But it was up to Conrad to explain.
"It felt great. We should do that more often," Conrad said.
With the Wizards up a man after FC Dallas midfielder Pablo Ricchetti was sent off, they threw everything forward in an attempt to finally break through and get the equalizer.
"At that point, we had numbers up, it made sense," Conrad said. "It was just me. I was going to go up there and bang around and see what I could do."
Jack Jewsbury somehow got the ball to Josh Wolff before he went to the ground, and Wolff drove a low cross into the goalmouth where Conrad knocked it home.
"We broke through, and I was on the end and just muscled it in from close range," Conrad said.
Broke seemed to be an especially appropriate choice of words. The Wizards finally hammered one home after a solid defensive effort by FC Dallas. It was also somewhat appropriate that it was a Kansas City defender that cracked the shutout.
Wizards coach Curt Onalfo was seeing an effort that usually results in a win. Instead, he was seeing plenty of chances go for naught.
"I was shaking my head on the sideline," Onalfo said.
Coming into the game tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, a loss could have put the Wizards in real danger of having too much ground to make up to make the MLS Cup Playoffs. The late draw could be the result that the Wizards look back upon as a turning point in a couple of months.
"I take a lot out of this game," Onalfo said. "I think it's a big step for us forward. I really do."
In their last five games, the Wizards have surrounded one three-goal outburst with two offensive shutouts and two one-goal games. Forward Josh Wolff is adjusting to his new teammates and Onalfo has shuffled the lineup, perhaps in search of chemistry.
"There's no doubt about it, we have to be smarter about our attack," Onalfo said.
It also didn't help that the Wizards were chasing the lead from the start. The seventh-minute goal scored by FCD's Andre Rocha is destined to be on a highlight reel.
"I'm not sure it was a shot," said Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. "It started towards the back post like a cross, it dipped and knuckled.
"I don't know if he hit it with his kneecap, or with his neck, what he hit it with. It was all over the shot."
The Wizards have won just once in their last six games. But Saturday's result might just end up feeling like a victory.
"I thought we created enough chances to win the game, there's no doubt. It's something to build on and a good momentum swing as we head into a two-game road trip," Conrad said.
Wizards secure must-win game
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