Match Reports

DC United Earns Tough 1-1 Draw in Jamaica

DC United started off their 2008 season with a 1-1 away draw at Harbour View FC of Jamaica in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup tie. Devon McTavish latched onto a wayward Marcelo Gallardo shot and calmly slotted past the Harbour View goalkeeper in first half stoppage time to give United a 1-0 lead at the break.

The first half was a somewhat dour affair with only Gallardo’s 24th minute free kick being well saved. United forward Jaime Moreno had to bow out of the match with a hamstring injury in the 15th minute and Franco Niell came on in his United debut. Goalkeeper Zach Wells took a boot to the face in the 15th minute also but stayed in the match.

Despite it being United’s first match of the season, they had decent control of the flow of play throughout the first half only being halted by a series of rough tackles that resulted in yellow cards to two Harbour View players.

Harbour View did start to come into the match late in the first half but United struck when Gallardo split the defense to free Niell in the corner who backheeled to Fred. Fred then eluded two Harbour View defenders to lay off to Gallardo to hit a one timer right into the thigh of McTavish. McTavish then calmly collected the ball and professionally dispatched the ball past the onrushing Harbour View keeper.

The second half was pretty similar to the start of the game in that United was the better team for the first 20 minutes but then Harbour View started to pile on the pressure. United had a few opportunities to extend the lead through defensive mistakes from Harbour View as Emilio sent a weak left footed shot on goal and a decent run down the left flank saw Fred get free only to have his shot blocked and cleared. United had a few other half chances in the box but desperate defending kept the score a 1-0 United.

Harbour View then poured forward in desperation and forced a number of quality saves from Wells. Wells was perfectly positioned all night long and was left helpless on the game tying goal from Lovell Palmer in the 85th minute.

A Zach Wells save forced a Harbour View corner and they scored when a defensive breakdown from Bryan Namoff and 81st minute substitute Dan Stratford allowed Palmer to pounce on a ping ponging ball and volley it past a helpless Wells to draw the match.

The return leg now goes comes to DC next Tuesday evening at 7:30 at RFK. The game can also be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel.

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