the goal came in his 181st career game, while United defender Brandon Prideaux, currently out with injury, has played 181 games in his MLS career without scoring.
Five minutes after the halftime interval United hit for a vital goal from a wonderful combination. Adu took the ball deep in the corner and fed the ball to Jaime Moreno. Moreno then crossed the ball against the grain to a streaking Christian Gomez, who pounded it past Wizards 'keeper Will Hesmer.
The Wizards pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute when Jose Burciaga Jr. converted from the penalty spot after Perkins bowled over Wizards striker Ryan Pore. Burciaga's finish also had a hint of excitement, bounding off one post and across to the other before settling inside the net for his fourth goal in the last five games.
Wizards head coach Bob Gansler made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to United four days earlier in Washington. Will Hesmer made his second career in start in goal, coming in for Bo Oshoniyi. Jimmy Conrad was the only one of Kansas City's three World Cup campaigners to come back into the team, starting in central defense as Tyson Wahl returned to the substitutes' bench. Alex Zotinca also came back into the team, in place of Matt Groenwald, and Yura Movsisyan made his first-ever professional start, in place of Jack Jewsbury.
Here's Gansler's team (4-3-3): Will Hesmer - Nick Garcia, Shavar Thomas (Jack Jewsbury 63), Jimmy Conrad, Jose Burciaga Jr. - Sasha Victorine, Kerry Zavagnin, Alex Zotinca (Lance Watson 73) - Yura Movsisyan (Ryan Pore 46), Scott Sealy, Davy Arnaud. [Substitutes Not Used: Matt Groenwald, Bo Oshoniyi, Sergei Raad, Tyson Wahl]
"We came back from being one goal down, and being down by one goal at halftime is not a great thing. The third one is what tipped the apple cart," Gansler said. "Now you are saying that two goals are not going to be good enough to win. That is what we need to work on. It is them taking advantage of what we give them and us not taking sufficient advantage."
TEAM NEWS
Conrad played the most minutes of any of the Wizards players who were in Germany for the World Cup, and trained with the club Monday and Tuesday before playing against United. Josh Wolff and Eddie Johnson - like Conrad - were given the option to take the week off by Gansler, and took advantage.
And then after just five minutes, a corner kick came into the crowded near post - and went off Conrad into his own goal. "It hit my thigh and conveniently went through Kerry's legs," said Conrad, before adding sarcastically: "Nice welcome back after five minutes."
The first of the Wizards four losses to United came May 13, just after the trio left to join the U.S. national team in preparation for the World Cup.
"We don't have the best players here, because of the national team," Conrad said. "And they're taking advantage of it ... I want to beat them. You can write it down that we expect to face them in the playoffs."
While D.C. outscored Kansas City 9-4 in season series, three of the matches were one-goal games.
What they do is they are resourceful and that is what we are going to have to get better at. Being efficient, using opportunities, and all of that," Gansler said. " ... Just look at the stats and it has been the same thing four times. You give them credit but I am looking forward to seeing them in the playoffs. We will be fine."
The Galaxy match is the first against a Western Conference opponent since May 20. Just two of their 14 games have come against West clubs.
"What we know after 14 games is that we are not as good as we seem. We lost to (D.C. United) four times but we know we are better than Columbus because we have beaten them three times. So in 14 games we have played the same team seven times, we can toss the Revolution out of that," Gansler said.
Garcia scored his first goal in his 181st game in MLS - all with the Wizards -- a scoreless span that had extended into his seventh season with the club. Had he gone the rest of Wednesday's game without scoring, he would have matched the current streak held by United defender Brandon Prideaux, currently out with injury, who has played 181 games in his MLS career without scoring.
"I think I was in a different role this evening playing forward a little bit more. I was the outside back pushing forward, so I was in position to shoot more and be in a good spot to take care of those advantages. It happened. I saw the opportunity and I knew that I was going to have a pretty good chance at a goal, focused and was happy with it," he said. "I would rather have that goal than some crummy tap-in or something. It was exciting and the celebration was fun. I barely remember it going it, I just remember seeing the side netting and just running. Of course I knew how to celebrate. It was a little different celebration than I had in mind; maybe I will save it for next time, hopefully there is many more to come."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy saw their winless streak extended to 10 games but still came away with a point for the second time in four contests with Frank Yallop at the helm, playing to a scoreless draw with Houston Dynamo on June 24 at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy are still mired in sixth place in the Western Conference with nine points from 15 matches, three behind fifth-place Real Salt Lake, nine out of the final playoff place and 18 behind first-place FC Dallas.
LAST MATCH
The Galaxy hadn't won in nine games, their last victory coming on April 29, while Dynamo had played to three consecutive draws in their last three away matches.
It was the first meeting for Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop against long-time assistant Dominic Kinnear and the group that once played for him in San Jose. Each welcomed back World Cup performers to their lineup: Chris Albright starting at right back for the Galaxy, while Brian Ching -- still tied for fourth in MLS with seven goals -- started up top for Houston.
While Ching wasn't able to add to his goalscoring total -- a Kevin Hartman save of his bullet header in the first half was the best chance of the entire evening -- Albright saw his night end early. But it was for the best of reasons: Albright left the game to attend to his wife Leah, who went into labor with the couple's first child.
It was Dynamo's first trip to Carson since the shift of the San Jose Earthquakes during the offseason, and a couple of hundred fans made the trip down from northern California, taking over a corner of the stadium and wearing 'Quakes blue to cheer on the Houston side.
Yallop made one change to the team that lost 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls the weekend before at Giants Stadium. Chris Albright came in at right back as Nathan Sturgis moved to the left side, Todd Dunivant dropped from the team.
Here's Yallop's team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Chris Albright (Troy Roberts 62), Ugo Ihemelu, Tyrone Marshall, Nathan Sturgis - Quavas Kirk (Cobi Jones 62), Paulo Nagamura, Marcelo Saragosa, Josh Gardner - John Wolyniec (Peter Vagenas 74), Herculez Gomez. [Substitutes Not Used: Benjamin Benditson, Steve Cronin, Michael Enfield, Alan Gordon]
"Not to concede a goal is good, but not to score either isn't," Yallop said. "I thought the team gave me everything they could again. The team tried hard, but they just weren't as creative in the second half. We struggled to create anything decent in the second half, which was negative. But all and all it was a great effort by the guys."
TEAM NEWS
While Albright came back into the team, Landon Donovan was not in the 18-man gameday squad. Donovan played in all three of the USA's matches in Germany, while Albright did not see any time.
"The clean sheet was good for us, but when you're at home, you want to score a goal,'' said Yallop. "We just ran out of steam a bit in the second half. A game like this needed a Landon to open it up. We broke very well in the first half and we had opportunities to get a better final pass. I think Landon is the type who relishes that type of service."
While the Galaxy were shut out for the eighth time in 15 games, the defensive clean sheet was their first of the season. They were the final team in MLS to record a shutout.
"That's a positive going forward," Galaxy defender Tyrone Marshall said. "We're not happy about giving up the three points at home but it's something good to build on ... We worked out the kinks in training and it showed tonight. We just have to work on this going forward with the guys coming back from the national team."
Neither Albright nor Donovan had been with the team since Yallop took over as head coach. It is a reunion between the former Canadian national team boss and Donovan, who played three seasons for Yallop with the Earthquakes.
"At the end of the game Pat Onstad came at me and he was like 'Hey, a lot better with Frank (Yallop), huh?'" Galaxy forward Herculez Gomez said. "People respect (Frank) and they know where we're going and that we're going to be a good team. It's a good feeling."
During the week, the Galaxy made two key personnel moved. On Tuesday, they sent Dunivant to the New York Red Bulls for a partial allocation. "I wanted to have some allocation money to strengthen the team," said Yallop. "The move will be good for Todd and his career. We have a player coming in and cover there to cover that position."
Then Wednesday, the club placed midfielder Marcelo Saragosa on waivers. Saragosa started in 10 of the Galaxy's 15 games this season, mostly in a holding midfield role.
