D.C. United conceded a first-half goal but came back to hit for an early equalizer in the second half, their season-high winless run now at four games after playing to a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids -- United's bogey side this season -- on a steamy afternoon at RFK Stadium.
Kyle Beckerman's 32nd-minute header from a corner kick gave the Rapids the lead, but Christian Gomez scored 11 minutes after the second half restart to pull United level. United now has taken just three points from their last four games and have been unable to beat the Rapids this year, losing 1-0 in Denver on May 6.
With right back Bryan Namoff suspended due to yellow card accumulation, D.C. coach Peter Nowak gave David Stokes his first start - and first appearance - of 2006.
Despite Colorado's full complement of strikers, coach Fernando Clavijo elected to leave Thiago Martins alone up top in front of a five-man midfield designed to clog and crowd the home side's passing game.
But with Beckerman flanked by wingers Nicolas Hernandez and Jacob Peterson, the Rapids could still call on some attacking flair. It nearly paid off early as Beckerman surged forward to combine with former United man Martins five minutes into the match, forcing Facundo Erpen to concede a corner as the Brazilian tried to latch onto the former U.S. youth international's curling diagonal ball into the box.
United sized up Joe Cannon with two efforts from distance a few moments later. The first came off the boot of Erpen as he took a flyer on one of his trademark long drives -- it nearly worked as the Rapids goalkeeper had to punch the shot away -- then Adu cut in from the right and fired just over the crossbar.
A nifty flick from Gomez sent Moreno clear behind the visitors' back line in the 17th minute, but the Bolivian was wasteful with the chance, volleying well wide from a sharp angle on the left side of the Rapids box.
There seemed to be little danger when Peterson took possession in the right channel outside the D.C. box just past the half-hour mark, but Erpen was slow to close down the advancing winger and he slapped in a cross-shot that drew a leaping parry from Troy Perkins.
Colorado brought the sleepy match to life on the ensuing corner kick, surprising D.C. with a well-executed set piece that gave them a 1-0 lead. Beckerman beat Erpen to Hernandez's outswinging delivery and nodded a bouncing header under Perkins' arm and into the net.
It was the fourth time United has surrendered the opening goal this season, but having recovered to tie on all three previous occasions, the Black-and-Red showed little inclination to panic.
Despite struggling to come to terms with Colorado's offside trap all half, the United attack responded immediately as Moreno's veteran wiles almost stole his side a cheap equalizer in the 37th minute. The United captain picked Dan Gargan's pocket on the Rapids endline and centered for a waiting Eskandarian, but Aitor Karanka made a timely intervention to clear the danger at point-blank range.
Shortly thereafter Adu was taken down hard by Pablo Mastroeni's side tackle in the Rapids box, eliciting boos from the RFK faithful as referee Jair Marrufo waved play on, but the visitors came even closer at the other end just before halftime.
Martins was looking lively against his old club, and he should have scored after being set loose by a delicate diagonal ball from Hernandez that forced Perkins to leave his line and dive for the Brazilian's feet. But Martins cut left and left the 'keeper on the turf grasping at air, and though it was an acute angle he had a fairly simple finish into the empty net. However, his curling shot carried mere inches beyond the far post, allowing D.C. to dodge another bullet.
Nowak threw Jamil Walker on in place of Stokes for the second half, adding yet another attacker to the mix as Josh Gros dropped into the back line. The pacey Walker added another dimension to D.C.'s approach and Moreno took advantage in the 52nd minute, slotting a defense-splitting through ball that left Cannon exposed - but Walker blasted his effort sky-high.
Seconds later, Walker crossed to Ben Olsen at the top of the Colorado 18-yard box from the right touchline, allowing the U.S. World Cup veteran to whip a curling volley on target, but Cannon dived to his left to smother the chance.
Then Eskandarian found space to rip a shot towards the near post, denied only by a late block, and Moreno hammered a volley off the crossbar in quick succession.
After that extended siege on the Rapids goal, United finally found their hard-earned equalizer in the 56th minute. Eskandarian's deflected shot fell to Moreno just outside the six-yard box and he sent Petke flying with a sharp cutback before slotting a square pass to Gomez, who found the back of the net even after Cannon got a hand to the shot.
Now level, United seemed poised to grab the lead but shoddy marking let Martins slip free to collect Beckerman's pass at the top of the D.C. box only three minutes later, and it took an excellent kick save for Perkins to keep the big targetman scoreless on the day.
But United had finally found their confidence going forward and Eskandarian's rising blast drew a nimble fingertip save from Cannon as the home crowd grew steadily louder. The home side's momentum was dented by the departure of Gomez with a strained hamstring, but they maintained their grip on the game even without his inventiveness.
Led by Beckerman, Colorado posed plenty of danger on the counter, however, and his 77th-minute pass created a chance that almost restored their lead, only for Perkins to block Martins' well-struck blast wide of the net.
Olsen and Moreno exchanged passes in the left corner before the Bolivian shuffled past two defenders to bend a right-footed shot towards the far post, but Cannon was up to the task again with an outstanding save.
While Colorado did their best to kill off the final minutes, United pressed until the very end with an urgency that was lacking in the first stanza. Gros snatched at the bouncing ball that fell to him in the Rapids box just minutes from time, rifling well high under pressure from Mastroeni, and it proved to be his side's last clear chance as the massed ranks of white jerseys stifled United and preserved Colorado's fully-deserved road point.
United have now gone more than a month without a league win and their staff will be anxious to put an end to the slide with two quick home games. First, D.C. hosts a U.S. Open Cup date with New York on Wednesday, followed by Saturday's visit by the Los Angeles Galaxy and former United star Santino Quaranta.
Colorado travels to Chicago next week for their first-ever visit to Toyota Park as the Black-and-Blue look to gain ground on Houston and Dallas in the Western Conference standings.
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
