important because that's where the playoff dividing line is. Houston can guarantee a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a victory and a Real Salt Lake loss to Kansas City.
"There's three games to go, and it's tight for everybody," Kinnear said. "What we feel in pressure, the other team's are feeling as well."
Said De Rosario: "I don't care about the other games. We have to create our own destiny by winning. Once we do our work on our field then we don't have to worry about what anybody else is doing."
It was a league-leading seventh draw on the road for Dynamo. While they have just three wins and seven draws on their travels, that still equals the second-best road record in the league - though it's still below .500. Only D.C. United has a winning record on the road this year.
"We'd hoped to come in here and get three points, but we've not been very successful on the road this year," said goalkeeper Pat Onstad. "The last thing we wanted to do was lose, but for us a win would have made a big difference."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United won for the second time in five matches - both in the month of September - claiming a wild, 4-3 victory against the New York Red Bulls at RFK Stadium last Saturday evening. United moved to 55 points from 29 matches and clinched first place in the Eastern Conference with the victory, guaranteeing home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs. With a victory - or an FC Dallas loss, or if both teams tie - United will capture the MLS Supporters' Shield for the third time (first since 1999).
LAST MATCH
The game was played in a celebratory air as the 1996 MLS Cup champion D.C. United -- coached by current Red Bulls boss Bruce Arena -- were honored before the match. United still held the best record in MLS despite just one win since July 15, while the Red Bulls had lost three of their last four games.
The teams traded goals over the opening 20 minutes. A Christian Gomez free kick was deflected into his own goal by Red Bulls defender Carlos Mendes (9), but after Facundo Erpen was adjudged to batted down a cross, Amado Guevara finished off from the penalty spot for the 20th-minute equalizer.
The match then burst to life over the final half hour. Minutes after coming on as a substitute, Jaime Moreno played a delightful one-two with Gomez to release the playmaker behind the Red Bulls back line, and Gomez made no mistake with a cheeky finish between the advancing Tony Meola's legs.
Then barely a minute later, Erpen was given his marching orders by referee Kevin Stott after clashing with New York striker John Wolyniec and elbowing and stomping on him.
Yet United doubled their lead in the 73rd minute. Moreno and Gomez linked to send Ben Olsen in all alone racing down the center of the park, and despite having Meola at his mercy, Olsen selflessly squared for the trailing Moreno to slot home his 105th career MLS goal.
The Red Bulls pulled back to within one nine minutes later. From nearly on the edge of the area, Guevara swung a viciously swerving free kick over the United wall and into the upper corner of the net. Perkins desperately threw himself to his left and got a hand to the shot, but could not keep it out.
However, D.C. produced yet another wonder goal one minute from full time, this time courtesy of Matias Donnet. Drifting in from the right flank, he took possession from Moreno and found ample space 25 yards out from goal before uncorking a knuckling blast with movement that befuddled Meola as it flew past.
Still, the evening's fireworks were not over as Guevara ran at the D.C. back line 90 seconds into injury time and poked a well-weighted through ball into the box for Jozy Altidore to stroke past Perkins - but the final whistle came before there could be any more last-second heroics.
United head coach Peter Nowak made five changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Chicago Fire. Bryan namoff was suspended, so Brandon Prideaux came into the back three. Jeff Carroll was given his first MLS start and Ben Olsen returned from suspension, coming in for Brian Carroll and the suspended Josh Gros. Rod Dyachenko and Jamil Walker comprised a new-look strike partnership, coming into the team in place of Jaime Moreno and Stephen deRoux.
Here's Nowak's team (3-4-1-2): Troy Perkins - Brandon Prideaux, Bobby Boswell, Facundo Erpen - Jeff Carroll, Matias Donnet, Ben Olsen (David Stokes 84), Freddy Adu - Christian Gomez - Rod Dyachenko (Jaime Moreno 57), Jamil Walker (Clyde Simms 64). [Substitutes Not Used: Stephen deRoux, Justin Moose, Nick Rimando, Robert Ssejjemba]
"We had such a wonderful game, but so many gifts given to the other team. We scored beautiful goals, we set [the goals] up well. They fought for 90 minutes. It was a great performance from all of them. You can't demand more from the players - they fought for these three points tonight," Nowak said. "But you cannot score three goals then give the other team a gift so they can come back. It's unacceptable right now.TEAM NEWS
The game changed when Moreno came on as a substitute just before the hour. He had been given three days off during the week by Nowak, in addition to being kept out of the starting lineup.
"It was good what I did [earlier in the week] and I felt like my legs were fresh," Moreno said. "I think it showed in the game but I won't say anything until I'm in the final and my legs feel the same way." Said Nowak: "Next week I will give them all three days off so they will all be playing like Jaime. ... Boys need some time off, that's for sure. Every time they step on the field, they want to give everything, so you have to be smart about that. It was a good way to bring him back. He went for 35 minutes, but we didn't expect to play with 10 men, which requires extra work from him."
Over the last 10 games in all competitions, United has been shown 27 yellow cards and five red cards. Three of the red cards have come in the last two games. "It is difficult with 10 men. We want to have a game of 11 vs. 11 for 90 minutes," Nowak said. "I really hope that is going to be the case in the next six weeks. We cannot just play 10 men all the time, every single week - It's impossible."
However, said assistant coach Tom Soehn, there might be a positive to the suspensions over the recent weeks. "For our team, we've got a deep roster, so it lets guys step up and show they are capable of playing out there," Soehn said. "We keep getting more and more good surprises out of it."
At the start of the game, Nowak had Matias Donnet in a central role with Jeff Carroll on the right. But at the break, Donnet moved back to a wide role and Carroll moved into the center where his brother usually patrols.
"I was worried about him in the first half: he couldn't find the rhythm. But actually, we shifted a little bit and came to the right side, and he did a very good job," Nowak said of Donnet. "It is just the beginning - we have to be patient with him. It's just his second or third game at home, and getting his first goal is a very good burst of confidence."
Said Ben Olsen: "I felt like when Jeff came in the middle, it was just like old times, sitting in there with his brother. He's basically a Brian Carroll in the making. He's done a good job there - he's a smart player that knows how to play the game. He's exciting about the way he played and the win tonight too."
It was also the first of the games down the stretch where Nowak said he would giving some regulars time off, before the MLS Cup Playoffs begin in a month. "It's important to give the guys a shot," he said. "The situation required today that we put in David Stokes. We gave [Rod] Dyachenko, Jeff Carroll and another shot to Jamil [Walker]. I think everyone is committed to the job they are doing, and this way, guys are fighting for their position every single day."
