D.C. United wins Carolina Challenge Cup after drawing 2-2 with Toronto FC

After last year's dismal season, D.C. United has started out 2011 making a statement, going in defeated in pre-season after bringing in a wealth of new attacking talent that has paid immediate dividends on the score sheet. In their final match up before kicking off the regular season against Columbus this Saturday at RFK, the Black and Red tied Toronto FC 2-2, which was enough to retain their Carolina Challenge Cup title, the pre-season event hosted by USL's Charleston Battery that has become a staple for United's annual preparations.

Charlie Davies, a recent addition to the squad, netted his fourth goal of the preseason in the 12th minute. Toronto's Dwayne De Rosario added a tally to the score sheet when Gianluca Zavarise won a penalty kick. Less than ten minutes later, Maicon Santos pushed Toronto ahead of United 2-1. But the final goal came from United's Joseph Ngwenya in the 62nd minute, putting his team on top of the 4-team round robin final standings.

While the pre-season matches may be good indicators of the potential of the team, head coach Ben Olsen said he is still expecting his players to be fully committed when the return to training Tuesday, with only four days to prepare for United's season opener against the Columbus Crew on the 19th at RFK Stadium in Washington DC.

[ + Click here for a full match report of the D.C. United/Toronto FC match ]