Magaye Gueye's 82nd-minute goal sealed a 3-1 victory for English Premier League side Everton over D.C. United on Saturday night in front of 12, 789 at RFK Stadium.
Trailing 2-0 at halftime, the home side got a near-immediate left to start the second half, as a long ball from halftime substitute Dwayne De Rosario found a streaking Chris Pontius, who snuck behind Everton's napping back line and managed to dink the ball over the onrushing Jan Mucha. That made the score 2-1, and United seemed primed for an equalizing goal. The closest they came was on a great run by Pontius in the 64th minute. The midfield was able to split two defenders and get a shot off before an Evertonian challenge came in, but the ball merely deflected off the right post and the subsequent corner came to nothing.
Just before Pontius missed his chance for a second goal, Everton had a chance to put the match out of reach just after the hour mark. However, Tim Cahill's point-blank header from a Seamus Coleman cross was cleared off the line by Stephen King and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's shot skimmed the top of the crossbar.
Everton sealed the match with a counterattack that ended in Jermaine Beckford crossing the ball across the face of goal for Gueye to redirect into the net with his right foot.
D.C. United return to league play next Saturday night with a match against the San Jose Earthquakes. That match kicks off at 10:30 p.m.