until two minutes deep into stoppage time. A corner was swung in from the right, took a pair of deflections on its way through the area before rolling out to Alex Zotinca beyond the far post, and he hammered a first-time drive back through the pack for the equalizer.
Yet the Hoops had one more answer. Pitchkolan refused to give up on a ball, twice knocking it away from Wizards players before collecting just inside the Kansas City penalty area and letting fly with a fierce drive that beat Wizards goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi inside the near post to give the Hoops the full three points.
At The Home Depot Center, Sigi Schmid returned to Southern California for the first time as coach of the Crew, still looking for their first victory on the year after two losses and a draw in their first three games. The Galaxy came into the match winless on the season in home matches -- though their one victory did come in Carson, as the "away" team in the Chivas USA derby.
As has been the case for both teams all season, goals weren't seemingly coming. Just when it looked as if the game would drift to a scoreless draw, Eddie Gaven put a cross into the six-yard box that Kevin Hartman couldn't catch, and Kyle Martino latched onto the ball and drove it past a pair of Galaxy defenders on the line for the winner.
At Robertson Stadium, Houston Dynamo returned home riding a two-game losing skid, playing host to Real Salt Lake, who were still looking for their first victory of 2006 -- and the first road victory of their history.
Despite Houston's domination of the first half, Real capitalized on an error to take the lead. A pass back escaped center back Eddie Robinson and Jeff Cunningham quickly raced onto it, carrying into the penalty area before hitting a bouncing shot that beat Pat Onstad inside his right-hand post (57).
But it took Dynamo just three minutes to equalize. Brad Davis whipped in a corner kick from the right, and Craig Waibel shook his marker and rose up alone at the top of the goal area to powerfully head home.
Then, six minutes from time, Houston hit for the winner. A long ball from midfield from Robinson was chested down by Brian Ching to De Rosario in full stride, and he thundered into the area before coolly slotting home under the dive of Scott Garlick to return Dynamo to their winning ways at home.
At Giants Stadium, D.C. United equaled the best start to a season in club history while keeping their Atlantic Cup rivals winless on the year and putting a disappointing finish on a tumultuous week for Red Bull New York.
Eskandarian hit for his double on either side of halftime. He gave United the lead on 41 minutes when Freddy Adu's cross from the left was poorly cleared, ripping a drive back past Tony Meola from inside the area. Then, racing to the United bench, he grabbed a can of Red Bull, took a swig and spit it out on the artificial turf.
Just before the hour he doubled United's lead, finishing off a lovely tic-tac-toe passing sequence. Brian Carroll found Ben Olsen, who completed the triangulation by putting Eskandarian into the area, and he hammered a left-footed strike over Meola into the roof of the goal for his third on the season (59).
United made it 3-0 in the 71st minute on a wonder goal from Facundo Erpen, his long-range attempt from all of 35 yards sailing over Meola and just under the crossbar in the right-hand corner of his goal. It was already the second goal of the season from the Argentinean center back.
Youri Djorkaeff pulled a goal back for the Red Bulls in the 86th minute, running onto a nice through ball from Mike Magee and putting a low drive past Troy Perkins from just inside the area and ending United's scoreless streak at 338 minutes since allowing two goals in the first 18 minutes of the season to the Red Bulls.
But it took United just two minutes to restore the margin, Carroll steaming up the left flank before slipping an angled pass into the box that Walker stabbed home on the run.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
