DC United vs. Harbour View FC: From a Fans Point of View

- By Joseph Schoenbauer Tue, March 10, 2005



What’s the best remedy for a team playing in front of their home fans, in below freezing weather conditions, for the first time since winning the MLS Cup Final? Goals, goals, and more goals. And after only 5 minutes played, all signs pointed that the DC United faithful, singing throughout, were going to get just the remedy they desired.

DC United started beautifully with the focus on keeping possession and creating scoring chances through the creative attacking feet of Argentinean playmaker Christian Gomez, Bolivian forward Jaime Moreno and young American midfielder Freddy Adu. Within moments of the opening whistle the Harbour View FC defense were thanking their lucky stars. First, a headed pass in tight space from Christian Gomez found Josh Gros, whose clever touch and shot, destined for the back of the net, was saved off the line by a desperate sliding defender who had run in behind goalkeeper Leighton Murray. The Harbour View FC defense could clear only as far as Alecko Eskandarian, who reacted well but shot agonizingly yet unceremoniously wide. Nevertheless, the crowd sensed this was merely foreshadowing of things to come.

Their "patience" paid off nicely when just after four minutes had gone by a pass found Jaime Moreno on the left side of the Harbour View FC box. Instinctively, he found Freddy Adu in support, whose left footed cross was met perfectly by Alecko Eskandarian. His first time low driving shot gave the goalkeeper no chance. "Dale, dale, dale, dale oh" went the fans as the confetti covered the sky.

Naturally after the opening minutes that included two near misses and a goal, the home fans instantly began thinking aloud "this is going to be a rout," and perhaps, unfortunately, the DC United players began thinking along the same lines, rather than acting on them. For soon after, passes from David Stokes began going astray one after the other, while Ben Olsen began to look as interested in confronting the opposition with his mouth and pushes than with his feet. On the 23rd minute, DC United was made to pay for their sloppiness. After a giveaway from Mike Petke, a seemingly harmless high ball was sent in the air from the left to the top of the 18-yard box. In what appeared to be a major lack of communication, both David Stokes and the on rushing Nick Rimando impeded each other from clearing the ball. Rimando fell to the ground while David Stokes was slow to react, leaving the motionless ball to the opportunistic 19-year old Luton Shelton to dribble in and score in the open net. "Dale, dale, dale, dale... oh my what just happened?" thought the DC United fans while the small contingent of Harbour View FC fans cheered with utmost surprise through their chattering teeth.

For the rest of the first half, the two teams both shared fairly equal possession of the ball. Captain Jermaine Hue of Harbour View FC eventually found more space from the hounding presence of Brian Carroll and Ben Olsen. With his skillful left foot, he did well to get his teammates involved, either looking forward to the quick footed #9 Luton Shelton or to Jamaican international left wing back Robert Scarlett, who despite a torrid time from the DC United crowd, continued to be involved in the play throughout the night.

However, the clear-cut chances fell to DC United. On 35 minutes, a clever pass from Jaime Moreno through the legs of a defender found a cutting Ben Olsen near the end line, whose first time pass found Christian Gomez with acres of space in the box. After a quick touch to set himself up, Christian Gomez’s left footed shot was saved well by goalkeeper Leighton Murray for a corner. Minutes later, Jaime Moreno took advantage of a slip from defender Jermaine Taylor near his own goal to go in alone on goalkeeper Leighton Murray once again. Leighton Murray was up to the task though, standing firm and forcing an eventual week shot from Jaime Moreno that he quickly gobbled up.

With the game tied 1-1 the two teams came out with different intentions in the second half. Harbour View FC, with the important away goal secured, looked to sit back defensively with 10 men and soak up the pressure, leaving a lone figure up top for swift counterattacks. DC United on the other hand, wanted more goals.

True to his style, Alecko Eskandarian continued running at the defense and was twice awarded free kicks for his efforts after being fouled. Gomez, donning the coveted #10, previously worn only by the one Marco "El Diablo" Etcheverry, looked to replicate one of "El Diablo’s" free kicks in the 54th minute. The dangerous right-footed shot went through the wall, only to be parried away by Leighton Murray.

Nine minutes later, it was Gomez again, finding an unmarked Eskandarian with another skillful header. Eskandarian raced onto it, only for his quick first time shot to be saved by the oncoming Leighton Murray once again. The rebound, which skied back to a disappointed Eskandarian, could only be headed high and wide of the goal.

DC United wasn’t to be denied any longer. In the 64th minute Moreno and Gomez were once again involved. Moreno, near the Harbour View FC end line, squared to Gomez, who’s first touch put him on the end line. Looking up, he lofted a perfect ball to Josh Gros, who rose highest to loop a header over and just beyond the outstretched hands of Leighton Murray and into the net. Half of the DC United fans erupted. The other half, which included head coach Peter Nowak, breathed a sigh of relief.

There was more heart pounding action for the fans in the 76th minute when David Stokes mistakenly played a square ball, while all alone, directly to Harbour View FC’s Shelton. Shelton raced in but found Rimando back to his best, stuffing the shot, which eventually went wide for a goal kick. Another huge sigh of relief came from the home fans.

Peter Nowak, now seemingly content to maintain the 2-1 scoreline going into the second leg, substituted Freddy Adu and Christian Gomez for defender Brandon Prideaux and newly acquired midfielder Clyde Simms. The two players helped DC United seal off the final minutes of the game.

In the final minutes, however, the DC United crowd were given the opportunity to show their true creativity. After goalkeeper Leighton Murray was forced to make one more scrambled save, he rose, only to fall abruptly and roll the ball out of bounds. While the trainers came on, the DC United crowd chanted "Get Up, Stand up, Stand up for your right" to the tune of Bob Marley’s famous song, which even won applause from the Harbour View FC fans.

The two teams meet again in one week’s time in warmer Kingston, Jamaica. The winner of the tie goes on to face the winner of the CD Olimpia (Honduras) vs. Pumas UNAM (Mexico) tie in the semifinals of the competition.