Agree with the view that it was a bit of both, but I'd add that DC seemed to panic for about 15 minutes after the Pumas goal. For a while there it looked like boys against men and I was fearing a 3-1 loss. Then DC seemed to settle down and got a bit more possession towards the end. Though I also think Pumas were happy to settle for a draw and took their foot off the gas a bit for the last 15 minutes of the game.
Actually, I think that Ursula called it right in the Post-Game Thread. Pumas, obviously, had scouted United thoroughly and came to the conclusion that we could be had if they shut down our 4 or so "well-skilled" players and dared everybody else to score on them. On the whole, while the final outcome was a real disappointment and we should have put the game away within the next 15 minutes or so after scoring the first goal, I can't say it wasn't a deserved result. Next week, in Mexico City, our "second tier" guys are going to have to come up huge if we're to have any chance at all of success.
I think the aspect that cannot be enforced enough is that this was our second game of the year, while Pumas is in mid-season form. Man-for-man, Pumas is better skilled than DCU, but our size and work ethic basically cancelled that out. What did show, however, was that sustained attacks were possible because our midfield and our defense just aren't used to each other yet, haven't found their roles, etc. When we get to argue seriously about starting forwards and defenders (our midfield is pretty stable) before every game, you have to know that DCU is still in that phase of the year where we're seeing what will 'click.' If we played Pumas with the same team we had during last year's playoffs, I think we'd have a better result. Pumas' game plan was well-thought out, and I think they're happy with the tie. That being said, I still think our play raised some eyebrows in Mexico, and may have increased our fan base at home.
Great match! I thought both sides played a positive, attacking style. Posession was pretty even over the course of the game. Pumas appeared to have a little better touch on the ball. Probably because they are in mid-season form. But overall DC United were impressive. I just don't see a real gap between the Mexican champs and the MLS Cup winners. As an aside. I found myself cheering for United with a passion usually reserved for the USMNT. I have been an MLS fan since the beginning. But I have not chosen a club to support. (Kinda holding out for a club in the Motor City.) I have always sorta favored DC United, and to a lesser degree Chicago Fire. But something changed for me last night. Do you guys have any more room on the band wagon?