D.C. goes from winless to brink of quarterfinals

October 20, 2009

A year ago, D.C. United managed just one point in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage. Now it’s is on the verge of advancing to the knockout stage.

But to do so, it likely will need accomplish what no other Major League Soccer team has been able to – win in Mexico.

Tied with Marathon with nine points heading into the final round of the Group Stage, D.C. United heads to Estadio Nemesio Diez to face Group B leader Toluca on Tuesday. Los Diablos need a mere draw to become the fourth Mexican squad to advance to the quarterfinals.

D.C. could go through as long as it can equal whatever result Marathon gets against San Juan Jabloteh in Trinidad & Tobago.

D.C. United enters the pivotal match coming off a 1-0 win against the league-leading Columbus Crew Saturday at RFK Stadium, a result that kept D.C.’s playoff hopes alive. A few days being acquired on loan from the Portland Timbers of the United Soccer Leagues First Division, goalkeeper Steve Cronin made six saves to earn the shutout.

Luciano Emilio scored the game’s lone goal in the 10th minute for D.C., which is in a four-way tie for the eighth and final MLS Cup playoff berth.

“Steve did a great job. It’s always difficult coming into a new environment,” D.C. United coach Tom Soehn said. “Early in the week I recall him asking, ‘who’s he?’ and ‘who’s he?’ And you wouldn’t have guessed that today, because he really solidified things, made great decisions. He looks like he’s been with us all year.”

Toluca, comfortably atop Group 1 of the Mexican Apertura, played Tigres to a 1-1 draw on Saturday at home. Hector Mancilla put Toluca in front with a 66th-minute penalty kick, but Francisco Fonseca equalized with two minutes remaining.

“The team remains strong and is always looking to play good football and score goals,” Toluca coach Jose Manuel de la Torre said. “It was not easy against a team like Tigres, which also came to do their job.”

Marathon’s task is seemingly easier as it heads to Port-of-Spain on Thursday to face a Jabloteh side that is winless in the group stage. Marathon has enjoyed recent success in the Honduran Apertura, beating Real Juventud 3-2 on October 4 and winning 3-0 at home against Victoria three days later.

Jabloteh enter the match coming off a wild 5-4 win against Defence Force in the TT Pro League’s Big Six at Larry Gomes Stadium on Thursday.

Noel Williams, who opened his team’s scoring with a 14th-minute penalty kick, scored three more times in the last half hour – twice in the last five minutes, as Jabloteh rallied from a 4-2 deficit.

The top two teams from Group B will advance to the quarterfinals. The knockout stage draw will take place on November 17 at CONCACAF’s headquarters in New York.

By Dylan Butler