By Ridge Mahoney, senior editor

A few underlying factors came into play yesterday as D.C. United beat Kansas City, 3-2, at Home Depot Center to capture its fourth league championship.

FACTOR OF FOUR VS. THREE: The Wizards back four couldn't contend with United's attacking trio of Alecko Eskandarian, Jaime Moreno and Christian Gomez. Every Kansas City defender was exploited.

Eskandarian shook off Nick Garcia to hit a blistering shot that tied the match 1-1 and charged down a clearance by Jim Conrad to give United a 2-1 lead. Conrad, covering for left back Jose Burciaga Jr., also couldn't stop the driven ball from Earnie Stewart that defender Alex Zotinca diverted into his own net for United's third goal.

Moreno's ability to hold the ball, combined with Eskandarian's darting runs and Gomez's intelligent touches, unhinged the Wizards back line.

FACTOR OF 80: The vast width of the surface at Home Depot Center could have been a problem for United's back three of Mike Petke, Ryan Nelsen and Bryan Namoff, but instead, they stepped up early and often to frustrate Kansas City forwards Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud. United's ability to hold the ball and spread the field turned the 80-yard width into an advantage.

''We knew they're dangerous if they get behind us,'' said Nelsen, who captained the team and is most likely headed for a club in Europe. ''But we watched for the ball played over the top and got into them early if the ball was played to their feet.''

Midfielders Brian Carroll and Ben Olsen restricted the time and space Wizards' counterparts Diego Gutierrez and Kerry Zavagnin needed to service the frontrunners. Rookie Khari Stephenson and second-year man Jack Jewsbury seldom got forward to use that space on the flanks and it was Stewart, Moreno, and Dema Kovalenko who were most dangerous out wide.

FACTOR OF ONE: As a player, Peter Nowak led a rookie franchise to a title when Chicago won MLS Cup 1998. In his first year as a head coach, he won again despite Kovalenko's ejection, the first red card in the championship game.

Prior to the game, Nowak had said of his team, ''They make me look like a genius.'' After they shook off the shock of conceding an early goal to win the title, he said, ''Even after the first goal, I never had a doubt that we were going to win this game. We have our game plan, we stick to our game plan. The boys did a great job.''