Espindola Gets 2 as DC Drops Dallas 4-1

D.C. United 4, FC Dallas 1

Fabian Espindola scored twice and added an assist to lead D.C. United to a 4-1 victory over short-handed FC Dallas on Saturday night.

Bobby Boswell and Sean Franklin also scored for the Washington club, which extended its unbeaten run to five matches and scored all four of its goals after the first-half ejection of Dallas defender Zach Loyd.

Dallas' Michel also was sent off late by referee Fotis Bazakos.

D.C. forward and U.S. World Cup hopeful Eddie Johnson assisted on Espindola's first goal just before halftime, but left in the 51st minute with an apparent leg injury.

Mauro Diaz put the visitors ahead early to extend Dallas' streak of scoring at least one goal to seven matches.

United improved to 3-2-2, and Dallas dropped to 5-2-1.

But Dallas has conceded eight goals in its last three matches after allowing only six over its first five.

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United rarely looked like scoring, however, until Bazakos issued a second yellow card for Loyd's slide tackle on United's Davy Arnaud in the 39th minute.

D.C. immediately seized momentum and pulled even deep into first-half stoppage time when Espindola headed in Johnson's outswinging cross.

United then sealed things over a 10-minute span midway through the second half.

Boswell put United ahead in the 60th minute when he hammered in a rebound after Chris Seitz saved Conor Doyle's initial close-range shot.

It was 3-1 three minutes later when Espindola split a pair of Dallas defenders on the left and chipped a cross toward Franklin, who side-footed his finish inside the right post.

In the 69th, Espindola scored his second -- and his fourth of the season -- when he took Chris Rolfe's feed on a counter attack and drove another low finish beyond Seitz.

After snapping a 15-match streak without a victory that stretched back to August of 2013, United is now on its longest unbeaten run since it went seven unbeaten to close the 2012 regular season.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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