D.C. United Keeps On Playing Like Champion
Jeff Agoos scored the decisive goal in a shootout as D.C. United beat the Miami Fusion, 1-0, Sunday night to advance to Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference finals.
Agoos’ goal came in the sixth round of the shootout, won by D.C., 3-2, after a scoreless 90 minutes. The United, the two-time defending MLS champion, won the best-of-three game playoff series, 2-0, and will play Columbus for the right to play in the MLS Cup.
United goalkeeper Tom Presthus made four saves in the shootout, including a stop of Miami’s Diego Serna in the fifth round that would have given the Fusion the win. Jaime Moreno and Marco Etcheverry also scored for D.C.
The playoff victory was the United’s 12th consecutive since 1996, despite playing a man down for the final 87 minutes. Forward Roy Lassiter received a red card for an off-the-ball infraction three minutes into the match.
Despite playing with only 10 men, D.C. nearly took the lead in the 40th minute on a Moreno header. But Fusion defender Pablo Mastroeni cleared Moreno’s shot off the goal line.
Both teams missed chances in the second half to win in regulation.
The Fusion’s Nelson Vargas hit the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area in the 87th minute.
One minute later, Etcheverry nearly had a breakaway on Fusion goalkeeper Jeff Cassar, but Miami’s John Maessner caught up to the play to stop the United captain.
A Moreno shot went past the far post in the 59th minute. Miami’s Henry Gutierrez had a hard shot from 20 yards deflected wide with six minutes to play.
