United Comes to a Crashing Halt in Opener

Galaxy Rallies for Tie After McTavish, Janicki Collide: United 2, Galaxy 2

CARSON, Calif., March 22 -- D.C. United's season opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy was progressing nicely Sunday at Home Depot Center. Christian Gómez converted a penalty kick, rookie Chris Pontius scored a superb goal, and despite the absence of four starters, United showed rhythm and poise in its first step toward erasing last year's dreary memories.

But in a bloody and chaotic sequence late in the match, United's afternoon took a terrible turn and, two Landon Donovan goals later, the club had to settle for a 2-2 tie before 18,013 spectators.

Attempting to clear the ball in the 75th minute, United teammates Devon McTavish and Greg Janicki smashed heads. The gash on the top of McTavish's head required seven medical staples, and Janicki's cut on the forehead needed eight stitches.

Hoping to get both players back into the game as quickly as possible, United resisted making immediate substitutions and played undermanned for about two minutes. With a two-man advantage, the Galaxy pressed for a goal and, in what TV replays showed was an incorrect ruling, referee Jair Marrufo called a handball on United rookie Rodney Wallace and awarded a penalty kick. Donovan converted in the 80th minute, halving the deficit.

"I feel like he wanted to call something [for] L.A.," said Wallace, explaining that the ball struck his thigh. "He had his mind-set already, and he gave it to them."

The bandaged Janicki returned to the game, McTavish did not, and the momentum had shifted. Five minutes passed before an unmarked Donovan nodded a six-yard header past goalkeeper Josh Wicks.

"I thought we did a great job," United defender Bryan Namoff said, "until we lost those two guys."

In addition to the late injuries, United made the trip without goalie Louis Crayton (hip flexor) and midfielders Santino Quaranta (hamstring) and Fred (hamstring). Team captain Jaime Moreno, recovering from two offseason surgeries, did not start.

The Galaxy was undermanned as well: English superstar David Beckham is on loan to AC Milan until the end of the Italian season and goalie Donovan Ricketts, midfielder Eddie Lewis and forward Edson Buddle were sidelined by injuries.

Los Angeles had the better early chances, but United's attack began to gain traction. Midway through the first half, Luciano Emilio and Ben Olsen, making his first start since the 2007 playoffs, worked a clever give-and-go in the box only to have Emilio's angled eight-yarder skid wide.

United went ahead after former D.C. midfielder Dema Kovalenko made contact with Gómez from behind in the box. Initially, Marrufo seemed intent on letting play continue, but linesman Fabio Tovar indicated there was a foul, and after a slight delay, the penalty kick was awarded. Gómez deposited the shot into the lower left corner, just out of goalkeeper Josh Saunders's reach.

United was superior early in the second half and doubled the lead in the 62nd minute. Pontius, a Southern California native from UC Santa Barbara who had an estimated 130 friends and family in attendance, cut across the top of the box before curling a 17-yard shot into the far side-netting.