D.C. United and the Kansas City Wizards combined for three goals in the opening 23 minutes -- but that's all it took for United to come away with a 2-1 victory on Saturday night at RFK Stadium and reclaim the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
A 12-minute stretch in the game's opening frame saw three goals -- a thundering volley from Alecko Eskandarian, followed by back-to-back penalties from Sasha Victorine and Jaime Moreno -- but the Wizards just couldn't find the equalizer as the home side took over the division lead.
The visitors had the first substantive chance of the match. A hard foul by D.C.'s Josh Gros on a slicing Davy Arnaud in the seventh minute led to a Kansas City set piece from 22 yards out, but Wizards free kick specialist Jose Burciaga Jr. put a screamer just over the crossbar.
K.C. certainly would have liked to have made better of the opportunity, as the Black-and-Red promptly drew first blood five minutes later on some gorgeous combination play between Moreno, Christian Gomez, and Eskandarian. Moreno found Gomez right at the top of the restraining arc, and Gomez played a deft chip to the left corner of the box, which Eskandarian full-volleyed just inside the near post. Helpless Wizards goalie Bo Oshoniyi looked thoroughly perplexed at Eskandarian's impressive blast.
But the Wizards got it right back in the 16th minute. Youngster Freddy Adu fouled Ryan Pore as he used a burst of speed to get past Adu in a one-on-one situation on the right side of the penalty box. Adu couldn't keep his hands at his side, and the Wizards were awarded a penalty kick. Central midfielder Sasha Victorine stepped up and put a low shot into the corner of the net, his second tally of the 2006 campaign.
Tensions began to flare at the midway point of the first half as the United faithful grew agitated at some calls from referee Gus St. Silva. But they erupted in approval in the 22nd minute as K.C. rookie Matt Groenwald bumped Eskandarian inside the box as he ran onto a ball slotted through by Moreno, drawing a whistle from St. Silva. The league's all-time penalty kick leader, Moreno calmly tucked a shot inside the right corner of the goal as Oshoniyi guessed incorrectly.
Kansas City had a handful of opportunities to draw even before halftime, but none came to fruition. Normally dangerous forward Scott Sealy squandered a golden chance in the 37th minute. Jack Jewsbury drove a low shot from the right side which United netminder Troy Perkins sprawled out to save, but left the rebound right in front of open net -- which Sealy, though perfectly positioned, one-timed well over the goal.
The Wizards nearly connected again in the waning minutes of the first half as a melee in front of the United goal almost found the back of the net, but was cleared off the line by Gros.
The two squads came out of the locker room with differing styles. The Wizards looked to be the clear aggressors early on, pushing forward and putting the United backline on its heels, but accordingly left themselves vulnerable to counterattacks. United, by contrast, seemed more content to play a possession game and use a deliberate buildup through the middle of the field to protect to its lead.
K.C. mustered a solid chance in the 57th minute when midfielder Jewsbury collected a ball at the top of the penalty area and struck a threatening shot on goal, but Perkins turned it away. The United 'keeper intercepted the resulting corner kick, and the Wizards remained in a hole.
Jewsbury had another try at goal five minutes later when his free kick from 20 yards out left of goal was deflected by Perkins. The United counter that ensued culminated in a header on goal by Moreno, but Oshoniyi was in position to make the save.
The 68th minute saw a tense moment for the home side, when the Wizards' Davy Arnaud very nearly knotted the score. Sealy possessed the ball left of the goal and laid it off to the onrushing Arnaud, who hit a forceful shot at goal. Perkins blocked the ball initially, but only slowed its momentum. As the ball sailed dangerously close to the goal, he was able to recover, make the save, and keep the margin intact.
That one-goal edge almost grew to two just more than 10 minutes later when Eskandarian used some clever footwork to beat K.C. defender Nick Garcia and get free on the right side of the box. But this time Oshoniyi was more than prepared to stop Eskandarian's curling left-footed shot.
As the game entered injury time and the Wizards pushed forward in desperate unison, United had several near-goals. Adu, all alone left of the box, almost converted on a shot that Oshoniyi made an athletic save to turn away. Both Moreno and Jamil Walker had chances of their own in extra time, but Oshoniyi was again there and the final whistle blew as United escaped with a 2-1 victory.
Omar Garriott is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
