D.C. United ends skid with 1-0 victory over Jabloteh

September 16, 2009

Christian Gomez’s first-half penalty kick lifted D.C. United to a 1-0 victory against San Juan Jabloteh in a CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage match at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad Tuesday night.

It was D.C. United’s first-ever CONCACAF Champions League group stage victory and one that keeps the Major League Soccer team alive in the competition. Winless Jabloteh is all but eliminated from advancing out of Group B.

Gomez stepped to the spot after referee Trevor Taylor ruled Noel Williams handled a cross in the box when he slid and tackled the ball away from Luciano Emilio. After a slight hesitation, Gomez beat Jabloteh goalkeeper Cleon John low and to the right of the keeper to give D.C. United a 1-0 lead in the 14 minutes.

Williams attempted to atone for his mistake, but his shot from distance sailed wide to D.C. United goalkeeper Milos Kocic’s right in the 21st minute.

Four minutes later, Kocic came up big, making three saves at the near post, twice denying Lester Peltier. Moments later, Ataulla Guerra’s attempt from 16 meters skipped wide of the far post for the hosts.

Off a D.C. United giveaway in the midfield, San Juan Jabloteh’s Jason Marcano lobbed the ball at the open net after Kocic came off his line, but Julius James tracked back and cleared the ball off the line in the 42nd minute.

Peltier was played behind the D.C. defense on the hour mark, but his left-footed shot from the top of the 18-yard box sailed over the crossbar.

Emilio nearly added to United’s lead, hitting a low, hard shot from distance in the 64th minute that eluded a diving John but was just wide of the far post.

Twice midway through the second half, Jabloteh had open headers in the box, but Devon Jamerson and Jerrel Britto both missed the target with their attempts five minutes apart.

With a quarter hour remaining, Jabloteh was given a chance to equalize when Taylor apparently ruled Kocic violated the six-second rule, but Williams badly mis-hit his attempt from the top of the 18-yard box.

One minute later, Devon McTavish played a great ball inside the area that Gomez latched onto, but John bobbled the shot before it was cleared away for the game’s first corner kick.

In the 83rd minute, Gomez played the ball over the top to Danny Szetela, who was unable to get off a shot.
Peltier had Jabloteh’s final chance to equalize in the 87th minute when he took James’ bad touch and raced inside the box. But James recovered nicely and blocked the attempt with a sliding tackle.

Both teams resume group play next week, with D.C. United hosting co-leader Marathon at RFK Stadium on Thursday, while Jabloteh will head to Mexico to take on Toluca the day before.

PORT-of-SPAIN

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