Louis Munteanu's brace lifts D.C. United past sliding NYCFC

Louis Munteanu scored his second and third career MLS goals and short-handed D.C. United earned a 2-0 victory at New York City FC on Sunday afternoon.

Munteanu's brace completed a third consecutive multi-goal performance after the Black and Red (4-4-3, 15 points) had failed to score in four consecutive league matches.

It came on an afternoon Tai Baribo, D.C.'s leading scorer with six goals, was unavailable because of a thigh injury, while attacker Gabriel Pirani was left out of the team in a coach's decision.

Sean Johnson made four saves to keep his fourth clean sheet of the season, coming against his former club. That was enough to ensure D.C.'s first consecutive league victories of the season.

New York City (3-5-3, 12 points) held 65% of the possession, but failed to translate that advantage into chances as their league winless run extended to seven matches.

D.C. led 19-8 in overall shots and 7-4 in efforts on target.

Munteanu joined D.C. this offseason from CFR Cluj in his native Romania for a reported $7 million transfer fee, but had mostly been used off the substitute's bench while the 23-year-old acclimated to a new league and culture.

But Baribo's absence opened the path for a starting role in last weekend's dramatic 3-2 victory over Orlando City, in which he scored an 84th-minute equalizer, and he got the nod again from manager Rene Weiler on Sunday.

His first goal came in the 29th minute on an instinctive finish from Jared Stroud's long throw-in from the right.

The throw dropped in the area of teammate Kye Rowles and then appeared to take a deflection off an NYCFC defender. Munteanu reacted quickly to reach it inside the 6-yard box and poked a first-touch finish past goalkeeper Matt Freese (five saves).

Munteanu's second came from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.

Referee Ismail Elfath whistled Keaton Parks for a foul on Lucas Bartlett, appearing to signal that Parks had grabbed Bartlett's neck area.

NYCFC players protested, but replays showed no decisive angles that would've led to an overturn. Munteanu stepped up and finished coolly past Freese into the bottom right corner.

--Field Level Media