D.C. United eked out a win north of the border on Saturday afternoon, solidifying their playoff hopes with a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC.
It was sluggish early, but DCU scored the game winner in the 87th minute, as Hamdi Salihi tapped one into the back of the net. The goal was set up by Maicon Santos, who controlled a failed clear by Toronto and raced up the right sideline. Santos stopped on a dime and sent a low rocket to the front of the net and Salihi was three to clean up a short rebound and clinch the win.
D.C. United is now 6 points clear of the playoff cut line in the East. While it wasn't always pretty against a last-place Toronto team, it was a must-win situation if they wanted to solidify their playoff status. The win pushed DCU to a tie for second in the East standings. They will now host Columbus in two weeks at RFK.