United's Defense Holds On

United 2, Wizards 1

Despite its successful start to the MLS season, D.C. United had not performed particularly well in recent weeks. There had been cracks in the defense and a dip in the attack's fluency.

More problems surfaced last night against the badly depleted Kansas City Wizards, most notably along the back line, but United found a way to cling to its precarious lead and escape with a 2-1 victory before 18,345 at RFK Stadium.

Alecko Eskandarian and Jaime Moreno sandwiched first-half goals around Sasha Victorine's penalty kick as United (4-1-2) supplanted the Wizards (4-2-1) for first place in the Eastern Conference.

"Sometimes we left ourselves open," United Coach Peter Nowak said. "That was because of Kansas City's good movement, but basically we were too careless with the balls playing from our back line."

All the scoring occurred in the first 23 minutes and many more opportunities followed, but goalkeeper Troy Perkins's saves, Kansas City's sloppy finishing and D.C.'s failure to convert one-on-one opportunities kept the score intact.

"It was a hard game," Moreno said, "but we got the three points and we're in a pretty good situation right now."

United needed just 12 minutes to seize the lead. Christian Gomez lifted the ball nicely to within 12 yards of the net on the left side of the box -- the perfect spot for Eskandarian and his powerful left foot. Eskandarian volleyed the ball with such velocity that Wizards goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi didn't know it had gone in after it had skimmed the left post, hit the top section of the net and caromed out in an instant.

"I got a little piece of it," laughed Eskandarian, who celebrated his fourth goal with a series of push-ups on the field. "It was one of those that you hit and you hope you get all of it because if you miss, there's going to be a couple people yelling at you to pass it."

The Wizards, missing U.S. forwards Josh Wolff and Eddie Johnson, got even four minutes later on Victorine's penalty kick -- awarded when Freddy Adu took down Ryan Pore on a counterattacking run deep in the box.

It took just seven minutes for United to restore its lead. Gomez made a dazzling burst just beyond the top of the box and slipped a pass toward Eskandarian, who absorbed defender Matt Groenwald's shoulder bump and sprawled to the turf. Referee Gus St. Silva called for the penalty, and Moreno converted the kick.

"It was soft; it happens," Wizards Coach Bob Gansler said of the call.

Kansas City should have tied it again in the 36th minute, but after Perkins reached out to stop Jack Jewsbury's low bid, Scott Sealy missed a gaping net.

United reached the break with the lead intact, but its defensive shortcomings were a troubling sign. Central backs Bobby Boswell and Facundo Erpen and the midfield were disorganized, allowing the Wizards an alarming amount of space in the final third of the field.

Another Erpen mishap in the 57th minute handed Jewsbury a clear shot from the top of the box that Perkins punched away. Eleven minutes later, Perkins had to reach back in order to contain Davy Arnaud's blast after not fully handling the initial shot.

Perkins rescued United again in the 80th minute, coming off his line to break up reserve Yura Movsisyan's sliding attempt. Later, with Kansas City pushed forward, Adu and Jamil Walker squandered clear runs at Oshoniyi.

"We gave up a lot more chances than I would have liked," Boswell said, "but for the most part, in a game like that, to be on top at the end of the day is what you wanted. So you can't take that away from us."

United Notes: With Ben Olsen away at U.S. training camp and Clyde Simms out with a hamstring injury, Nowak used the opportunity to alter his formation and give former Maryland Terrapin Domenic Mediate a surprise start.

Mediate, released by Columbus after making 11 appearances and four starts as a rookie last year, had not played for United in the first six games. Yet Nowak rewarded his efforts with United's reserve squad and started him on the right side of midfield.

Bryan Namoff moved into his natural right back position after playing in Olsen's defensive midfield role last week at Colorado, and Adu returned to the lineup in a central position instead of on the wing.