From a statistical standpoint, D.C. United’s past two matches were a disaster.
Opponents compiled massive advantages in total shots (47-14) and ball possession (66.5 percent), leaving the burdened visitors chasing shadows and pinned in their own end for exhausting stretches.
The only numbers that mattered, though, were on the scoreboard: 3-0 and 1-0, critical victories at Montreal and Portland that extinguished concern about qualifying for the MLS playoffs and reinforced Coach Ben Olsen’s defensive ideals.
The other key figures: Despite the one-sided shot total, the Impact and Timbers managed just four apiece on goal against a unit that blocked shots and forced attempts from outside the penalty area.