D.C. United lost their first home game of the season on Saturday night, a 5-2 defeat at the hand of the Los Angeles Galaxy at RFK Stadium.
The loss extends D.C.'s winless skid to a season-high five games, but United remain 16 points clear of second place Chicago in the Eastern Conference.
After surrendering a goal to L.A.'s Alan Gordon in the fourth minute, United were gifted an own goal five minutes later. But in the second half, the Galaxy pulled away, thanks to goals by Chris Albright and Landon Donovan (2). D.C. gave up an own goal as well and were only able to counter with a Facundo Erpen tally.
Although D.C. coach Peter Nowak had predicted on Wednesday that his injured playmaking duo of Christian Gomez and Freddy Adu would be ready by the weekend, neither were deemed fit enough to make the starting lineup and Ben Olsen was drafted into the attacking midfielder role as a result.
The game got off to a cracking start as Santino Quaranta, roaming L.A.'s left flank in his first return to RFK since being traded on Aug. 8, rattled Troy Perkins' goal less than two minutes in after running onto a tantalizing chip from Donovan, banging a sharp left-footed volley off the outside of the post.
But the Galaxy's early energy was rewarded in the fourth minute as Cobi Jones took a pass from Donovan and clipped a low shot that Perkins could only parry, allowing Gordon to nip in past Bryan Namoff and slot home the loose ball to give L.A. a dream start.
But United rallied to level matters just five minutes later on a Galaxy own goal that was created by a slashing run from Jaime Moreno. The crafty Bolivian's quick feet left Tyrone Marshall grasping at air as Moreno cut into the box, where he showed too much of the ball to Troy Roberts only to watch in delight as the L.A. defender's clearance slammed right off Albright's shin and into the back of the net.
The freakish sequence was a brutal bit of luck for Albright -- another United alum clearly motivated to shine against his former club -- and it only got worse seven minutes later when he picked up an early caution for his untidy challenge on Moreno.
L.A. head coach Frank Yallop was forced to rejigger his side just 24 minutes in as Roberts was stretchered off after straining his groin while playing a pass. The Galaxy boss threw on Paulo Nagamura to anchor the midfield as rookie Nathan Sturgis dropped to the back line.
Brimming with confidence, Donovan was the focal point of nearly every Galaxy attack and he put panic into the D.C. defense with an incisive run down the left flank that saw him skip past Bobby Boswell with ease, though Erpen's timely slide denied his low cross.
Nowak had rewarded Jamil Walker's midweek U.S. Open Cup performance with a rare start on the right wing and the pacey attacker's well-placed shot forced Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman to scramble low to his left in the 42nd minute. But the veteran 'keeper made the save to maintain the deadlock as the first half came to a close.
But the Galaxy caught United with another burst of energy right off the kickoff that enabled the visitors to snatch the lead back in the 47th minute. After Donovan fired a free kick into the D.C. wall, Albright had space at the top of the D.C. 18-yard box and slapped a shot that nicked off Namoff and settled into the far corner. Though fortunate, the right back's second goal of the season provided ample consolation for his embarrassing own goal in the first half.
As the RFK faithful cheered the entrance of fan favorite Adu on the hour mark, Los Angeles substitute Quavas Kirk was racing down the touchline to stroke an excellent bending cross that would have been a simple finish for Donovan at the far post had Namoff not arrived to head the ball to safety.
Referee Mark Geiger had drawn the crowd's ire on several decisions but he engendered real controversy in the 65th minute by pointing to the spot when Kirk hit the turf after failing to convert a breakaway on Perkins.
Donovan's pass had released the striker into acres of space behind Erpen, although Kirk hesitated as he advanced on the United netminder and it looked as though the diving Perkins had gotten a hand to his final touch. Nonetheless, Geiger immediately awarded a penalty that Donovan shot low to Perkins' right, and the 'keeper got a hand to the effort but could not keep it out of the net as boos rained down from the stands.
Moments after the L.A. goal, United's Argentinian connection pumped new life into the match with a well-executed set piece. Gomez whipped an inswinging delivery into the six-yard box and Hartman was left helpless when Erpen got the slightest of touches off the top of his head, allowing the ball to slip into the far corner and cut the deficit in half.
But Donovan, who has broken Washington hearts with some great performances at RFK over his career, silenced United's resurgent fans once again by getting onto the end of Kirk's near post cross and flicking a first-time shot that took two deflections off Namoff and spun past a disconsolate Perkins to push the score to a 4-2.
Before the match the U.S. international's entrance had been greeted with derision by most of the 24,159 in attendance, and after the goal he wheeled away to revel in their catcalls with a wide grin.
United's situation grew even more dire as Dominic Mediate was chopped down by Ugo Ihemelu just moments after entering the match, resulting in an ugly ankle injury that forced the home team to carry on a man short.
The Black-and-Red had no choice but to throw caution to the wind and Donovan made them pay when he ran onto Herculez Gomez's pass, finishing the breakaway in injury-time to push the score to 5-2, United's worst loss of the season.
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
