Christian Gomez scored his fourth goal of the season but Cobi Jones bagged a late equalizer as D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy finished with a 1-1 tie at The Home Depot Center on Sunday.
D.C. United had done well to stave off a late-charging Galaxy side but Jones, who had not played in the Galaxy's last three games, proved too much for D.C. to handle.
The draw snapped D.C. United's three-game win streak. United now have 25 points, eight clear of second-place Kansas City.
The Galaxy have had trouble scoring goals this year, but looked to have opened the scoring in the eighth minute, only for it to be called back for offside. Herculez Gomez was ruled to have been past the last defender when he broke clear from the defense and chipped United 'keeper Troy Perkins.
Clyde Simms unleashed a rocket in the 20th minute that Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman did well to stop. Jaime Moreno had briefly danced inside the penalty area with the ball and fed Simms who unloaded from 25 yards out.
Gomez scored a spectacular goal in the 21st minute to give United the lead. Facundo Erpen held the ball near the left flank and slipped a pass to Gomez. With Ugo Ihemelu close behind him, Gomez flicked the ball over himself and Ihemelu. He then turned, shook off the Galaxy defender and hit a dipping left-footed topspin volley over Hartman from 22 yards out.
D.C. United conceded little to the Galaxy. Through the first 45 minutes, the hosts had just one shot on goal. The Galaxy's offense, which had scored twice in the last seven games before Sunday, did little to break down United's midfield and defense.
Moreno nearly doubled United's lead in the 65th minute but his shot from just inside the penalty area rattled the post. Substitute Lucio Filomeno's rebound attempt whistled the post but went wide.
Jones came on in the 67th minute and seemed to add some life to the Galaxy's attack. He was dangerous on the right side of the field and was stretching United's defense out as Joshua Gros dropped a bit deeper on the left side of the field to compensate for Jones' presence.
First, Perkins did well to stop a shot from Herculez Gomez in the 79th minute. Jones sent Gomez a perfect through ball down the right side of the penalty area. One minute later, Perkins made another standout save when he dived to his right to stop a laser from Gomez.
But United couldn't hold off the Galaxy forever, and Jones equalized in the 88th minute on a marvelous run down the middle of the field. Paulo Nagamura sent a ball from midfield that hit D.C.'s Domenic Mediate. Jones continued his run behind the United defense and the ball bounced to him, and he rounded Perkins and knocked the ball into an empty net.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
