D.C. United advances to MLS Cup, 4-3

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nick Rimando stopped Clint Dempsey's shoot-out kick, and D.C. United rode Brian Carroll's successful boot moments earlier to a 4-3 victory Saturday over the New England Revolution and advanced to the MLS Cup.
It was the first Major League Soccer game ever decided by penalty kicks.
Eastern Conference champion United will play Western Conference winner Kansas City for the title on Nov. 14 in Carson, Calif.
The teams were tied at 3 after 90 minutes of regulation and two 15-minute sudden-death overtimes, forcing the game to alternating penalty kicks.
The teams were tied at three kicks apiece after five shooters. D.C.'s sixth shooter, Carroll drove a shot high and to the left, out of the reach of Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.
Rimando preserves win
Rimando then saved Dempsey's try to preserve the win and give United the conference championship. That sent an RFK Stadium crowd of 21,101 into a frenzy.
United returns to the championship game for the first time since 1999. United won the MLS title in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
Alecko Eskandarian, Jaime Moreno and Christian Gomez scored regulation-time goals for United.
Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston and Pat Noonan netted for New England, which made an improbable playoff run after finishing tied for the worst record in the league.
United grabbed a 1-0 lead on a left-side cross by Eskandarian in the 11th minute. Twellman scored in the 17th minute, getting a step on defender Ezra Hendrickson 10 yards from the goal and looping a right-footed shot past Rimando.
United regains lead
United regained the lead about four minutes later when Moreno, working from a step inside the penalty area on the left wing, cut an arcing shot inside the right post before Reis could react.
A handball call against Carroll at the left edge of the penalty area set up Ralston's penalty kick, which tied the game in the 44th minute. Ralston drove a shot that ricocheted off the left post, off Rimando and in.
Gomez, making a run down the left wing, headed in Earnie Stewart's cross from the right wing in the 67th minute for a 3-2 United lead. Freddie Adu replaced Gomez two minutes later. But Noonan tied it in the 85th minute, heading in a corner kick from Ralston after out-leaping Rimando