D.C. United, up a goal and a man, draws with Columbus

Though United (2-1-4) has earned four draws in four difficult road matches and continues to show marked improvement, this one “felt like a loss,” right back Aaron Herrera said.

It also included an on-field incident between teammates Lucas Bartlett and Gabriel Pirani. After Morris’s goal in the 87th minute, Bartlett yelled and gestured at Pirani for what he thought was lackluster defending. Pirani screamed back at Bartlett, then shoved the center back.

Following the match, Coach Troy Lesesne addressed the matter with the team.

“It’s two players that are competitive players and they’re competitive for our club. They want our club to succeed,” Lesesne said in an interview. “And healthy confrontation is always a good thing as long as it’s done in a respectful way.”

Was this done in a respectful way?

“I addressed what I thought was respectful and what wasn’t respectful,” Lesesne added.

He said he was not worried about the incident damaging what is, from all other indications, a close-knit group.

“Absolutely not, because accountability is part of that as well,” Lesesne said. “We have to take accountability whenever I deem it, as the leader, [it wasn’t] in a respectful fashion and then we go right at it. And then we move on.”

Players played down the incident.

Bartlett said, “We spoke about it and moved on. It was raw emotion.”

Pirani, a Brazilian who speaks limited English, was not available for comment.

Bartlett said he and Pirani communicated through teammate Pedro Santos, who speaks English and Portuguese.

“That is not a part of who we are. And Lucas knows that,” goalkeeper Alex Bono said. “Troy had a conversation with him that will stay between them. And the rest of us, we see that and it’s important as a group to be together and try to hear both people and solve the issues.”

“Lucas is an emotional guy,” Herrera said. “That’s what we love about him. He’s got that fire. Things like that happen between grown men and it’s a very competitive sport.”

United had gone ahead in the 61st minute on Christian Benteke’s fifth goal of the season.

Cristian Dájome swung a cross to Benteke, who won the aerial battle, as he often does. The ball flew to Herrera for a crackling one-timer. The shot hit teammate Jared Stroud and fell to Benteke nestled between two defenders for a 10-yard strike.

Down a man after Cucho Hernández’s 75th-minute red card, the Crew drew level on Morris’s blazing strike from 27 yards.

The Crew had just welcomed back Hernández, one of MLS’s most dynamic young players, who started Saturday after sitting out an MLS and Concacaf Champions Cup match for what Coach Wilfried Nancy said was a violation of “team policy.”

Meanwhile, Lesesne tweaked the lineup, deploying three central defenders and two wing backs instead of a standard four-man backline. Matti Peltola, the usual defensive midfielder, began the night on the bench to manage his minutes following international duty with Finland.

In Peltola’s place, Lesesne put his faith in Jackson Hopkins, a 19-year-old homegrown from Fredericksburg, Va., starting for the second time in three games. He has proved to be a maturing and valuable sub, as he was last weekend against Montreal.

Less than two minutes into Saturday’s outing, Hopkins flashed high confidence and fine technique in smashing a 25-yard effort off the left post.

By pressuring Columbus in the back, counterattacking quickly and supplying Benteke, United created several dangerous moments. The number — and quality — of chances grew as the half transpired, but the final execution was a bit off and Columbus’s Patrick Schulte made a sensational save on Benteke’s stab deep in the box during stoppage time.

At the other end, timely tackles in the box and quick recoveries extinguished growing threats. Columbus’s best chance came in the 32nd minute, when Hernández’s bid caromed narrowly wide.

Following Benteke’s breakthrough, Bono made a sparkling reflex save on Diego Rossi’s running one-timer from eight yards.

Hernández’s frustrating night reached a boiling point when, after failing to draw a foul on Christopher McVey, the fallen forward kicked the D.C. defender with two feet and received a red card.

Columbus did not let up, though, and got even down the stretch.

“We’re in the process of building something and really, we’re rebuilding things in a lot of ways, both on the field and what you see on matchday but many, many things off the field,” Lesesne said. “And we’re trying to enhance and improve our reputation. And tonight, I think we can say we enhanced and improved our reputation. We showed that we could go to the MLS Cup champions [and earn a point]. … We’re making progress.”