Picault, Blake lead Union to 1-0 win over D.C. United
Union midfielder Fafa Picault continued his torrid play by scoring the game winner. Andre Blake stopped the second penalty kick of his career.
Lamar Neagle is going to see Union keeper Andre Blake in his sleep.
Blake made a diving save to his right on Saturday to stop a Neagle penalty kick in the 70th minute. The fourth-year Union keeper later made a spectacular save, tipping Neagle's header from close range over the cross bar in second half stoppage time to preserve the Union's 1-0 Major League Soccer win over D.C. United before 17,656 at Talen Energy Stadium.
In stopping a three-game losing streak the Union improved to 5-7-4, while United fell to 5-9-3.
It was the second career penalty kick save for Blake, last year's MLS goalkeeper of the year.
"I was going to go to my right, and I saw some cues from him, and I went there and made the save," Blake said of the penalty kick stop.
He wouldn't divulge what made him go right.
"That is something I won't say right now," he said. "Obviously, I watch for stuff, and tonight it worked."
It also worked when he blocked Neagle's header from close range in stoppage time.
"It was a great cross, I made a quick look and saw he was open and knew I had to stand my ground and hopefully be able to make the save," said Blake, who has six shutouts."
The Union's goal came from midfielder Fafa Picault, who scored on a booming volley from just outside the six-yard line in the 31st minute. Union defender Ray Gaddis fed Alejandro Bedoya, whose chip from the right corner just outside the box found an open Picault, whose blast landed just inside the near post.
It was his fourth goal of the season, all in the last seven games. Picault played only 59 minutes in the first seven games, when the Union went 0-4-3. He has started the last nine and given the team blinding speed and plenty of energy.
Yet he wanted to talk about the lift Blake gave.
"It is emotional for me to watch that and gives me a lot of motivation and keeps me going, especially on that PK stop," Picault said. "We couldn't lose the game or tie the game after that."
Bedoya, who earned his second assist of the season on the play, was strong in his return to the Union lineup after missing the last two games. He sat out the recent loss to the Red Bulls due to a hamstring injury and another while with the U.S. national team.
The Union continued to control play in the second half, but United earned a penalty kick when center back Oguchi Onyewu was called for a handball inside the box in the 69th minute.
That's when Blake bailed the team out for the first time.
In the 74th minute, United's Luciano Acosta was shown a red card by referee Sorin Stoica after it as ruled that he kicked Haris Medunjanin. Moments later the call was rescinded.
The deciding factor was that Medunjanin, in a great display of sportsmanship, told the referee that he wasn't kicked, and it didn't deserve a red.
"It was just a fair play. I don't like to win like that," Medunjanin said. "If he really kicked me, it is a red card. The ref thought he kicked me, but I told him it was just a push."
Stoica confirmed what Medunjanin said while speaking to pool reporter Jonathan Tannenwald.
"I rescinded the card because No. 6 of Philadelphia [Medunjanin] stated that he was not kicked after the play, which was the initial decision I made," Stoica said.
In the 78th minute, United keeper Bill Hamid kept his team in the game by blocking a shot by Union substitute forward Jay Simpson from just outside of the six on a right angle
The one change in the Union starting lineup had Dutch defender Giliano Wijnaldum making only his second start of the season at left back for Fabinho. While the defense was strong, Blake made up for any miscues.
