WASHINGTON (AP) -- If the underachieving New York/New Jersey MetroStars are going to shake up their roster, Mike Petke doesn't want to be part of the exodus.

Petke headed in Lothar Matthaus' free kick four minutes into overtime Saturday and the MetroStars escaped last place in the Eastern Division with a 3-2 victory over D.C. United.

"I've said it many times. I want to be here when things turn around," Petke said after the MetroStars won their first road game in three tries. "I'm one of the few to say I want to be here. ... But sometimes a shakeup is the best thing to do."

The MetroStars (2-4) won despite playing a man down from the 68th minute, when Adolfo Valencia was ejected. Both of their victories this season have come against D.C.

From the left flank, Germany's Matthaus sailed the ball to the right post. No one picked up Petke, third in a line of MetroStars on a run from the right, after he shook off defender Carlos Llamosa.

"That's a play you practice over and over again," MetroStars coach Octavio Zambrano said. "You hope that you get the chance to execute it."

Defending league champion D.C. (1-4) remains in last place in the East and is off to its worst start since losing the first four games of the 1996 season. United has dropped two straight.

"We've reached a very critical point right now," United coach Thomas Rongen said. "For this club to be in the position we're in ... is unacceptable."

Marco Etcheverry scored for United, who had won six straight against the MetroStars before dropping their first meeting of the season April 1.

Petter Villegas also tallied for the MetroStars.

The teams traded own-goals early in the first half before a crowd of 14,985 at RFK Stadium.

In the ninth minute, Orlando Perez's cross from deep on the left wing was inadvertently knocked into the goal by United defender Jeff Agoos from the 6-yard line. New York/New Jersey returned the favor in the 22nd minute, when Perez redirected Etcheverry's free kick from the right side.

Three minutes later, after the MetroStars' Dahir Mohammed roughly tackled A.J. Wood in the penalty area, Etcheverry converted a penalty kick for a 2-1 United lead.

Villegas tied the game in the 41st minute with his first goal of the year. Unmarked at the top of the penalty area, he took a feed from Valencia and beat United goalie Tom Presthus to his right.

Valencia was ejected by referee Noel Kenney for arguing a yellow card he received after leg-whipping Etcheverry.