D.C. United and goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra (pictured) will be competing in Group 4 during the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. (Photo: Imagenes en Costa Rica)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – D.C. United goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra is a far better player than he showed in his first performance in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL).

Recently, he’s getting the chance to prove it.

Dykstra has made four MLS starts this season, helping the MLS Eastern Conference leader earn seven points out of their 28 this campaign while filling in for United States international Bill Hamid.

Most recently, he made 11 combined saves in a pair of early June home matches, a 3-1 victory over his former Chicago Fire side and a 2-1 loss against Toronto FC.

On Wednesday, Dykstra went the entire way as D.C. got past the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 3-1 after extra time, in a U.S. Open Cup, fourth-round encounter.  The 29-year-old figures to remain in manager Ben Olsen’s plans, even with regular starter Bill Hamid returning from a finger injury.

“I’m extremely happy with the way I’ve been playing,” Dykstra said.  “My coaches are happy with the way I’ve been playing. I had a chat with Benny, and he’s like, ‘I trust you, I like you, and this is why.’”

It’s a long way from February, when he made two errors that led to goals for Alajuelense in the first leg of the SCCL quarterfinals.  United lost 5-2 that day and 6-4 on aggregate, proving Dykstra’s miscues crucial.

But even United’s coaching staff knew the former Charleston Battery standout wasn’t quite himself, after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured left achilles the July prior.  He had only trained two weeks before traveling to Costa Rica for that inauspicious opener.

“At the time, I kept trying to convince myself, you can run, you can jump, you’re fine,” Dykstra commented.  “A couple more months passed, and I got the strength back, and I really realized how much I was missing.”

Even with Hamid signing a contract extension recently, Olsen says he’ll continue to throw Dykstra into big-match situations, including those in the upcoming SCCL.

“We’ve got a lot of trust in Andrew,” Olsen said.  “If Bill’s out, Andrew is in, and I don’t lose sleep over it.  I know he’s a very good goalkeeper, and the guys trust him, so that’s all I need.”

And after watching Eastern Conference rival Impact de Montreal advance all the way to the 2014-15 final, Dykstra is excited to return to the competition and make amends for that night in Costa Rica.

“Over the last couple years, where Montreal has gotten out of the group, and we’ve gotten out of the group, you realize as a player it’s more games and it’s a great opportunity,” Dykstra finished.  “It’s something to be excited about now, for sure.”