There's been lots of effort and plenty of enterprise, but little reward so far tonight at RFK Stadium as D.C. United and Sporting Kansas City go to halftime locked in a goalless draw.
United had the best chance of the match in the 40th minute when Kansas City keeper Jimmy Nielsen spilled a long-range shot by Santino Quaranta into the path of Dwayne De Rosario, but the Canadian international ballooned his quick chip attempt high over the bar and onto the roof of the net.
Two minutes earlier, Stephen King was played into space by De Rosario , but Nielsen was quick off his line to block King's shot attempt.
United's MVP candidate had two earlier chances in the first half, but his quick redirection attempt from a corner in the 23rd minute went just wide of the post and his curling try from the edge of the box after a redirected free kick sailed just high in the 31st minute.
It wasn't all one way traffic, however, and Sporting Kansas City (who can clinch the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a win tonight) could have easily gone ahead just before halftime, but Aurelien Collin's header from a corner went just wide of Bill Hamid's net.