Just when Ben Olsen thinks he is done being amazed by Christian Gomez, the Argentinian magician pulls something else out of his hat that makes Olsen just shake his head.
Gomez struck in the 77th minute, finishing a give-and-go with Jaime Moreno with a sublime chip over New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway to give D.C. United a 1-0 win Saturday at Giants Stadium in the opening leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.
But more than anything, Olsen is amazed at Gomez's demeanor.
"I know I wouldn't be that nice a guy if I was that good," Gomez said. "I'd be a star and I would act accordingly."
Olsen conceded he started the play, which "means just give it to Christian, and him and Jaime will do the rest," he said.
With three Red Bulls players bearing down on him, Gomez touched the ball to Moreno and then took off towards goal. Moreno gave the ball back and Gomez split defender Carlos Mendes and midfielder Amado Guevara to score the pivotal goal.
"It was a great goal. Him and Jaime seem like they really know each other in that box area," Olsen said. "It's dangerous because they don't want to foul him and they do a good job of the one-twos. They know each other very well."
And a lot of that knowledge comes from being close off the field as well.
"It's been two years since Jaime and I have been working together on the same team and we do things on the field as well as off the field, spending time with our families," Gomez said through a translator. "It's good to reflect that understanding, that communication that we have on the field."
Added Moreno: "Every time we get the ball, me and Christian, we know that we're going to be dangerous. I think it's just normal for any forward. It was a good combination and a great finish by Christian."
After scoring the goal, Gomez grabbed the front of his jersey and raced towards the traveling supporters in the mezzanine, who were already whipped into a frenzy.
"I was kind of [upset] because I didn't get a chance to see the replay of the goal because it was so nice," Alecko Eskandarian said. "I think I actually started cramping up running after him after he scored the goal because he was running away so fast. He's definitely the MVP in my book, no question."
Gomez's goal was more than enough for D.C. United, who lost four of their final five regular season games and won just two regular season games after the All-Star break. United have leaked goals of late, giving up nine goals against in their last four games. Against the Red Bulls, Troy Perkins needed to make just three saves to earn the clean sheet in his first playoff start.
"We've been punished with a lot of goals against us and today we keep the clean sheet. That was the whole deal," D.C. coach Peter Nowak said. "We cannot chase the game, we chased the game the last five, six, eight weeks -- I don't know how many weeks -- but today we were patient and kept playing."
Not surprisingly, the game got chippy in the second half with all four of referee Michael Kennedy's bookings coming in the final quarter hour. The fourth and final yellow card went to Guevara for his harsh tackle on Moreno, drawing the ire of both Nowak and Olsen.
"It's part of the game," Moreno said. "I think it upsets you more because the referee doesn't know how to take care of the plays in the beginning. That's why things like that happen. I don't really care."
And now D.C. is in the driver's seat with the second leg of the series at RFK Stadium next Sunday. All they need is a draw to go through and the Red Bulls need to win away from home, something they've done just once in the regular season.
"The way I look at it is, it's halftime and we're up 1-0," Eskandarian said. "We have another 90-minute half to play and we just have to take care of business, go out with the same effort and intensity that we came out with today."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
