ri ola , ▁after ▁dealing ▁$ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁allocation ▁funds ▁to ▁ac quire ▁his ▁M LS ▁rights ▁from ▁the ▁L . A . ▁Gal axy . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Ar ri ola , ▁the ▁team ▁added ▁a ▁U . S . ▁youth ▁international , ▁Russell ▁Can ouse . ▁The ▁Pennsylvania ▁native ▁left ▁Germany ▁to ▁return ▁and ▁play ▁for ▁his ▁boy hood ▁favorite ▁team . ▁The ▁wheel ing ▁and ▁dealing ▁also ▁included ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁former ▁Columb us ▁C rew ▁stand out ▁goal keeper ▁Steve ▁Clark , ▁to ▁provide ▁ins urance ▁in ▁case ▁the ▁team ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁sign ▁star ▁goal ie ▁Bill ▁Ham id ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁contract . ▁ ▁These ▁moves ▁really ▁did ▁seem ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁play ▁of ▁the ▁team . ▁United ▁almost ▁took ▁three ▁points ▁from ▁league - leading ▁Toronto ▁after ▁an ▁early ▁goal ▁by ▁Sam , ▁but ▁an ▁own ▁goal ▁by ▁Steve ▁Bir n baum ▁forced ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁sett le ▁for ▁a ▁draw . ▁D . C . ▁did ▁lose ▁two ▁consecutive ▁hard - f ought ▁ 1 – 0 ▁matches , ▁against ▁Real ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁and ▁Colorado ▁Rap ids . ▁D . C . ▁then ▁completed ▁a ▁swe ep ▁of ▁the ▁season ▁series ▁with ▁Atlanta ▁United , ▁winning ▁ 1 – 0 ▁on ▁an ▁own ▁goal . ▁In ▁the ▁next ▁match , ▁the ▁team ▁earned ▁the ▁win ▁over ▁New ▁England ▁on ▁a ▁second - half ▁goal ▁by ▁Ac osta . ▁Hom eg rown ▁player ▁center back ▁J alen ▁Robinson ▁contributed