D.C. UNITED 1, PUMAS UNAM 1
D.C. UNITED COACH PETER NOWAK
On the result:
"We did a pretty good job, running and finding good chances in the first half. We should have been the winner, but we need to finish the chances we get. We still have the second leg and we're going to give everything we have, because we have got to win."
On rookie defender Bobby Boswell:
"The last three or four weeks we've worked very hard with Bobby -- with the whole back line -- so that the people around him, the people close to him, can trust him. We still have a lot of work to do. This is a very young player and he needs to have experience, game experience. Every single time he plays a team like that in an international competition he's going to get experience. So we just wait, we want to be patient with him."
On the play of Pumas:
"I don't think Pumas played a very clean second half. I hope this kind of stuff [the uncalled fouls] will not happen in Mexico City. David Stokes got pushed in the box and just because he's 6-foot-3 and the players cannot handle him, he doesn't get a call?"
D.C. UNITED GOALKEEPER NICK RIMANDO
On the penalty kick call:
"There was a ball on my left side and he [the Pumas player] just waited for a guy to come. I think it was defended well and the referee, from his point of view, just saw him [Moreno] coming in from the back. I wouldn't have called a penalty."
D.C. UNITED DEFENDER MIKE PETKE
On the game:
"We really came out and put them on their heels. They played like a typical Mexican team. They dedicate a lot of players forward and we got behind them a lot with the counter attack. I'm wondering if I was expecting more from them or just impressed with the pressure we put on them. By all means I don't think we had a great game. I'm happy with the way we really just fought. We didn't let them play around us. We didn't let them do their little stepovers. We were all over them. I expect to see them put more pressure on us Wednesday but I expect us to absorb it better. This is huge for us, a big opportunity and we put our hearts on the line tonight and really worked hard we just couldn't get the result."
On the penalty kick:
"You know it's a shame -- that was our game at 1-0 - -it should have been more than 1-0, but for the ref to fall for that dive and call that a penalty kick is just too bad."
On the second leg:
"We have a mountain to climb. Between the altitude, the referee, playing today and Saturday, then Wednesday and Friday -- we have everything against us but we'll be prepared. We ran our butts off tonight and we just couldn't get the result. I haven't played this much since three games a week in junior high school but that's what our preseason was for, three practices a day playing all over the world to get ready for this. We'll come back Wednesday and put everything on the line."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER STEVE GUPPY
On the game:
"I think they're a very good team, they showed that tonight and if you let them play they certainly will. In the first half we came out hard and then they took over. In the second half I think it was pretty even. We're looking forward to the second leg. I think it's safe to say we were fairly disappointed with the penalty decision. It was a complete shock to everyone out there that the referee awarded it."
On coming to MLS:
"I think I've been playing pretty steady stuff, but I'm still working on the fitness level -- this is quite a step up from what I've been used to. I've been playing with pretty heavy legs but it's been a steady start."
D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER FREDDY ADU
On his late entrance:
"If I start great but if I come on late I'm looking to run at tired defenders. If I keep doing that and I keep playing well that's how you get playing time."
