WASHINGTON (AP) — Christian Benteke scored two goals, Alex Bono had four saves and D.C. United rallied from an early deficit to beat the short-handed Seattle Sounders 2-1 Saturday night.

DC United 2, Seattle Sounders 1: Match detail

The 33-year-old Benteke has scored eight goals this season, tied with Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango for second in MLS, behind only Lionel Messi (nine) of Inter Miami.

Aaron Herrera chipped an arcing cross from the right goal line to the back post and Benteke outjumped Cristian Roldan at the corner of the 6-yard box and ripped a header that powered through the fingertips of goalkeeper Andrew Thomas to give D.C. United a 2-1 lead in the 45th minute.

Seattle (1-5-3) has scored just one goal and is winless in three consecutive games since a 5-0 win over CF Montreal on April 6.

D.C. United (3-3-4), which had lost back-to-back games, snapped a three-game winless streak.

Seattle’s Stefan Frei was shown a red card (denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity) and Benteke converted from the penalty spot in the 32nd for D.C. United to make it 1-1, Andrew Thomas replaced Frei, Léo Chú came off and the Sounders played a man down the rest of the way.

Chú opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Albert Rusnák had a shot from the top of the penalty area blocked, as was the first-touch rebound by Joshua Atencio before Jordan Morris played a line-drive entry to Chú for a header that ricocheted off the post into the net.

Thomas finished with three saves for the Sounders.

Last time: Whitecaps take advantage of red cards to beat Seattle Sounders 2-0

While no Boise State football players were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, at least one will still get a crack at making an NFL roster as a rookie. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Holani will join the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.

Throughout his five seasons with Boise State, Holani had two 1,000-rushing-yard seasons, was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and was on the All-Mountain West second team twice. Holani was part of two Mountain West championship teams at Boise State, including 2023’s title run under Spencer Danielson.

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Last season, Holani ran for 748 yards and seven touchdowns. He only played in eight games. Holani’s best season came in 2022 where he ran for 1,1157 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Along with being named to six watch lists, Holani also was invited to the NFL Draft combine and participated in the Hula Bowl. Holani’s 5’11,” 210-pound size certainly stands out as he can be a quick, versatile running back at the pro level.

NFL Rookie Minicamps will take place May 3-6 or May 10-13 this spring.

In an effort to surround quarterback Geno Smith with more weapons, the Seattle Seahawks drafted Michigan tight end AJ Barner in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday with pick No. 121 overall. After transferring to Michigan from Indiana, Barner was an important piece to the Wolverines’ National Championship-winning offense, though he primarily served as the team’s secondary tight end option behind Colson Loveland. Still, Barner was an effective blocker and gave JJ McCarthy another big-bodied option down the field, and he’lll look to build on those qualities in the pros with the Seahawks. 

2024 NFL Combine or U-M Pro Day Stats

6-6, 251 pounds

40-Yard Dash: 4.84 seconds

Vertical Jump: 34.5”

Broad Jump: 9’9”

3-Cone Drill: 7.02 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.41 seconds

Bench Press: 22 reps

NFL.com Analyst Lance Zierlein’s breakdown on Barner:

“In-line tight end who continues improving as a run blocker but is unlikely to offer much as a pass catcher. He was a captain at Indiana before transferring to Michigan, and scouts say he attacks practices and weight training with a single-minded obsession to get better and compete. He’s technically sound in the early stages of the run block but needs to improve with his positioning to create better lanes for the runner. He can handle some pass protection but needs to keep improving. Barner’s role might be a little limited as a blocking Y tight end with below-average pass-catching traits, but he should earn playing time in the future.”

2023 Stats and Accolades

22 receptions for 249 yards and one touchdown

John Mackey Award sem- finalist 

All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (coaches, media)

Wolverine Digest Breakdown

Though he only spent one year at Michigan, Barner should be remembered favorably for his contributions to U-M’s championship squad, contributing nine starts along the way. Barner’s blocking should translate well to the NFL, and he’s still improving as a pass catcher, so the Seahawks may have found quality value this late in the draft.  

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Do you think the Seahawks found a future starter in Barner in the fourth round? How do you see his pro career shaping up? Let us know and follow @EricJRutter on Twitter for more Wolverine Digest updates.