Despite squandering late 1-0 leads in two straight road matches, D.C. United (7-1-5) still sits comfortably atop Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference standings. With a third of the season complete, conference opponents provide little reason to believe United won’t be in the same position at the regular season’s end.
The conference’s four bottom teams have combined for a total of just one conference win while United is 5-0-3 against Eastern foes.
Certainly there arelessons to learn about closing out matches, especially after surrendering Andy Dorman’s extra-time strike in Saturday’s 1-1 tie with the Revolution (3-4-4).
“They’re willing to keep on battling,” said D.C. midfielder Brian Carroll. “We just have to do a better job of finishing our chances or keeping the ball at the end to limit their opportunities.”
However, the draw doesn’t change the fact that New England remains 0-3-3 in conference play.
Red Bull New York (2-2-7) has fewer losses than the Revloution, but New York is just 0-1-4 in conference. Columbus (4-5-2) is worse — 0-4-2 in conference — and Chicago (2-4-5), D.C. United’s opponent on Wednesday, has won once in its last seven matches.
The team of greatest concern is second-place Kansas City (6-4-2), which has won two in a row. The Wizards have also lost twice this season to United, who are a few converted opportunities on goal from running away with the conference title.
“[Overall] I’m pleased,” said United coach Peter Nowak on Saturday, “but I’m not happy with the chances we did not convert [Sunday].”
