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United gains ground on Burn

By Peter Brewington and Jose Alfredo Flores (contributing)
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United coach Thomas Rongen has no idea how many points his beleaguered team will need to make the playoffs. All he knows is it's a lot.

''We face a (tough) ride,'' he says.

Saturday, United took a baby step toward salvaging a season of despair. On a muggy afternoon at RFK Stadium, United used late goals by Chris Albright and Raul Diaz Arce to down the Dallas Burn 2-0. It helped United (4-10-4, 16 points) close in on Dallas (6-9-3, 21 points) for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Despite solid defense, the defending Major League Soccer champions conceded they have a long way to go. ''It's not like this is going to catapult us all the way back,'' defender Jeff Agoos said.

After winning three of the four MLS titles, United's mysterious collapse has been a major story this season.

Lately, fans' impatience has been directed at Rongen for perceived lackluster leadership. Criticism surfaced on the Internet after fans watched video of a recent Rongen halftime speech, described as uninspiring. ''What do they expect? This is not Knute Rockne stuff. It's the same thing (former coach) Bruce Arena said to the guys,'' said United President Kevin Payne, a staunch Rongen backer.

After a 1-5-1 start, United has started to play better, going 3-5-3 in its last 11 games. But its point total remains MLS' lowest.

''If one team can do it (make the playoffs), it's D.C. United,'' Rongen says.

Showdown: The Kansas City Wizards beat Los Angeles 2-0 as Tony Meola set an MLS record with his 12th shutout of the season. The Wizards (11-2-4) stretched their lead to nine points over L.A. (7-4-7). A crowd of 15,088 turned out at Arrowhead Stadium, seventh largest in team history. It was the Wizards' eighth consecutive home shutout.

Diallo-mania: Mamadou Diallo maintained his MLS scoring lead by adding two in Tampa Bay's 3-2 win against Miami. The Senegal native has 15 and opened up a four-goal lead on Chicago's Ante Razov. It was Diallo's sixth two-goal game of the season.

Sommer fever: New England goalkeeper Juergen Sommer, who played with the Columbus Crew in 1998, made his first MLS appearance since October 1998 after a series of knee injuries. But it wasn't enough as Dante Washington assisted on all three Columbus goals in a 3-1 win.

Hot stuff: Goalkeeper Mike Ammann made eight saves to help the New York/New Jersey MetroStars to their sixth win in eight games, 3-1 against Colorado.