The New York Red Bulls won their third consecutive game, their third regular season clean sheet in a row for the first time in 10 years in a 1-0 win against the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday at Giants Stadium. But in the process they might have lost their leading scorer.
Jean Philippe Peguero was held off the active roster Saturday while his transfer is finalized to Danish club Brondby.
Peguero has six goals and two assists for the Red Bulls since being traded from Colorado on April 21. An agreement couldn't be reached with three other European clubs last month after the Haitian sensation scored two goals in the Red Bulls 4-2 win against Bayern Munich on May 27.
"We hate to see Peguero go because he's done well for us and he's been a good person," Red Bulls coach Richie Williams said. "But we wish him the best and we hope he does very well."
In Peguero's absence, Mike Magee played up front with Edson Buddle and scored the game's lone goal in the 25th minute. Marvell Wynne played the ball up the left to Seth Stammler, who sent a cross inside the box and Magee beat Nick Garcia to the ball, knocking the ball past Bo Oshoniyi from the edge of the six-yard box.
"I've been comfortable out wide at midfield but the team needed a forward and I've played there before in my rookie year," Magee said. "Any way I can get out on the field, any time I can contribute to the team to help get three points is all I'm looking for right now."
Despite some close calls by the Wizards, including six shots by U.S. national team forward Eddie Johnson and a header off the crossbar by Sasha Victorine, the Red Bulls locked up a third regular season clean sheet in a row for the first time since June 1996, the league's inaugural season.
Conway, who made his third start running for an injured Tony Meola, made four saves and is now undefeated as a starter at 4-0-1.
"We're defending great, we're getting results and we're climbing the table," Conway said of the Red Bulls, who are now in sole possession of third place. "That's what we want to do. At the beginning of each game you set out to come in at halftime with a lead or a tie and we've been doing that."
Todd Dunivant made his first start for the Red Bulls and came up huge in second-half stoppage time, clearing Ryan Pore's shot off the line to secure the win.
"I just kind of went there," Dunivant said. "I saw the play happening and they had a few guys at the back post so I tried to get behind Jon in case it got through. He got a piece of it and I was in the right place at the right time. I just try to be in the right spots and if something gets through Conway, which it doesn't often, I'm there to stop it."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
