score in the Conference Semifinals, a single-match Conference Final, and the MLS Cup final. MLS Cup 2004 was contested by D.C. United and the Kansas City Wizards. Both teams had previously won the MLS Cup and finished in the top two seeds of their respective conferences in regular season play. D.C. and Kansas City had played each other twice during the regular season, trading 1–0 away wins at their respective homes: the Wizards won at RFK Memorial Stadium in May and D.C. United won at Arrowhead Stadium in July. Kansas City qualified for the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference, finishing level with Supporters' Shield winners Columbus Crew on points, while D.C. United rode late-season momentum to finish with a record slightly above .500. D.C. United D.C. United won three MLS Cup titles in the first four seasons of the league's existence, only finishing as runners-up in 1998, and established a dynasty under head coaches Bruce Arena and Thomas Rongen. From 2000 to 2002, however, D.C. failed to qualify for the playoffs for three consecutive seasons and Rongen was fired. Ray Hudson lead the team to a playoffs return in 2003, where they lost 4–0 on aggregate to the Chicago Fire in the first round. In January 2004, D.C. hired recently retired Chicago Fire midfielder Peter Nowak as its fourth head coach in nine seasons. The last remaining player from the club's inaugural season, forward Marco Etcheverry, left the club at the end of the 2003 season. To replace Etcheverry, the club recalled Jaime Moreno from the MetroStars and drafted 14-year-old forward Freddy Adu, who had already agreed in November to sign with them. Nowak implemented an aggressive playstyle that emphasized counterattacks and team-oriented play that took hold late in the season. The club earned a 5–5–5 record at the beginning of the season, including a 271-minute scoreless streak and a four-match unbeaten streak that was capped with a 6–2 win over the MetroStars. After a four-match winless streak to start the second half of the season, D.C. United found a more consistent rhythm and finished the season with a winning record and a ten-match home unbeaten streak. The club signed Argentine midfielder Christian Gómez in the summer transfer window and paired him with forward Alecko Eskandarian, who lead D.C. in goals scored, to close out the season; rookie goalkeeper Troy Perkins was promoted to the starting