D.C. United slipped past an unfortunate Chivas USA 2-0 at a wet RFK Stadium on Saturday afternoon, paced by two goals from captain Jaime Moreno -- but also rescued by referee Marcel Yonan's decision to wave off two apparent goals by the visitors.
Moreno scored twice in the second half to move his all-time MLS total to 96, four goals from the all-time MLS goal scoring lead, giving United their first victory of the season while sending the visitors to their first loss of the campaign.
The Washington metro area had been drenched by drizzling rainstorms in the 24 hours leading up to the match, creating slick, treacherous field conditions that impeded both sides' intentions to exhibit neat passing styles in the center of the park.
United carried much of the play in the opening 45 minutes. In the 16th minute, Lucio Filomeno dispossessed Mexican legend Claudio Suarez at midfield, allowing Gomez to lead a quick counterattack that led to Jaime Moreno breaking clear in the Chivas box, only to be denied by a timely slide tackle from Tim Regan.
United coach Peter Nowak gave Alecko Eskandarian the nod to start on the left wing which he had roamed to such great effect in the second half last week, and he was involved with the best chance of the young match just after the half-hour mark, as Filomeno broke free down the left channel and nearly set up Eskandarian for his second goal of the season.
The Argentinian striker found space and was gesturing frantically as he waited for his teammates' runs to arrive while two defenders closed in. Yet Eskandarian timed his late arrival well, latching onto Filomeno's lofted cutback with a full volley reminiscent of his goal against New York last week, barely skimming over the crossbar.
As halftime approached, Eskandarian was still finding plenty of joy on the left and when Gomez played him an inviting ball into open space in the Chivas box, his low, driven cross-shot seemed certain to find the back of the net with Moreno and Filomeno racing into the six-yard box. But Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan handled the situation adeptly, holding his ground and parrying the effort wide with his left hand.
But for all of D.C.'s possession, Chivas always looked dangerous on the counterattack and nearly caught United sleeping a few minutes before the break. Razov set up to shoot at the top of the home side's box, but laid off a well-weighted ball for the late run of Francisco Mendoza on the left. The curly-haired winger had a clear look at goal, albeit from a tight angle, and the Black-and-Red caught a break when he rifled his shot just inches wide of Troy Perkins' near post.
The game burst into life with a controversial play five minutes after the restart, as Chivas strung together a slick passing move that freed Palencia deep in the D.C. box. The Mexican international cracked a low shot that beat Perkins, only to carom off the near post and back in front of goal, where Juan Pablo Garcia took a touch and ripped the ball into the upper corner of the empty net.
But the Chivas celebrations were cut short by Yonan's whistle, as he saw that the assistant referee's flag had long been up for offside. Despite the angry protests of Jesse Marsch and his teammates, the goal was waved off and play resumed at 0-0.
Los Rayados were beginning to assert themselves and their play was reflected by increasingly raucous chants from their Washington-area fans, but just then United's most famous attacking duo struck for the first time in 2006, as Gomez cut in from the right and slid a through ball into the space behind the Chivas back four as Moreno raced forward.
The ball's pace on the wet grass seemed to benefit Guzan, but he chose to slide in feet-first as he left his penalty area and he drilled his clearance straight into Moreno's shins, leaving the delighted Bolivian the simple task of following the ball as it dribbled into the open net for a 1-0 United lead.
Razov and Mendoza linked up again in the 63rd minute as the left winger made another late overlapping run, and his low near-post cross nearly fooled Perkins as it took a tricky skip off the slightly-raised infield turf as the 'keeper waited to collect. The deflection gave him a bracing blow to the face, but ricocheted off his cheek and away from goal.
Yonan courted further uproar in the dying minutes as he first whistled a harsh foul on Brian Carroll just outside the United box, setting up a promising free kick for the visitors. Garcia stepped forward and curled a beautifully-struck shot over the wall, which Perkins misread, thinking it would spin wide, only for the ball to rebound off the inside of the post and bounce behind him for an apparent goal.
But after glancing at his linesman -- who held his ground -- Yonan judged it to have stayed in front of the goal line and waved play on -- to the disbelief of Chivas coach Bob Bradley.
Second-half substitute Freddy Adu could have locked up the victory in the 90th minute as Carroll chipped a through ball behind the scrambled Chivas back line, and the teenager dribbled in on Guzan alone, but the goalie made a great one-on-one save to keep his club's hopes alive.
But United would not be denied on their home field, as Moreno popped up again to finish off the win in injury time, taking a pass from another second-half sub, Jamil Walker, and spinning a high left-footed shot that Guzan touched, but could not stop from finding the upper corner.
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
