Behind a pair of goals from Jaime Moreno, D.C. United managed to put away Chivas USA 2-0 on a cold, rainy day in the nation's capital. Chivas had two wonderful, controversial opportunities in the second half that both found the back of the net -- although both were ruled out.
Coach Bob Bradley's new-look Chivas USA squad opened their second game of the 2006 campaign with the same starting 11 that handily dismantled Real Salt Lake 3-0 in last week's season opener. D.C. United made three changes, as Freddy Adu returned to the substitutes' bench in favor of Christian Gomez, and Alecko Eskandarian was rewarded for his second-half effort in the season opener with a start. As well, Bobby Boswell found himself back on the defensive line after battling with an illness last week.
D.C. United dominated the flow of play in the first half, picking up the best scoring opportunities, though they were unable to break the stalwart Chivas defense.
In the 16th minute, Gomez displayed the talent United missed during the opener, showing a deft touch and playing a delicate through ball at midfield to Jaime Moreno. But the Bolivian striker failed to convert the breakaway chance from the left side of the penalty area.
United forward Lucio Filomeno, a signing from Argentina at the end of the 2005 campaign, let his presence be known by rifling a shot just wide of the Chivas net in the 18th minute.
In the 23rd minute, Boswell whiffed on the ball at midfield, leaving Ante Razov with a clear path to the goal. Razov became tangled with D.C. defender Facundo Erpen though, and failed to capitalize on a potentially golden opportunity.
United narrowly missed getting on the score sheet in the 32nd minute. Filomeno whipped a left-footed cross from the right corner into the box. Eskandarian unleashed a volley reminiscent of his score last week against the New York Red Bulls. This time, however, it was just over the crossbar.
Just a minute later, Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan did well to parry away a dangerous free kick from the foot of Gomez.
Chivas had its best chance of the first half in the 44th minute when Ante Razov played a soft pass into the left hand side of the penalty area for the oncoming Francisco Mendoza, whose effort slammed into the side netting.
After the break Chivas was the more dangerous team, and they thought they scored first in the 50th minute. Palencia hit a wicked drive off the post that rebounded directly to Juan Pablo Garcia who drilled the ball into the back of the net. But the assistant referee on the line had raised his flag, and referee Marcel Yonan ruled out the goal to the dismay of the Chivas players.
Not long after United hit for the first goal that counted. Gomez played a through ball down the center of the pitch for an open Moreno, who had snuck in behind the Chivas defense. A charging Guzan came out of the area and reached the ball first, only to see his clearance bounce off Moreno and rebound into the net for a 59th-minute lead.
Chivas almost scored on a fluke goal in the 63rd minute when Garcia hit a hard low shot from the left that skipped off the grass that replaces the infield dirt for baseball games at RFK and glanced off the face of D.C. goalie Troy Perkins.
In the 73rd minute, Chivas had a few more near misses. Mendoza's header from a Garcia corner kick forced Perkins into a diving save. Shortly after, Razov played a cheeky ball over the United defense for longtime Mexican national team defender Claudio Suarez, whose chip sailed over the crossbar.
Then in the 83rd minute, a Brian Carroll foul at the top of the box gave Chivas a dangerous free kick. Again, Chivas seemingly converted when Garcia hit a curling shot toward the top left corner of the goal, leaving Perkins frozen. The ball came off the underside of the crossbar and went straight down, seeming to cross the goal line. But referee Yonan saw it the other way and Chivas was denied the equalizer to the astonishment of their players and coaches.
Guzan made two more outstanding saves to keep Chivas alive in the final minutes of the match, on a breakaway from substitute Freddy Adu and a point-blank shot from Moreno.
But as Chivas were pressing forward in the final minutes, he was not able to able to prevent a Moreno one-timer. Adu freed sub Jamil Walker down the left, and his rolling cross into the area was blasted into the upper left hand corner as Guzan got a hand to it, unable to stop Moreno's 96th career MLS goal.
Jordan Brown is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
