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Dichio, TFC extend United's losing streak to four

Wed 21st, May 2008

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Toronto FC extended its unbeaten streak to six Major League Soccer fixtures with a 1-0 win over struggling D.C. United on Wednesday evening at BMO Field.

"I feel like I was playing tonight, I'm absolutely shattered," TFC coach John Carver said after the game.

Danny Dichio scored the only goal of the game and Toronto goalkeeper Greg Sutton recorded his fourth shutout of the season to put him in a first place tie with Jon Busch of Chicago and Bouna Coundoul of Colorado.

"I'm delighted for Danny," Carver said. "He's worked ever so hard recently. He got the goal tonight, he deserved it if I can be so honest."

"Tonight we got another clean sheet at home," Dichio said. "The defense has been fantastic. It is a credit to the whole team that we got a win tonight."

With the loss, United (2-7-0) dropped its fourth consecutive league fixture and sixth in the last seven. The struggling squad has scored just one goal during its four-game losing streak.

United was hoping to rebound from a tough loss at Chivas USA this past weekend in which it led late but gave up three unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes.

Things looked good heading into the game, with D.C. getting a couple injured players back in the lineup in midfielder Fred and defender Devon McTavish, but it was a McTavish blunder that lead to the game's only goal and a miss by Fred that ensured D.C. would stay scoreless.

After a long ball was played into the Toronto offensive third, McTavish ran it down in the United penalty area. But his hesitation on the clearance allowed Dichio to slip in and nudge the ball past goalkeeper Zach Wells just seven minutes into the game.

"I've been in this game since I was nine-years-old," Dichio said. "There's games where I played fantastically well, got bounces and couldn't finish. Games like tonight, one or two chances and they go in. That's football. We played well against Columbus (in a scoreless draw last week), they don't go in. Tonight the ball went in."

It was Dichio's second goal of the season and eighth in a TFC uniform, tops in franchise history.

TFC (4-2-2) clamped down the rest of the first half, not allowing the back-to- back defending Supporters' Shield winners a real legitimate chance on goal before the break.

After the break, however, United came alive, as evidenced by the 11-6 shot disparity in its favor in the game.

The best chance to equalize came in the 64th minute when United attacker Marcelo Gallardo played a cross into the six-yard box to Fred who was cutting across the area. The Brazilian midfielder headed the chance on goal, but right at Sutton, who made the save. Dichio cleared the rebound out of danger before Fred could pounce on it, keeping the home side up a goal.

"I wanted to put it in," Fred said through a translator. "The 'keeper had a quick reaction to it. I'm sad like everyone else for the outcome. It could have changed the game."

With the win, Toronto, which is now 4-0-2 in its last six MLS matches after starting the season 0-2-0, defeated D.C. for the first time in the franchise's two-year history.

The two teams will meet again this week, squaring off at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on Saturday to complete the season series, which is now tied at one win apiece.