Tai Baribo scored a penalty in the 5th minute of stoppage time, leading D.C. United to a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.
Matti Peltola also found the net for D.C. (2-2-0, 6 points), who came back from a late 1-0 deficit, ending a two-game losing streak and improving their all-time record against the Fire to 26-25-21.
Hugo Cuypers scored a penalty for Chicago (1-2-1, 4 points) in the 81st minute, marking the first goal in a match that had seen few scoring chances.
Sean Johnson made one save for D.C. United, who have tightened their defense, allowing just four goals this season compared to an MLS-high 66 last year.
Baribo’s goal was his third of the season and came after Chicago’s Jonathan Dean was penalized for a handball in the box.
He placed his shot in the top left corner, getting past keeper Chris Brady, who had two clean sheets in the previous matches.
Despite controlling 63.2% possession and outshooting D.C. 16-11, Chicago only managed two shots on target.
Cuypers, back from injury after missing last week’s match, scored his team-leading third goal this season. The penalty was awarded after D.C. defender Jackson Hopkins was called for a handball from a corner.
As Johnson dove to his right, Cuypers shot the ball straight into the net, making him 5 for 6 from the penalty spot in his MLS career.
Just three minutes later, Peltola equalized with a right-foot shot from the top of the box that left Brady unable to react. This was Peltola’s first goal in his three seasons with D.C.
D.C. United had a goal disallowed in the 43rd minute when Hopkins was ruled offside while blocking Brady’s view of Baribo’s header from a corner by Joao Peglow.