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 D.C. United and
Pumas UNAM shared the spoils Wednesday in a riveting
CONCACAF Champions' Cup
match at RFK Stadium, the teams playing to a 1-1 draw in the
first leg of their semifinal series.
Christian Gomez
gave United a 10th-minute lead in the pulsating game in front of
a roaring crowd of 21,185, but Ailton da Silva converted a
penalty six minutes into the second half to pull the two-time
defending Mexican champion level as they withstood a
high-pressure counterattack from United throughout the match.
The draw gives
Pumas the upper hand in the total goals series heading into next
Wednesday's return leg in the altitude of Mexico City.
 With United at
the start of their season and Pumas already halfway through the
second half of their twin-season setup, Pumas came in with the
thought they could overrun the MLS champion -- and they nearly
did straight from the opening kickoff. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando
had to be alert to palm a long-range shot over the bar for the
match's first corner kick.
But United soon
found their legs, and then shocked the raucous, confident Pumas
supporters in attendance with a well-taken goal in the 10th
minute, relying on classic Black-and-Red counterattacking.
 Taking advantage
of a turnover in the middle third, Jaime Moreno latched onto
Steve Guppy's short pass and carried down the left side of the
Pumas penalty box before lofting a precise cross into the path
of Gomez's run.
The Argentinean
playmaker made no mistake from close range, rising to head past
Pumas netminder Sergio Bernal into the upper right corner and
drive RFK into pandemonium.
Stung by the
early strike from their northern counterparts, Pumas leaped into
the attack with renewed intensity, keyed by the entertaining
Brazilian Ailton da Silva on the left wing.
Running onto da
Silva's well-placed cross from the left, Pumas striker Ismael
Iniguez was unlucky not to level matters with a 14th-minute
diving header that he somehow nodded back across the face of
goal and wide.
The game was
freely swinging from end to end as both sides seemed eager to
counterattack, which only opened up spaces for the opposing side
to respond in kind. While the furious pace seemed unsustainable
for a full match, it was elating to supporters on both sides as
they cheered their teams on.
United were
clearly riding their luck, and looking less than confident at
the back. Ailton was eager to run at someone every time he
touched the ball, and Stokes was usually the unlucky defender on
the spot. However, despite the constant danger from the
Brazilian, United settled into a more defensive posture,
tracking the visitors' frenetic runs around the box and eyeing
occasional opportunities to pressure the Mexican back line.
After the break,
controversy erupted in the 51st minute when Leandro Augusto's
left-wing cross sailed harmlessly across the United box and
rolled to Galindo, who crumpled under the weight of an innocuous
challenge from a backtracking Moreno. But referee Navarro took
the bait and pointed to the spot.
Ailton stepped up
to take the penalty and juked Rimando before cheekily tapping
the ball to the 'keeper's right, drawing the visitors level at
1-1.
Despite the
score, Pumas were clearly anxious to dispose of their less
glamorous opposition, and as United's constant harrying tested
their fitness, their frustration grew as the match wore on. The
attractive possession play from Pumas was at times replaced by
hopeful long balls at Stokes, who used his height to clear most
of the danger.
Then in the 74th
minute, Gomez sent in a good-looking service off a corner kick
that wreaked havoc in the Pumas box. Olsen nodded a poor
clearance back into the goalmouth that flummoxed Bernal, who
flapped at the ball and allowed Stokes a free header that
Beltran had to clear off the line.
As the minutes
ticked away, Pumas appeared spent by the game's pace, relying
almost exclusively on Augusto's possession skills in the holding
mid spot and long blasts over the top in search of Botero.
Netminder Bernal's leisurely-taken goal kicks betrayed his
side's satisfaction with a road draw, which would put Pumas in
good shape for the second leg in Mexico City.
In injury time,
Gros swung the ball wide to Freddy Adu on the left as the home
side countered at pace and after juking his way past a defender
the young phenom hit a powerful shot on the run only to have it
parried by Bernal, who was well off his line.
Then it was Pumas
turn to counterattack as Iniguez raced upfield, drawing in the
defense before laying off a tantalizing centering pass for
Botero as he raced into the box. The home support held its
collective breath as Rimando raced out to smother the threat,
but the quick Californian sprawled well to corral the ball and
avert the danger.
After a
nail-biting five minutes of injury time, Navarro finally blew
his whistle for full time, ending an entertaining match that saw
MLS conduct itself well against Mexico's best. But the 1-1 draw
squarely tips the advantage to Pumas as they look to overwhelm
the Black-and-Red at their fortresslike home ground, the Estadio
Olimpico Universitario, next Wednesday.
About the National Soccer Hall
of Fame and Museum
 Located in
Oneonta, NY, the National Soccer Hall of Fame opened a 30,000
square foot, state-of-the-art museum in 1999. The Hall of Fame
tells the story of soccer in
America through artifacts, photographs, and video clips. The new
Hall features an extensive interactive, youth oriented Kicks
Zone where visitors have fun kicking,
heading and playing computer trivia stations and video
soccer games. The VideoWall portrays some of the greatest
moments and the greatest goals in history as well as live soccer
action with World Cup, MLS, and U.S. Soccer matches. Unique and
rare artifacts on exhibit range from the world’s oldest soccer
ball to the FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy won by the USA in
1999,
Pelé's and Mia Hamm’s uniforms, Kristine Lilly’s golden
shoes, NASL championship rings, the original MLS championship
trophy, MLS gallery - it’s all at the National Soccer Hall of
Fame. In addition to the interactive Museum, the National Soccer
Hall of Fame complex boasts the
Kicks
Zone Store,
a research library, four world-class soccer fields and
office/meeting facilities. The Hall plans to add a stadium, an
indoor soccer arena and housing facilities in the future.
The mission of
the National Soccer Hall of Fame is to celebrate the history,
honor the heroes, inspire the youth and preserve the legacy of
soccer in the United States.
The National
Soccer Hall of Fame is open every day of the year, except
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Admission is $9.00 for
adults, $8.00 for students, $6.50 for children 6 or older and
senior citizens. Children 5 and under are free.
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