Fire coach Frank Yallop couldn’t fault his team’s performance Saturday night at Toyota Park, instead it was referees’ calls that left him mystified.
Midfielder Matt Watson scored on a 25-yard shot in the 77th minute — his first goal of the season — as the Fire rallied to a 3-3 tie with D.C. United.
“I thought we played well tonight,” Yallop said. “I thought we deserved to win.”
D.C. United midfielder Luis Silva scored a pair of goals — one on a controversial penalty kick and another on second half free kick to tie — while captain Bobby Boswell got a go-ahead goal on a rebound in the 69th minute.
“Calls cost us the game,” Yallop said. “Momentum’s everything. (Silva) gets the phantom penalty kick — I don’t know what the call was — and that gives them life.”
The Fire (5-7-16, 31 points) matched a MLS mark for ties in a season they had shared with the Red Bulls. They’re now nine points out of fifth place and the final MLS playoff berth with six games to play.
D.C. United (14-9-6 48 points) snapped a two-game winless streak.
The early stages were all Fire as forward Quincy Amarikwa scored his team-high eighth goal in the 16th minute. Captain Jeff Larentowicz padded the lead with a penalty kick 16 minutes later after United’s Perry Kitchen fouled Amarikwa in the box.
Amarikwa’s goal came after a feed from Harry Shipp as he set up for shot and hesitated, then quickly moved left and lined a shot past United goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
United got on the board with Silva’s penalty kick in the 39th minute after a foul on Fire defender Razvan Cocis.
Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson got two hands on SIlva’s kick, but the ball deflected into the net as United cut the deficit to 2-1.