D.C. United blanked again

• by Ridge Mahoney  @ridgemax, Feb 22, 2010

[MLS] A revamped D.C. United attack failed to score against MLS opposition for the third straight game Saturday as D.C. played out a 0-0 tie with New York in Bradenton, Fla.

Both teams split time with their goalkeepers in the goalless game. Goalies Bill Hamid and Ray Burse, who are battling for the backup slot behind Troy Perkins in the aftermath of Milos Kocic being waived, each played a half as United posted its second straight shutout.

New York, which waived Danny Cepero last week, got the zero behind two veterans of MLS play: Greg Sutton (Toronto FC) and Bouna Coundoul (Colorado).

Midway through the first half, Sutton dived full-length turn away a shot from recently signed Australian striker Danny Allsopp. The chance came five minutes after New York guest player Enar Jaager cleared a Brandon Barklage shot off the goal line. John Agudelo, a Red Bull trialist, and Joel Linpere narrowly missed the target on good opportunities, and Hamid thwarted Agudelo late in the half.

Conor Chinn shot over the bar for New York in the second half and an offside call nullified a shot he did put in the net. United’s Thabiso Khumalo skied a shot too high late in the match.

Academy product Andy Najar again played the full 90 for United, as he’d done on Wednesday in a 0-0 tie with Toronto FC. The Florida trip began a week ago with a 1-0 loss to Columbus on a Devon McTavish own goal, and Coach Curt Onalfo told a team blog he’s happy with the defense and not too concerned with the attack.

"We just concluded our third week of preseason, a week that was our hardest physically, and I thought today we made a lot of progress from Wednesday's game with Toronto,” Onalfo told Behind the Badge. “I thought we created many more chances, and I thought we continued our great work defensively. As we get fitter and get our legs underneath us the goals will come.”

The Red Bulls move camp to Orlando this week to play in the Walt Disney Pro Soccer Classic. They open against Houston on Friday. United will stay in Bradenton until Saturday.

Feb. 20 in Bradenton, Fla.
D.C. United 0, New York 0.
D.C. United -- Bill Hamid (Ray Burse 46), Rodney Wallace (TwoBoys Gumede 77), Marc Burch, Dejan Jakovic (Quiarol Arzu 59), Lawson Vaughn (Devon McTavish 46), Christian Castillo (Lyle Adams 52), Brandon Barklage (Daniel Wasson 46), Floribert N’Galula (Thabiso Khumalo 46), Andy Najar, Danny Allsopp (Tiyiselani Shipalane 46), Jaime Moreno (Adam Cristman 46).
New York Red Bulls -- Greg Sutton (Bouna Coundoul 46), Roy Miller (Danleigh Borman 46), Andrew Boyens, Mike Petke (Tim Ream 46), Enar Jaager (Ernst Oebster 68), Jeremy Hall (Carlos Mendes 80), Joel Lindpere (Tony Tchani 46), Seth Stammler (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 46), Dane Richards, Juan Pablo Angel (John Wolyniec 68), John Agudelo (Conor Chinn 68).