Salt Lake Ends D.C.'s 14-Game Unbeaten Run

Real Salt Lake 2, United 1

Alecko Eskandarian, right, and D.C. United fall for the first time since May 6 on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. United still boasts the best record in MLS at 13-6-2. (Steve C. Wilson - AP)

SALT LAKE CITY, July 29 -- D.C. United's 14-game unbeaten streak ended in just four minutes of play Saturday night as Real Salt Lake used two late penalty kicks to beat the team with the league's best record, 2-1.

Salt Lake forward Jeff Cunningham's second penalty goal was the game's last play. Besides sending United to its first loss since May 6, it took from United what minutes earlier looked like a certain win.

With United leading 1-0 in the 89th minute, United's John Wilson, who was inserted earlier for Freddy Adu to provide improved defense, was called for tripping Salt Lake midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy as he dribbled the ball inside the box.

Cunningham took the penalty kick for Salt Lake and booted the ball to his right, high into the net past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Troy Perkins.

During three minutes of stoppage play, Wilson was called for tripping again, this time on Salt Lake midfielder Chris Klein as he tried to turn with the ball on the left edge of the box. A shoving match ensued among Wilson, Klein and Salt Lake's Jamie Watson. Wilson and Klein earned yellow cards.

Cunningham took his second penalty kick, again sending the ball to the right side; Perkins jumped the opposite way.

After the game, Wilson accepted responsibility for the penalty goals, but said neither foul should have been called and accused the Salt Lake players of good acting.

On the first foul, Wilson said he was caught "flat-footed" and extended his leg to try to catch Ballouchy. Wilson said his mistake on the second foul was sliding into Klein rather than staying on his feet.

"It wasn't from lack of trying," Wilson said. "It was over-aggression."

United Coach Peter Nowak was also suspicious of the penalty calls.

"If you're going to beat us, beat us in a fair way," he said. "Especially the two PKs -- this isn't supposed to happen in our league. Maybe this is the way the league works."

For United (13-2-6), the loss, coupled with a win Saturday by FC Dallas, trimmed its best-record lead in the league to a one-win advantage. But United still has a seven-win advantage in the Eastern Division.

For Salt Lake (5-10-5), which entered the game with the league's worst record, the win reverses a recent stretch of stoppage time disappointment. A goal surrendered in stoppage Wednesday to Chivas USA turned a win into a 3-3 tie. A stoppage goal on July 22 at home turned what would have been a tie against the league's second-best team, Dallas, into a 1-0 loss.

Salt Lake has suffered from injuries. The team's lone all-star, defender Eddie Pope, missed Saturday's game with a foot contusion and was replaced by Jack Stewart, a second-year player acquired Tuesday in a trade with the Chicago Fire.

United scored in the 36th minute. Midfielder Christian Gomez passed the ball ahead to Joshua Gros, who dribbled in front of the Salt Lake defenders. Gros drew Salt Lake goalkeeper Scott Garlick to him, then passed the ball left to forward Jaime Moreno, who softly kicked the ball to roll it into the goal.

In the first half, United demonstrated more speed and better dribbling than Salt Lake on the artificial surface of Rice-Eccles Stadium. But Salt Lake had chances to score.

In the 16th minute, Salt Lake's Cunningham, with a defender a step behind, had an open shot but kicked the ball over the goal. In the 45th minute, Stewart, on the left side of United's goal, headed a pass that looked destined for the unguarded far side of the net, but the ball was wide of the goal by inches and went out of bounds.

Salt Lake pushed forward more on offense in the second half and finished with an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal. Meanwhile, United penetrated less on offense and had only one shot on goal in the second half.

"In the second half we played backwards, backwards, backwards," Nowak said. "We couldn't find the creation. We couldn't find the forwards."