The first half hour of the game tonight was something to behold. D.C. United pressed high up the field, got a couple of goals and utterly dominated the opening 30 minutes against the San Jose Earthquakes. It was a bit of a surprise, given Ben Olsen's tendency to sit back on the road. It was less of a surprise when "sit back" is exactly what United did after Chris Wondolowski's shot took a big unfortunate deflection over Bill Hamid to pull the hosts within one.
But that's as close as Bill Hamid would let them get. United's homegrown keeper made nine saves, including several highlight reel efforts, denying everything the Quakes could throw at him as the game drew to a close.
But back to that first half hour. United went ahead by virtue of an Eddie Johnson penalty, won by Chris Rolfe lifting the ball into the outstretched arm of super-secret United double-agent Brandon Barklage. Rolfe created the second goal, as well, sending an inch-perfect cross in for Luis Silva to touch past a diving Jon Busch. Thanks to Bill Hamid, Silva's goal would stand up as the game-winner, as los Capitalinos claimed their third straight road win in league play.
The late stages of the game, spectacular and ultimately successful as they were, were anything but pretty for United, as the Black-and-Red ceded possession, counting on hope and Hamid to secure a full share of the points.
We'll have more on the win over the weekend. For now, though, if you're having trouble sleeping tonight, I highly recommend reliving tonight's festivities over on Twitter with the hashtag #DCUafterDark.