D.C. United nearly came away with a vital away victory, but instead were forced to settle for a draw, seeing Harbour View FC hit for a late equalizer to snatch a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal Wednesday night at Harbour View Mini-Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.
Devon McTavish gave United the lead just before halftime, but five minutes from the end, Lovel Palmer rose up to pounce on a bouncing ball and give the home side the tying goal ahead of next week's second leg at RFK Stadium in Washington.
The Black-and-Red were led by the dynamic duo of Luciano Emilio and captain Jaime Moreno up top, and gave debuts to three of their new South American signings. Gonzalo Peralta and Gonzalo Martinez paired in the center of defense, flanked by Marc Burch and Bryan Namoff, while Marcelo Gallardo was handed playmaking duties at the top of D.C.'s midfield diamond. With Ben Olsen still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, McTavish was handed the start at right midfield, with Fred manning the left flank and Clyde Simms occupying the holding midfielder's role.
D.C. started out brightly, switching play from side to side and probing the Harbour View back line. But the MLS side was hit by two injury blows in quick succession starting in the 14th minute.
First Moreno pulled up clutching his hamstring after chasing after a ball deep in the Harbour View penalty area, immediately signaling the bench for a substitution. Then goalkeeper Zach Wells took a boot to the head as he raced off his line and smothered a through ball at the feet of Richard Edwards, who seemed to leave his foot in a dangerous position as he moved past the prone netminder.
After receiving treatment, the dazed Wells was able to continue, but Moreno gave way to another new South American, Argentinos Juniors loanee Franco Niell.
Niell's pace and work rate soon stretched the Harbour View back line, and in the 22nd minute the diminutive Argentinian looked to have gotten in behind the defense in pursuit of Gallardo's ball over the top, only to be pulled to the ground by Jermaine Taylor. The young Jamaican international was cautioned for the foul, but as he was the last defender between Niell and the goal, a crowd of black jerseys swirled around the referee to lobby in vain for an ejection.
On the ensuing free kick, Gallardo whipped a well-placed shot towards the far side of goal, forcing HVFC goalkeeper Dwayne Miller to leap to his left and palm the effort wide.
Harbour View's Brian Edwards was the next player to go into the referee's book as his crude, two-footed lunge chopped Fred to the turf a few yards outside the United penalty box.
Harbour View nearly caught United on the break following a D.C. corner kick, as Rafique Thomas raced away from McTavish near midfield and pushed forward in the 36th minute. The counterattack eventually led to Fabian Taylor getting a good look at goal from 19 yards, but the former MetroStars striker fired his shot wide of the target.
Jermaine Hue, another MLS alum now wearing Harbour View colors, unleashed a left-footed drive from distance in the 41st minute and though it fizzed wide of goal, he earned a free kick as Fred clattered into him as he followed through. But the set piece opportunity was wasted with a shot hit directly into the D.C. wall.
Whether due to their host of new starters or the uneven field, United lacked fluidity and struggled to produce their traditional possession game in the first half, but a stroke of good fortune enabled them to cap one of their few extended passing moves with the game's opening goal.
Taking possession deep in midfield, Gallardo looked up and found Niell making diagonal run along the left channel, and the frontrunner was able to latch onto his countryman's pass and send a back heel wide to Fred.
The Brazilian laid off for Gallardo to shoot from the top of the 18-yard box. But the late-arriving McTavish found himself in the path of Gallardo's effort and after it caromed off his body, reacted to the loose ball before the HVFC back line and slotted a cool finish into the far corner of the net to hand United the advantage just before halftime.
Wells had to maintain his concentration in the half's dying seconds, first parrying, then gloving a sharp shot at his near post, but the Black-and-Red were able to enter the break with a somewhat fortunate 1-0 lead.
Harbour View came out with renewed purpose in the second stanza and in the 53rd minute, Burch's challenge deep in his own end resulted in a yellow card and a Harbour View free kick. On the left-wing set piece, Wells had to dive low at the near post to punch Hue's delivery away from danger.
United's leading scorer a season ago, Emilio was having a quiet night but he popped up in the Jamaican side's penalty box with a great look at goal near the hour mark, only to tamely dribble his shot straight at Miller.
Harbour View spurned a golden opportunity to draw level in the 73rd minute when they caught D.C. out of position as Robert Scarlet surged down the right flank, slotting a dangerous low cross into the goalmouth that was met by a sliding Fabian Taylor. But with Wells fully exposed, the striker's effort skipped just wide of the target as the crowd groaned.
Wells then had to come off his line quickly to snuff out two dangerous plays in quick succession, first arriving just before Taylor to smother a through ball stabbed into the box, then dashing out to the edge of the box to clear another teasing through ball with his feet.
Advancing towards at the United back line with the ball at his feet, Harbour View midfielder Palmer took advantage of ample space to uncork a rasping shot just wide of Wells' right post.
D.C. boss Tom Soehn clearly didn't like the game's progress, and responded by pulling off Niell and inserting Englishman Dan Stratford to bolster his team's engine room, essentially leaving Emilio alone up top.
But in the 85th minute, United were finally forced to pay for their passive second half display as Hue floated in a corner kick from the left that took a couple of bounces off a crowd of leaping bodies, then sat up well for a sprawling Palmer to flick into the net, levelling matters at 1-1.
Both sides looked for a match winner as time wound down, but clear chances were few and far between and the final whistle sealed a 1-1 result that will keep both side' hopes alive heading into the second leg at RFK Stadium next Tuesday.
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
