United Advances in Overtime

United 2, Crew 1

Ben Olsen of D.C. United, left, is past Columbus goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, on ground, and defender Chris Leitch (33). (By Gerald Herbert -- Associated Press)

For all its accomplishments over the years, D.C. United has been burdened by perpetual failure against its MLS brethren in the U.S. Open Cup. United usually handles minor league opposition in the single-elimination tournament involving teams from all levels of American soccer, but repeatedly falters when faced with a top-tier hurdle.

Although that uncomfortable trend finally ended last night with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Columbus Crew before an overflow crowd of 4,774 at Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, United made it much more difficult on itself than necessary by squandering a flurry of scoring opportunities and letting the round-of-16 match drag into a tense 30-minute extra session.

"If you create so many chances, who is going to be the hero of the day?" Coach Peter Nowak said. "It's always important to keep pushing people."

The heroes were reserve forward Jamil Walker, who scored the game-winner three minutes into overtime on a short header, and Christian Gomez, the Argentine playmaker who set up Walker's goal and, with another breathtaking display of ball distribution throughout the stifling evening, showed why he is perhaps the early leading candidate for the MLS most valuable player award.

As a result, United will face the MLS's New York Red Bulls or the third-division Wilmington (N.C.) Hammerheads in an Aug. 23 quarterfinal at RFK Stadium.

United had not beaten an MLS team in Open Cup play since 1997, when it eliminated Tampa Bay in the quarterfinals.

Columbus -- winless in its last 11 MLS games -- struck first when Chad Marshall nodded Jose Vasquez's corner kick past goalkeeper Nick Rimando in the 18th minute. United needed just four minutes to get even as Jaime Moreno stabbed Gomez's corner kick off goalkeeper Bill Gaudette's hands and watched it trickle across the goal line.

For the remainder of regulation -- and even after Walker's goal -- United failed on one opportunity after another. Gomez nearly won it late in the second half with a resounding rocket that crashed off the crossbar.

Early in overtime, however, Walker dodged his defender and flicked Gomez's 30-yard free kick into the left side of the net.

"Luck wasn't going our way and we weren't getting that final touch," Walker said. "It's good, after all that, to still get a victory."

The Crew had two outstanding chances to force a penalty kick tiebreaker, but Ezra Hendrickson's header narrowly missed the left corner and Chris Leitch hit the right post during injury time.

Despite being disappointed in the misses, Nowak was pleased his club created the chances.

"I'm really encouraged because, for the last couple of weeks, we didn't create so many chances to win the games," said Nowak, whose team outshot the Crew 32-10 and had a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks. "It was pretty impressive, but the other thing is, of course you have to finish these chances."

United Notes: The club is exploring options to have the friendly against European power Real Madrid next Wednesday in Seattle televised locally, but a deal has not been reached. Friday is the tentative deadline. . . . Defender John Wilson has a severe case of patella tendinitis and will be sidelined two to three weeks. . . . Midfielder-forward Santino Quaranta, who rejoined the club Monday after taking a personal leave for a week, was not included on the 18-man game roster. . . . Rookie midfielder Rod Dyachenko, who has not played in the regular season, entered in the 88th minute for Freddy Adu.