DC win with late goal

Gallardo and Emilio hooked up for the decisive, and deflected, late goal against San Jose. Emilio's shot deflected off defender Kelly Gray just two minutes from time. DC had the man advantage since an 83rd minute ejection of San Jose's James Riley. All the scoring came in the second half. DC scored first by Clyde Simms after a double deflection - Simms' second career goal - he scored last week too. But moments later SJ got a crazy goal of their own as Zach Wells fumbled the ball and John Cunliffe made the game 1-1. DC rebounded just a few minutes later and Gonzalo Martinez made it 2-1(This was the Goal of the Week, btw). Then of course that 88th minute goal.

The 1100th UMLSCC goal was scored in this game. It came when Simms scored in the 50th.

DC has defended the title four times now, that is the longest since Houston had five successful defenses last season before losing to LA. Before that it was in July 2006 that New York successfully defended the title for four games.

Next up for DC is a nationally televised ABC game on Sunday the 29th against the LA Galaxy. That game will be the first LA at DC game since 1996 (and only the second ever). DC won that game 2-1 twelve years ago. It was DC's first ever UMLSCC title.

The teams have met six other times with LA winning twice and DC once. The other three games ending in draws. One game neither team was champion, that being the first game of the 2002 season after Miami was contracted and since DC was the last team to hold the title before Miami, their(DC) games were used to decide the next champion.

More later.