WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Eddie Johnson scored the winning goal in overtime Thursday night, giving Dallas a 4-3 victory over D.C. United that kept the Burn's hopes for a first-round, home-field advantage in the playoffs.
D.C. United, meanwhile, will miss the playoffs for the third straight season.
Needing a win and some help to get into the playoffs, D.C. United pushed everyone forward in an attempt to score early.
Against the run of play, however, Dallas took the lead in the 34th minute after D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff handled the ball in the penalty area on a Burn corner kick.
Burn defender Jorge Rodriguez sent the ensuing penalty kick past diving United goalkeeper Nick Rimando for his fourth goal of the season.
The youthful combination of midfielder Bobby Convey and Eliseo Quintanilla, both 19, brought United even in the 48th minute. Convey dribbled past the Burn defense before having the ball knocked to Quintanilla at the top of the box. The Salvadoran striker sent Convey in alone on Matt Jordan with a through ball. Convey one-touched a right-footed shot past Jordan for the equalizer and his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Newcomer Henry Zambrano scored his first goal as a member of United in the 65th minute. Ben Olsen sent a ball to Zambrano, who flicked it over an oncoming Jordan and into the net before Jordan leveled him to the ground.
Dallas came back in the 74th minute when midfielder Chad Deering found Antonio Martinez on the left wing. Martinez, in an effort to find teammate Bobby Rhine who was running to the near post, chipped Rimando to the far post and into the side netting for his fourth goal of the season.
Rhine put the Burn ahead in the seesaw affair in the 80th minute with his seventh goal of the season. Burn second-half substitute Joselito Vaca lobbed a ball over United defender Eddie Pope and Rhine ran onto it, brought it down to his right foot and beat Rimando to the left post.
Forward Ali Curtis gave United hope in stoppage time of the second half with his fifth goal of the season.
But Johnson tallied the game-winning goal in the 96th minute.
Dallas pulled one point clear of Colorado in the overall standings. With a Rapids loss to the Kansas City Wizards on Friday evening, the Burn will take home-field advantage against the Rapids in their quarterfinal series.
