WASHINGTON (AP) – Nick Rimando usually has to run the length of the field to celebrate a game-winner. This time, the happy mob came to him.

Goalkeeper Rimando stopped Clint Dempsey’s shootout kick, and D.C. United rode Brian Carroll’s successful boot moments earlier to a 4-3 victory Saturday night over the New England Revolution and advanced to the MLS Cup.

“The goal-scorers usually get the good celebration – the run and jump and all,” Rimando said. “It was fun for me to do that.”

Eastern Conference champion United will play Western Conference winner Kansas City for the title on Nov. 14 in Carson, Calif.

The teams were tied at 3 after 90 minutes of regulation and two 15-minute sudden-death overtimes, forcing the game to alternating penalty kicks.

The teams were tied at three kicks apiece after five shooters. Carroll, United’s sixth shooter, drove a shot high and to the left, out of the reach of Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.

Rimando then saved Dempsey’s try to preserve the win and give United the conference championship. That sent an RFK Stadium crowd of 21,101 into a frenzy.

Rimando had an inkling that Dempsey would try to score inside the right post.

“He kind of showed me where he was going,” Rimando said. “His body language before the shot, his position told me.”

United returns to the championship game for the first time since 1999. United won the MLS title in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

New England, which reached the conference title game despite finishing tied for the worst regular season record, saw its magical ride end one game short of a chance for an improbable MLS crown.

Despite the absence of two key United defenders – Dema Kovalenko and Ryan Nelsen missed the game due to suspensions for accumulating too many yellow cards – the Revolution couldn’t combat United’s speed and playmaking.

“They get guys running through,” New England coach Steve Nicol said. “Guys running are very hard to handle. When a team does something well, it’s not easy to stop.”

Alecko Eskandarian, Jaime Moreno and Christian Gomez scored regulation-time goals for United.

Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston and Pat Noonan netted for New England.

United grabbed a 1-0 lead on a left-side cross by Eskandarian in the 11th minute.

Twellman scored in the 17th minute, getting a step on defender Ezra Hendrickson 10 yards from the goal and looping a right-footed shot past Rimando.

United regained the lead about four minutes later when Moreno, working from a step inside the penalty area on the left wing, cut an arcing shot inside the right post before Reis could react.

A handball call against Carroll at the left edge of the penalty area set up Ralston’s penalty kick, which tied the game in the 44th minute. Ralston drove a shot that ricocheted off the left post, off Rimando and in.

Gomez, making a run down the left wing, headed in Earnie Stewart’s cross from the right wing in the 67th minute for a 3-2 United lead. Freddie Adu replaced Gomez two minutes later.

But Noonan tied it in the 85th minute, heading in a corner kick from Ralston after outleaping Rimando

Also scoring in the shootout for United were Santino Quaranta, Adu and Eskandarian. For New England, it was Reis, Shalrie Joseph and Twellman.