WASHINGTON (AP) – Maybe D.C. United won't have such a long season after all.

Young and rebuilding and coming off a last-place finish, United opened the MLS season Saturday night with a 3-2 victory over the defending champion Kansas City Wizards.

"Everybody says there aren't high hopes for D.C. United," said rookie Mark Lisi, the No. 4 overall draft pick who scored the winning goal in the 88th minute. "I think tonight really showed that even though we are young, give us some time to jell and I think we can definitely contend."

Lisi, who entered the game in the 80th minute when Bobby Convey dislocated a pinkie, lofted a 12-yard shot over goalkeeper Tony Meola, ending a streak of 16 games in which the Wizards had allowed two goals or fewer.

The Wizards, playing on the same RFK Stadium field where they won the MLS Cup last fall, played the last 35 minutes with 10 men after defender Nick Garcia was called for a deliberate hand-ball, setting up Raul Diaz Arce's tying penalty kick.

Seventeen-year-old Convey scored his first MLS goal for United. Matt McKeon had a goal and an assist for the Wizards, and Roy Lassiter scored in his debut game for his fourth MLS team.

"It's a misstep, but it's a long season. We've got a few things to clean up," Wizards coach Bob Gansler said. "After the PK and the ejection, it becomes kind of a helter-skelter situation, but we've got to be ready for that as well."

United returned only 13 of 27 players from last year's team after a salary cap squeeze forced the team to trade several veterans. In addition, injuries sidelined projected starters Mike Ammann (strained hamstring), Jaime Moreno (knee surgery), Ben Olsen (broken ankle) and Eddie Pope (sprained toe).

The Wizards have changed up front, but the defense is virtually the same one that led the league last season, culminating with the 1-0 victory over Chicago in the MLS Cup.

Yet both defenses were vulnerable. In the 18th minute, McKeon went unimpeded through the two United defenders in the penalty box and was upended by Mark Watson. The loose ball went to Lassiter for the easy tap-in.

It was the 82nd MLS goal for Lassiter, the league's career scoring leader. Acquired in a trade with Miami, Lassiter also scored in his first game with Tampa Bay in 1996, United in 1998 and Miami in 2000.

Convey tied it in the 33rd minute when Diaz Arce headed Watson's long ball into the penalty area. Convey was at the edge of the 6-yard box direct the ball past Meola, who got a piece of it. Convey then raised his arm and paraded half the length of the field in celebration before the 22,216 fans.

McKeon's goal came in the 44th, when the United defense left him alone to head Francisco Gomez' corner kick into the left side of the net.

Diaz Arce's goal came after a wild moment in front of the Wizards goal. Trying to play a long ball, Diaz Arce was leveled with a forearm by the charging Meola, and Garcia was called for the hand ball almost immediately afterward.

The result was a red card for Garcia and a penalty kick for Diaz Arce, which he converted in the 65th minute.

Lisi, who scored 15 goals last year for Clemson, then scored the game-winner.

"I've always said from Day One in preseason that we're going to be a good team this year," United coach Thomas Rongen said. "I think time will tell. We're still searching for our identity."