Depleted United Happy With Tie

United 1, Wizards 1

KANSAS CITY, Kan., May 6 -- D.C. United surrendered a halftime lead and settled for a 1-1 tie with the Kansas City Wizards on Wednesday night, but barely a hint of disappointment was detected.

With three rookies and a newly acquired defender in the lineup, with three regulars back home and other starters playing limited minutes, United was perfectly content claiming a point and taking sole possession of first place in MLS's Eastern Conference.

"We want to get into the mentality that we're not going to lose games," Coach Tom Soehn said. "We're going to do whatever it takes, whether it's a point, three points -- we're not going to lose games."

United's Rodney Wallace, a first-round draft pick from Maryland, scored midway through the first half before Josh Wolff collected the equalizer shortly after intermission in a choppy, uninspiring affair that will be quickly forgotten by both clubs and the 9,077 witnesses at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

United (3-1-4, 13 points) stretched its unbeaten streak to four and moved ahead of idle Toronto (3-2-3, 12), which will visit RFK Stadium on Saturday night.

"This is a place that, at the beginning of the year if you say you can take away a point, it's a good result," forward Santino Quaranta said.

The aim, the players agreed, is to earn seven points over this stretch of three games in eight days. United got off to a good start by defeating Dallas at home last weekend and collecting another point here.

With a congested calendar and personnel issues, the lineup was another creative mix.

Avery John made his D.C. debut at left back in place of Marc Burch (ankle) and Andrew Jacobson filled in for Ben Olsen (ankle/hamstring) in midfield. Fred didn't make the trip for fitness reasons and top scorer Luciano Emilio began the evening on the bench.

Christian Gómez, who returned from a hamstring injury last Saturday, served reserve duty again. Louis Crayton was back in goal, and with central back Dejan Jakovic needing a break, Greg Janicki made his first league start since the opener.

In a five-man midfield anchored by Jacobson and Clyde Simms, Soehn played three rookies along an attacking line. Predictably, he stuck with Wallace and Chris Pontius on the flanks. Unpredictably, he entrusted the playmaking job to Brandon Barklage, a third-round draft pick who had played just 33 minutes in league games but performed admirably in the same central role against Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup.

The Wizards (3-3-2) seized the early initiative, probing United's new-look backline and keeping Crayton busy with mildly threatening crosses and speculative through balls. United was slow to find a rhythm, but in the 22nd minute, Quaranta slotted a pass to Pontius for a 15-yard shot off the far post.