Once Again, United Is Fit to Be Tied

United 0, Real Salt Lake 0

This one ended just like the previous three and the same as so many others during this unfulfilling spring, but along the way to another tie last night -- a 0-0 result with Real Salt Lake before 16,089 at RFK Stadium -- D.C. United might have put an end to its goalkeeping rotation.

On an otherwise bland evening of soccer, Josh Wicks made three excellent saves and took charge of a position that has been by far the most unsettled through 11 MLS matches and 13 games overall.

United (3-1-7) extended its unbeaten streak in league play to seven, but besides Wicks's performance, the club lacked energy after the first 30 minutes and failed to unlock a Real side (3-5-2) that, at the start, seemed intent on a tie but grew more dangerous as the match unfolded.

The result saddled United with its fourth consecutive tie in MLS -- the same total as all of last season -- and left it scoreless for the first time in all competitions. Nonetheless, D.C. maintained a share of first place in the Eastern Conference with Toronto.

"We talked about them bunkering [defensively], and they did just that," United Coach Tom Soehn said. "The way you open that up is you score early. We had a good chance to score, and when we didn't do it, we lulled ourselves to sleep and quit moving."

United has made a habit of scoring in the last 15 minutes to steal victories and salvage ties, but on this night, it was unable to replicate any of those late uprisings. D.C. finished with just one shot on goal (eight overall) and one corner kick, barely testing Real goalie Nick Rimando, who missed the previous three games with a finger injury.

"We didn't take charge of the game," United midfielder Santino Quaranta said. "From the start, we didn't have any answers. We haven't come across a team playing that defensive and we didn't know how to break them down. Our ideas weren't that great, and it showed."

Fortunately, United received a sterling performance from Wicks, who started the first two league games in March and didn't resurface until Wednesday for a U.S. Open Cup game. He made a one-on-one save on Robbie Findley late in the first half, a soaring gem on Kyle Beckerman's 22-yard blast in the 73rd minute and a reaction stop on Findley's seven-yard header a moment later.

With that effort, he undoubtedly moved ahead of rookie Milos Kocic and veteran Louis Crayton, who was not in uniform -- an ominous sign for a player with a hefty contract that expires in July.

"As a keeper, it's always good to get consistency of [playing in] games and getting a rhythm," Wicks said. "It's kind of tough when you play one game and wait a few weeks to play another game."

Said Soehn: "He did what he needed to do to win us a game. And not that the others haven't, but today he made sure he put his mark on the game."

With Real starting four defenders, five midfielders and Findley as the lone striker, the match began predictably with United pressing to solve Real's defensive scheme and Real probing for counterattacks. Neither team was particularly successful, but midway through the half, United began to create opportunities.