Moreno's powers on the wane

Jaime Moreno was the headliner of a nice story line over the weekend, as an important MLS record was matched on a splendidly sunny afternoon at a place that has fast become a nifty tale in itself.

Moreno, a longtime cornerstone of the proud D.C. United franchise, joined Jason Kreis at the top of Major League Soccer's all-time goals list.

Moreno unleashed historic No. 108 Saturday at BMO Field, which was once again jam-packed with screaming Toronto FC supporters. Commissioner Don Garber was there to take in the moment as the Bolivian international, now in his 12th MLS season, nailed the game-winning penalty kick in United's 2-1 win.

See, a pleasant little story indeed.

But the unseen undertow of this tale won't be as charming as it plays out. Cloudy days are inevitably ahead where Moreno, 33, is concerned.

Saturday's match was a microcosm of an ongoing pressure point at RFK, one that will continue to get more difficult for manager Tom Soehn to sort out: You can't score 108 goals without taking some tread off the tire.

Moreno's effectiveness is increasingly up for debate, regardless of whether he's still getting summoned for the Bolivian national team or not. That recent call-up seems ceremonial, for Moreno's best days are clearly behind him.

That doesn't mean Moreno can't make contributions to a United squad that might slowly be rounding into form. The formerly struggling Brian Carroll snapped back into 2006 form Saturday. Bryan Namoff was better than he's ever been this season and Josh Gros continues an adjustment to left back in Soehn's newly aligned 4-4-2.

So D.C. United still has potential to do something special. Christian Gomez continues to bounce productively around the midfield, better when players such as Luciano Emilio and Fred are alight with ideas around him.

Then there's Moreno, whose inaction on the pitch was so dire earlier this year that Soehn benched him, electing to bring him on instead as a second-half sub.

Moreno still has his moments on the field. But he also shrinks for lengthy stretches.

Hs game certainly lacks the same explosion, and he often lacks the legs to finish movements. He beat a Toronto defender in one early surge Saturday but petered out before directing a solid effort toward goal.

Later in the half, Moreno was sloppy in accepting a tantalizing pass from distance. Instead of a crisp touch that could have put him clear of the defense, Moreno lost concentration or simply didn't have the agility to get his feet into the right place to turn the pass toward goal.

Instead, it squirted innocently out of bounds for a TFC throw-in.

Moreno's ability to sweep majestically into action on such plays seemed to fall precipitously somewhere in the middle of the 2006 season -- about the time United fell in form, which probably is no coincidence. Yes, Moreno scored 11 goals last season. But nine came before June 25. And three of the 11 were on penalty kicks.

This year, all three of his goals have come from the 12-yard spot, which means six of his last 14 strikes have come from PKs. He's had two goals in the run of play over United's last 23 MLS matches. That's not sufficient production for a highly paid forward.

And with Moreno, the issue isn't just a lack of game-changing moments for himself. He can't always do the requisite work off the ball that would help pry open defenses for Fred, Emilio and Gomez.

By comparison, watch the movement off the ball from the New York Red Bulls' attackers. John Wolyniec, Juan Pablo Angel, Jozy Altidore, Dane Richards and Clint Mathis make decisive, slashing runs at the right instances, forcing defenders into quick, sometimes rash, choices. That's how defenses are unlocked.

United looked quite ordinary as Moreno paired with Emilio up front Saturday. And that against a leaky, utterly undistinguished TFC back line that had conceded 11 goals in six matches before Saturday.

United did strike after intermission against a side that was tiring beneath the weight of its third match in eight days on the debilitating field turf. Sensing an opportunity to seize three points, Soehn removed defender Facundo Erpen (who seemed precariously close to collecting a second yellow card) and added forward Guy-Roland Kpene.

And here's where Soehn's choices going forward get interesting.

Kpene took Moreno's spot alongside Emilio, while Moreno dropped into the midfield in a 3-5-2. Suddenly, things looked alive for United. United was a little more direct, with Kpene's speed helping to stretch TFC's defense. Kpene does what Moreno doesn't (or can't): he makes the hard run when Gomez gets the ball at his feet.

Does that mean Moreno should be a midfielder, more of a playmaker and less of a slasher up front? Probably not, because United already has a pretty good midfield conductor in Gomez. Besides, Moreno wouldn't have the pace to play an entire match in the midfield, especially for a side on which overall team speed is already an issue.

So, what to do with Moreno, who obviously wasn't happy with being benched earlier this year? He wasn't always effective earlier in his career as a playmaker, but perhaps he'll embrace the role in spot duty this season when Gomez misses matches.

Again, Moreno still has his moments. He stepped up and calmly struck the game-winner, providing United with a massive, confidence-inspiring road win. Yes, it's come to that for suddenly fragile United, where a win over expansion TFC can rightly be considered "massive."

(FYI: the PK was a good call. So enough of Mo Johnston's sour grapes and postgame complaints over officiating. Baldomero Toledo did a fine job of managing a rugged match, assessing yellow cards not willy-nilly, but exactly where needed. Johnston wants his side to be tough and physical, but huffs and puffs about cards and fouls. He can't have it both ways.)

On the other bench, the well-focused Soehn pulled the right tactical levers and helped his team prevail. But the choices will be tougher going forward, especially where a certain, proud Bolivian is concerned.

Then again, that's exactly what they pay coaches to do.

Steve Davis is a Dallas-based freelance writer who covers MLS for ESPNsoccernet. He can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com.