Stephen McCarthy's 74th-minute marker served as the only goal of the game and condemned D.C. United to a shocking 1-0 defeat Wednesday night in front of 15,597 at RFK Stadium. McCarthy's winner came from a Chris Tierney corner kick swung in from the left wing. McCarthy was able to slip to a spot behind the D.C. United defense and celebrated the day before his 23rd birthday with a powerful downward header into the left corner of Bill Hamid's net.
While the three points might have been slightly more than New England (4-9-7) deserved, it was a fitting punishment for the home side, who had let several first-half opportunities pass them by and looked far less energetic in the second half. In fact, it was the Revolution who had the best chance of the second half prior to McCarthy's goal, as Zack Schilawski somehow managed to divert a free header wide of Matt Reis' goal.
After McCarthy's goal, New England stymied the home side by playing with ten men behind the ball, though United (5-6-8) did get a chance for an equalizer in the 82nd minute when a wonderful through ball from Andy Najar found De Rosario streaking through the Revolution penalty area. However, as he had been all night, Reis was equal to the task, deflecting the shot just wide of his left post for a corner kick, which, like the rest of United's attacks, came to nothing.