizer from close range in the 78th minute. DC besieged the Nashville goal, but as the game went into 7 minutes of stoppage time, it was still 3-2 Nashville.
Then Pirani took over. 94th minute: left footed shot from the top of the box. 3-3. Benteke missed a header in the 95th minute, but in the 97th minute, Pirani again: right footed shot from the center of the box. 4-3 DC. The game ended shortly after that.
DC definitely gave it everything: 27 shots, 10 on goal, 13 corner kicks, 63% of possession. It pays to fight to the end, you never know what will happen.
Two goals in stoppage time to turn a defeat into a victory. Not as dramatic as Manchester United winning the 1999 Champions League in that fashion, or Manchester City winning the English Premier League in 2012 that way, but still pretty freaking thrilling.
The result leaves us tied for 9th in the East (the last playoff spot) but behind Toronto on total wins and behind Philadelphia on goal difference. If we win out and get a tiny bit of help, we should make the playoffs. Anything else and things get dicey. Details for those interested are below.
Next up: this Saturday (October 5) on the road against New England.
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Here's the current standings:
If we win out (over New England this Saturday (October 5)and Charlotte on October 19):
1. We will jump past Toronto (since they have played one more game).
We will jump past Philadelphia if they drop any points in their last two games (this Saturday at Columbus, and October 19 vs Cincinnati).
We will jump past Montreal if they get 3 or less points from their last two games (this Saturday at Charlotte, October 19 vs NYCFC), unless they win a game by a lot of goals.
So our tiny bit of help would be either 2 or 3.
I won't go into other options until after Saturday's game; the picture should be much clearer by then.
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