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Copa Sudamericana: DC United held to draw by Chile's Catolica [Thu Sep 15th, 2005]
A golden opportunity for DC United ended in frustration for the Black and Red, who squandered home ground advantage in the first leg of this round-of-16 tie by allowing Chilean side Universidad Catolica to leave with a vital away goal after a 1-1 draw.
After a first half where the ball was almost entirely in the visitors’ third, Jorge Quinteros beat two United defenders and goalkeeper Nick Rimando to a bouncing ball in first half stoppage time, and stunned the hosts when he flipped the ball high over Rimando and into the goal for a 1-0 Catolica halftime lead.
Catolica’s disciplined defence never allowed United’s attack to evolve into the free-flowing nightmare that has killed many MLS teams in the first half. Resorting to half chances in the penalty area, United failed to beat confident goalkeeper Jose Maria Buljubasic.
United did eventually find an equaliser, and the goal came late in the second half from the substitute Jamil Walker.
The speedster initially misplayed a pass from Santino Quaranta at the top of the penalty area, but he reacted before Catolica’s Facundo Imboden could intervene to regain possession and touch deftly past the defender before slotting the ball in past Buljubasic for an 81st minute equaliser.
The second half produced more wide-open chances for the visitors, who came close on several occasions to getting a second away goal. Rimando was well-positioned to deal with most of the threats, however, but by the grace of his cross bar Eduardo Rubin smashed a shot off the horizontal metal bar in the 87th minute with Rimando stranded.
United could have taken all three points at the death when Freddy Adu delivered a cross right onto the head of Facundo Erpen just yards away from the goal. But the Argentine’s header bounced down and barely missed catching the inside of the right post killing any chances for a dramatic winner.
The return leg in Santiago, Chile, takes place on September 22. The team who win the second leg will advance to the quarterfinals. Catolica, meantime, can advance with a scoreless draw.
SCORING:
CAT – Quinteros 45’+3’
DCU – Walker 81’
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