WASHINGTON -- A green-looking D.C. United side valiantly resisted Mexican power Cruz Azul in their CONCACAF Champions League Group A match at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night, but a toothless United attack allowed the visitors to ride a fluky goal from Pablo Zeballos to a 1-0 win.
A first-half sub in place of Marcelo Carrusca, Zeballos found himself in the right place at the right time in the 56th minute when he unwittingly deflected Cesar Villaluz's mishit shot past D.C. goalkeeper Zach Wells, obscuring an underwhelming performance from Cruz Azul and keeping los Cementeros on pace with group rivals CD Marathon and Deportivo Saprissa.
True to expectations, D.C. coach Tom Soehn rested several everyday starters with an eye towards Saturday's league match against Chivas USA, as Fred, Ivan Guerrero, Bryan Namoff, Clyde Simms, Gonzalo Martinez and Louis Crayton were left out in favor of the likes of Rod Dyachenko, Craig Thompson, Quavas Kirk, Joe Vide, Zach Wells and Greg Janicki, making his United debut alongside Marc Burch in the heart of the D.C. defense.
Eight-time Mexican champions Cruz Azul also fielded a relatively young side as Carlos Bonet and Mexican international Gerrado Torrado were left at home and Bonet's fellow Paraguayan World Cup veteran Cristian Riveros started the evening on the bench.
Less than five minutes into his first-ever senior team appearance, Janicki found himself at the end of a gilt-edged scoring chance when he roamed forward for a Jaime Moreno corner kick. The on-loan center back did well to meet the Bolivian's delivery at the near post, but thumped his header well wide with the goal gaping.
Moreno tried to cap a promising passing sequence with a chip over Cruz Azul netminder Alfonso Blanco from just outside the penalty box, but his bid floated just high, skimming into the top of the net.
To the dismay of their expatriate fans in attendance, the Mexicans started the match slowly and a few whistles floated down from the stands when defender Gabino Velasco skied his shot miles over the target after a half-cleared corner kick.
The Cementmen gradually warmed to the task and soon began to string together more possession, forcing nimble defensive interventions from Devon McTavish and Mike Zaher. But the visitors were hit by the early loss of Marcelo Carrusca, who left the field on a medical gurney with what looked like a painful shoulder injury as Paraguayan Pablos Zeballos entered in his stead.
The Mexicans were clearly aware of Moreno's menace, as the D.C. captain was routinely thronged by white jerseys whenever he dropped deep to link play. But his ability to hold the ball under pressure set up Kirk for a clear scoring chance in the 24th minute as his angled pass helped the rangy winger beat the Cruz Azul offside trap and race in on goal. But with Dyachenko waving at the far post, Kirk tried to beat Blanco to the near side and the 21-year-old 'keeper saved comfortably.
Two minutes later the crowd roared when Kirk centered for Francis Doe to flick a close-range finish past Blanco, but the Liberian has strayed offside and his effort was waved off.
As a steady rain picked up, Janicki was required to use his substantial height to head clear on several of Cruz Azul's threatening ventures into the United box in the dying moments of the first half, and Dyachenko tracked back to make a goal-saving clearance of Cesar Villaluz's teasing cross with seconds left. But the undermanned hosts were surely gratified to reach the halfway mark with matters still locked at 0-0.
Cruz Azul continued to probe the Black-and-Red back line after the break, but created little in the way of clear-cut chances -- then stumbled into a scarcely deserved lead on a supremely lucky chain of events in the 56th minute. Burch looped a clearing header out of his own box, then fell as he blocked a goalbound shot, handing Cesar Villaluz a clear look at Wells' goal from 18 yards out.
Yet Villaluz scuffed his shot badly off target, only to see it pay off as the wobbling ball deflected off his unsuspecting teammate Zeballos and bounced into the goal as a wrongfooted Wells was left helpless. The visitors looked almost embarrassed at their good fortune, but relaxed noticeably with the pressure eased off their shoulders as their supporters sang and cheered.
United's youngsters continued to fight, however. Doe was working hard to find space and keep possession up top while Moreno showing little signs of his sore knee as he continued to pace his team.
Kirk soon made way for the speedy Thabiso "Boyzzz" Khumalo as Soehn looked to up the tempo, and the South African's pace and attacking intent were welcome additions for United's front line though opportunities to truly test Blanco came few and far between, though Khumalo did see an angled drive crash off the near post on one instance.
With the hosts pressing forward, Cruz Azul came close on several more occasions in the final minutes as second-half sub Miguel Sabah snapped a clear header just wide of the near post, then Burch handed Zeballos possession inside the D.C. box only to redeem himself with a goal-line clearance.
Moreno tried to create a late, late equalizer with an in-swinging free kick delivery into the Cementeros box from the left wing and Khumalo threatened on an injury-time solo run. But the United attack remained unfulfilled until Canadian referee Paul Ward blew his final whistle and Cruz Azul escaped RFK with a pedestrian victory that nonetheless keeps them in contention for advancement from CCL Group A.
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