WASHINGTON — In an exciting turn of events at Audi Field, D.C. United overcame Sporting Kansas City with a 2-1 win, putting an end to their nine-game winless streak at home dating back to last season.
The match saw a slow start, with neither side finding the back of the net until the 53rd minute. Erik Thommy broke the deadlock for Sporting Kansas City, capitalizing on assists from Jake Davis and rookie Shapi Suleymanov. This marked Thommy’s first goal of the season and the 16th of his career in 71 starts and 79 appearances, all made with Sporting KC. It was also a season first for Davis’ assist and the first for Suleymanov.
D.C. United leveled the score just seven minutes later. Christian Benteke, last season’s Golden Boot winner, converted a penalty kick awarded after a foul by Suleymanov on João Peglow. Benteke, who dominated the league with 23 goals in the previous season, has now scored three goals this season.
The game’s momentum swung in favor of D.C. United when Hosei Kijima netted his second career goal in the 68th minute from a Peglow assist. Kijima had previously recorded one goal and two assists as a rookie with St. Louis City last season, and Peglow was making his league debut with this match.
Goalkeeper Kim Joon Hong, a promising 21-year-old rookie, finished the match without a save for D.C. United (recording at 1-0-2), mirroring a 2-6-6 stretch in the team’s last 14 home encounters. On the other side, Sporting KC’s John Pulskamp made two saves in what was his 31st career start, encompassing all his time with the club since 2021. Sporting KC still hasn’t claimed a victory in Washington since 2012.
Both MLS founding clubs entered the match evenly matched with 22 wins each and 13 draws throughout their 30-year rivalry. However, with this outcome, D.C. United enhances its recent record against Sporting KC to 3-0-4 over the last seven home games.
Looking ahead, D.C. United is set to host CF Montreal in their upcoming match on Saturday, while Sporting Kansas City will face Minnesota United at home on the same day.
