Struggling United Falls to Revolution

Revolution 2, United 1

New England forward Taylor Twellman, left, sticks his leg out against United's Bryan Namoff. (By Kevin Wolf -- Associated Press)

After each unproductive performance the last two months, D.C. United would take solace in the fact that it had plenty of time to rectify things and poise itself for the MLS playoffs.

All it would take is a few good efforts, a couple of solid victories, a scoring outburst to turn its fortunes and put it back on track for a fifth championship. But with the postseason rapidly approaching and United's problems showing no signs of relenting, the players and coaches seem genuinely alarmed about the club's direction.

Last night, in what Coach Peter Nowak considered the first crucial tuneup for the playoff opener in two weeks, United let a first-half lead slip away and yielded a go-ahead goal shortly after halftime to drop a 2-1 decision to the surging New England Revolution before 21,022 at RFK Stadium.

"It's definitely cause for concern," midfielder Freddy Adu said. "We've lost our last two games and, with one game left before we go into the playoffs, we have to win. We have no choice but to win. For the confidence of this team, we have to win that last game."

United (15-6-10) will wrap up the regular season next Sunday against Chicago and then prepare to face Kansas City or New York in a first-round playoff series. But with a 2-5-5 record in its last 12 games, D.C. hardly seems like the same team that breezed to a playoff berth with six weeks to spare and clinched first place in both the Eastern Conference and the overall standings without much of a challenge.

Christian Gomez gave United the lead during a sterling first half, but Clint Dempsey tied it shortly thereafter and former University of Maryland star Taylor Twellman headed in the game-winner just 74 seconds into the second half for the Revolution (11-8-12), which is unbeaten in its last six games.

It was a truly disjointed night for United, which found an early attacking rhythm but failed to finish its scoring opportunities and got worse defensively as the game progressed.

"We played some very good soccer out there, but the concentration over 90 minutes isn't good enough," midfielder Ben Olsen said. "We're not going to score five goals in the playoffs. When we get our goal, we've got to concentrate and finish the game. That concentration has been lacking. All it takes is a couple seconds."

Things started well enough. Matias Donnet led an overlapping Bryan Namoff on the right. Namoff beat Tony Lochhead to the end line and swung a cross into the center of the box.

Jaime Moreno got an accidental foot on it, and it was Gomez who finished the 26th-minute sequence with a seven-yard shot past goalkeeper Matt Reis for his 12th goal of the year.

United appeared on the verge of a second goal, but the Revolution drew even on Dempsey's brilliant effort. Collecting Andy Dorman's pass 30 yards from the target, Dempsey used a hard touch to create space for himself, then burst into the box and coolly knocked the shot past advancing goalkeeper Troy Perkins for his eighth goal.

Gomez had a chance to restore United's lead before the half, but his shot past a fallen Reis was cleared off the goal line by Jay Heaps.

After the break, United broke down. New England took the initiative right away and, on Dorman's corner kick, Heaps flicked it across the six-yard box to Twellman for a diving header into the roof of the net.

"Defensively, we've got some work to do," central back Bobby Boswell said.

The quick goal clearly shook United and, although it attacked with renewed rigor, D.C. also yielded several more glaring opportunities.

Rookie Rod Dyachenko repeatedly put himself in a threatening position, but failed to finish his chances, most notably in the 59th minute when he missed the short side after being set up perfectly on Gomez's gentle cross.

Two minutes later, his night ended as Alecko Eskandarian made his first appearance in five weeks after recovering from a knee injury.

United pressed for the equalizer, Adu getting dumped in the box by Khano Smith without a call and Eskandarian forcing Reis into a diving save. But consistent with its play the last part of the season, United fell short.

"We have to make it right," Nowak said. "There's still enough time to do it, but we have to recognize and address these problems."