More on Chivas-DCU

I was starting to think that my 2-2 prediction was pretty dumb, but DC United came very close to making that prediction come true.  In the end, "almost" doesn't count for much, and United will have to go through MLS again to qualify for CONCACAF's club competition.  This team pushed Chivas really hard and was very brave in the first half.  In the end it came down to who made the most mistakes, and United made two of them on both sides of halftime.  That's why this result will hurt and why it will be seen as a missed opportunity, because the match appeared to be so winnable at one point.   

I said last year that the MLS teams appeared to be taking the CCC seriously and were giving their best efforts, yet for whatever reason they just weren't good enough.  Regardless of what Houston do tomorrow night, the effort by both representatives go a long way to reversing that assessment.  I think it's been a combination of proper preparation, as well as smart selection of players and the right tactical and mental mindset.  I'm not into moral victories, and I'm not into moral victories because these teams have shown that they are capable of performing well in difficult conditions outside the USA.  As DCenters blog said after the match,

Moral victories only come when defeat is assured. We lost. But I never want to hear again that we are doomed to defeat if we play in Mexico. We just haven't done it yet. There will be a first time.

Exactly right.

UPDATE: Welcome MLSnet.com readers!  Come on in and stay for awhile.  I focus a lot on CONCACAF-related stuff, such as the Champions' Cup, but I'll also have posts in anticipation of the upcoming MLS season.  I will liveblog the Pachuca-Dynamo match tonight.