September 20, 2012
MLS ROUNDUP
United slip past Union

Lionard Pajoy punctuated his return to PPL Park with the game-winning goal for DC United against the Philadelphia Union on Thursday night. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

DC UNITED 1, PHILADELPHIA UNION 0
CHESTER, Pa.---Former Philadelphia Union striker Lionard Pajoy came back to haunt his old team, scoring the only goal to give DC United a 1-0 win at PPL Park Thursday night.

Just when it seemed like neither team wanted to score, Pajoy came up with a brilliant strike in the 67th minute to seal the win and lift United (14-10-5, 47 points) not only back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but from sixth to fourth place on the tightly-packed table, leapfrogging both Columbus and Houston. The Union fall to 7-14-6 (27).

Maicon Santos started the deciding play, sending a long diagonal ball ahead to Chris Pontius who was making a run into the area. Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath came out to challenge Pontius, who chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to Pajoy at the penalty spot. Pajoy chested the ball down, half- volleyed a perfect shot into the goal.

The Union had a lot of opportunities in front of shaky DC netminder Bill Hamid, especially in the first half, but could not put the ball past the young ‘keeper.