Despite Rain, United Extends Home Reign

United 1, Wizards 0

For 50 minutes last night, D.C. United put on a drab offensive performance against the second-place Kansas City Wizards. For 40 minutes, the Eastern Conference's top teams were then interrupted by a weather-related delay that left United's players pacing and stretching in their locker room. When United finally returned to a sopping field at RFK Stadium, it took less than 40 seconds for everything to change.

Jaime Moreno's ninth goal of the season came about 37 seconds after the weather delay ended, and it was all United needed to add to its already comfy first-place cushion. The 1-0 win ran United's unbeaten streak to nine games. It kept the team unbeaten in nine home games. And it bumped United's lead over the Wizards to 12 points heading into a rematch Wednesday night in Kansas City, the teams' final meeting of the regular season.

Last night's game turned on a lovely sequence that developed immediately after action resumed in a steady rain. Clyde Simms, who continued an impressive month, sent the ball forward to Josh Gros on the right flank, whose perfect cross was flicked in by Moreno. It was Moreno's fourth goal in three wins against the Wizards this season, and it thrilled the soggy remnants of a crowd of 13,834.

"We were just in here going stir-crazy, and when they finally let us out we were ready," Gros said of the mid-game break. "Kansas City didn't look like they were as ready as we were, and we just pounced."

The rest of the night was a comical slip-and-slide, as an already chewed-up field claimed one player after another. Kansas City (6-5-2) had the better chances, but it was held scoreless by goalkeeper Troy Perkins, who recorded his league-leading fifth shutout.

Perkins has been outstanding in recent weeks as United's offense has slowed down, and that, too, continued last night. United (9-1-5) scored a single goal for the fifth consecutive outing, but Perkins has not yielded a goal at home in more than 335 minutes.

"For sure I'd love a 6-0 win every game, but it helps us in the long run to get these experiences now," Perkins said. "You grind out points, you grind out victories, and that's going to help us in the long run."

Former starting keeper Nick Rimando was expected to receive his first playing time of the season during United's current stretch of six games in 22 days, but he was out last night with what the team called a leg contusion. He was hardly the only casualty: forward Alecko Eskandarian missed his third straight game with a knee strain, forward Lucio Filomeno left the team last week to return to his native Argentina, and forward Jamil Walker was out with a lower back injury.

U.S. national team midfielder Ben Olsen missed his 10th and possibly last game because of the World Cup, and reserve midfielder Domenic Mediate was out with a concussion.

The personnel issues freed Freddy Adu to move to his preferred spot as a forward, and led to the first career start for Devon McTavish. Adu's scoreless streak continued, although he had several threatening moments. Meantime, McTavish, a rookie from West Virginia, was responsible for United's best chance of the first half, smashing a right-footed blast into the crossbar.

The Wizards were considerably more daring in the early going, with Scott Sealy making himself a constant nuisance. Late in the first half the forward was freed on a virtual breakaway, but Perkins dove to his right to stop a low attempt and somehow lunged into Sealy's rebound from the ground.

"Just huge; it keeps them off the board and it gives us a pick-up," defender Bobby Boswell said. "Unfortunately, in the back we're giving up a couple one-on-ones, but it's amazing that he's coming up with these saves."

United Note: Santino Quaranta, sidelined since the season opener with a hamstring injury, entered for Christian Gomez late in the second half.