In a critical late-season matchup with playoff position implications for both teams, D.C. United wore out the Colorado Rapids, running away with a 2-0 victory on the strength of two second half goals from Christian Gomez and Jaime Moreno.
The Rapids came in clinging to fourth place in the Western Conference, while defending champs United held a narrow grasp on the second slot in the East. The game boasted three of the league's top six scorers in Moreno and Gomez and the Rapids' Jeff Cunningham, and on this night -- as they have all season long -- they didn't disappoint.
Gomez tallied the game's first goal, while Moreno, who knifed through the Rapids' defense time and time again, secured a D.C. victory with a late goal of his own. Cunningham was relentless up top, giving the United back line fits all night, but he and his teammates failed to greatly trouble the United defense.
From the start, United caused the visitors some anxious moments. Gomez carried the ball into the box in the fourth minute and was brought down, but his apparent dive failed to elicit a whistle from referee Hilario Grajeda, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.
Seconds later, at the end of a chaotic sequence in the penalty area that began with a Gomez free kick, forward Jamil Walker found himself all alone on the left side of the goalmouth with a ball falling to his feet. Walker hit an ambitious first-time rocket of a volley with his left foot that glanced off the top of the crossbar.
Back on the other end two minutes later, a set piece was crossed in and headed down perfectly to the left post by Rapids newcomer Jovan Kirovski. But United 'keeper Nick Rimando sprawled out to make a daring save, denying Colorado of its best chance in the match's first stanza.
The game struggled to find a rhythm for the next half hour, with the bulk of play in the midfield and neither team able to penetrate two resolute defenses. But there was no shortage of exciting combinations and runs to get forward, most notably by the home side, usually sparked by Moreno's ability to calmly take on defenders and spring teammates free into space.
The Rapids were able to muster a decent opportunity in the 37th minute, when a foiled shot attempt by Kirovski was deflected to Jean Philippe Peguero at the top of the box. But the Haitian international struck a line-drive knuckler that sailed over the goal.
After the break, Rapids goalkeeper Joe Cannon departed with an apparent injury, and Byron Foss came off the bench to make his MLS debut although he's been on the Rapids roster for the past three seasons.
United was the aggressor from the start of the half, and just after the hour they took the lead as Foss was victimized by some guile from Gomez. Standing over a free kick at the far left corner of the penalty area, Gomez knew that everyone in the stadium, Foss included, was looking for a crossing ball into the box.
He quickly glanced up, caught Foss out of position, and sent a wicked curling shot that dipped just when he needed it to and floated into the top left corner of the goal, a stunned Foss able to get little more than a few fingers to it. The well-taken kick was the Argentinian's 10th goal of the 2005 campaign.
Moreno sealed the United victory with 10 minutes remaining, finishing an impressive buildup with his 13th goal of the year. The Black-and-Red strung several quick passes together, finding Dema Kovalenko at the top of the box.
Kovalenko probably could have put a shot on goal, but smartly tucked it diagonally to a streaking Moreno. Moreno collected the ball on the right side, cut around a Colorado defender and placed a left-footed shot just inside the left post to double the D.C. lead.
Tempers flared in the game's waning minutes after a hard foul on Santino Quaranta by Colorado second-half substitute Alain Nkong, and Colorado coach Fernando Clavijo had to be restrained in protesting the yellow card that Nkong was awarded as a result, he and United boss Peter Nowak having an animated discussion of the incident.
With the win, United remained in second place in the East, now three points ahead of the Chicago Fire, while the Rapids are still in fourth place in the Western Conference. The Rapids return home to take on Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in one of their three remaining meetings of the season, while United have the week off from league play, but face a trip to Chile to face Universidad Catolica in the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana series, level 1-1 on aggregate.
MLSnet.com Man of the Match: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Omar Garriott is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
