D.C. United rebounded from their recent struggles in thrilling fashion at RFK Stadium on Saturday night, as their misfiring attack surged back to life with a four-goal performance against the New York Red Bulls to clinch the Eastern Conference regular season title and give the Black-and-Red their first home victory in league play in more than two months.
"It means we have home-field advantage [for the playoffs], and it means we've broke out of a little bit of a slump here," said midfielder Ben Olsen, who wore the captain's armband in place of Jaime Moreno. "It feels good to win. It's been a while, and the guys needed it."
Injury troubles and the toll of the long MLS campaign have worn down Moreno in recent weeks, leading D.C. coach Peter Nowak to leave him out of the first XI for the first time all season. But the talismanic striker reminded an appreciative crowd of 21,727 of his priceless value as he came off the bench in the 57th minute to spark his side's offense with a goal and two assists.
"I was lucky that everything went the right way," said Moreno. "Sometimes you get mad because you're not playing, but you know, I had all the energy and I felt like going and doing my thing."
His crucial contribution was altogether fitting on a night when United paid tribute to the 1996 squad that he helped push to the inaugural MLS Cup championship. Moreno is United's sole remaining active player from that legendary group, which set the tone for what has since become Major League Soccer's most successful club.
"We were amped -- those guys are what it's all about, man," said Olsen of the '96 team. "To have them here to watch us, we wanted to at least put on a good show and show them that we are continuing this tradition in the right way."
Once Moreno entered the match, it became clear just how those winning ways have been maintained in recent years, as the crafty Bolivian combined extraordinarily well with customary foil Christian Gomez. The South American duo tore open the Red Bulls at will, even after the 61st-minute dismissal of Facundo Erpen forced United to play shorthanded for nearly half an hour.
"It was a good way to bring him back, giving him the 35 minutes," said Nowak. "We didn't expect that we're going to play with 10 men, which requires the extra work for him, but it was a great performance from all of them, including Jaime."
The display will surely remind the rest of the Eastern Conference that any side wishing to reach the MLS Cup must find a way to neutralize D.C.'s dynamic duo.
"When they're on, they're unstoppable in this league," said defender Brandon Prideaux. "They know exactly where one another is going to be and how they want the ball. Those two play really, really well together."
Though undoubtedly upset with the evening's multiple defensive breakdowns, United's players and coaches were upbeat after a match that could provide the impetus for the late-season momentum they have been craving.
"We had a tough week, a lot of heart-to-hearts, a lot of focus and a lot of pressure on us tonight," admitted Olsen. "With a big crowd tonight, I think we put on a pretty good show. We let too many goals in, but it's a gutsy, gutsy win for us. It feels good right now."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
