Despite their meager history, Real Salt Lake (19-48-20 overall record in three seasons in Major League Soccer) has been good at one thing, ending D.C. United unbeaten streaks, having snapped a 14-game unbeaten run last year and seven-game stretch earlier this season.
But United’s current run might be better than the previous two. Thanks to Luciano Emilio’s third consecutive game with a goal and a penalty-kick save from Troy Perkins, D.C. is nine games without a loss and became the first team to clinch a playoff berth after a 2-1 win Wednesday in front of 14,655 at RFK Stadium.
Playing their third game in eight days, United was sluggish early, and Emilio’s league-leading 19th goal of the season came against the run of play in the 16th minute. The Brazilian striker nodded home a Christian Gomez cross inside the near post and past Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando to put D.C. ahead, 1-0.
Kyle Beckerman took advantage of poor marking to run through the United midfield with the ball at his feet 16 minutes later, putting Salt Lake (4-13-6) level by beating Perkins low and left with a blast from 22 yards.
United (15-6-4) went back in front on Bobby Boswell’s nifty back pass to Fred, who found Gomez’s head at the far post in the 73rd minute.
Rimando, a former D.C. United player, saved a penalty kick by Gomez just after halftime, but Perkins returned the favor later in the half, denying former United forward Alecko Eskandarian.
D.C. United 2
Real Salt Lake 1
» D.C. United continued the rotation of its lineup, resting Fred, Greg Vanney and Clyde Simms and starting Brian Carroll, Bobby Boswell and Ben Olsen, who came off the bench Sunday against New England.
» Olsen, Fred and Gomez are suspended for United’s next match after receiving yellow cards.
» Real Salt Lake defender Eddie Pope, an inaugural member of D.C. United who scored the game-winning goal for United in overtime of the 1996 MLS Cup final, was honored prior to the match. Pope is retiring at the end of the season.the attack as well.
