Harbour View's Rafiek Thomas struggles to keep the ball as he is sandwiched by DC United's Argentine playmaker Marcello Gallardo and defender Gonzalo Martinez in action from the quarter-final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the Harbour View Mini Stadium on Wednesday night. The game ended 1-1. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

IT'S A dead heat between Caribbean club champions Harbour View and the United States' DC United heading into the decisive second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the RFK Stadium in Washington DC next Tuesday.

Despite what many will consider to be an uphill battle, coach of the Jamaica outfit, Lenworth Hyde, is confident that the flurry with which the team finished Wednesday night's game could just give them the momentum they need to get over the hump.

Down 1-0 at the break courtesy of a Devon McTavish goal on the stroke of half-time, the 'Stars of the East' rallied to net an 85th-minute equaliser which came from the boot of Lovel Palmer.

Work hard

"I'm pretty confident. The way we finished the game makes me positive that we will be able to go up there and give a good account of ourselves," Hyde said.

"We didn't start well, but the players lifted their game in the second half and we will be going up there to try and acclimatise and work hard."

Conditions in the second leg could be tough as in addition to being away from home and on a much bigger pitch, the temperature could go as low as -1 Celsius in the US capital next week.

Another cause of concern for Harbour View is that slippery midfielder Kemeel Wolfe and striker Rafiek Thomas, who featured in Wednesday's starting line-up, will not make the trip as they do not have U.S. visas.

On Wednesday night, DC United, despite dominating the first half, were a bit lucky to take the lead in the 45th minute as the clear chances had fallen to the home team in the early going.

DC went ahead when a powerful shot to goal by Argentinean Marcello Gallardo, rebounded off Luciano Emilio and fell into the path of McTavish, who was always favoured to beat Harbour View custodian Dwayne Miller four yards away from goal.

Before that attempt, Miller came up big when he dove full stretch to keep out a well-struck free kick by Gallardo taken from just outside the area.

Better round

In a much better second half for Harbour View, front man Fabian Taylor could have pulled the team level in the 73rd minute but, sliding in, he just could not get enough of touch to put away a hard cross hit along the ground by Thomas.

Palmer, who came on in the 80th minute, had an almost immediate impact as, after seeing his 82nd-minute shot bounce just wide of goal, he was on hand to put away a Robert Scarlett corner which had bobbled around in front of goal.

Despite being disappointed to have conceded the goal, DC United coach Tom Soehn feels confident heading back to Washington.

"Usually we are a pretty tactical side. I don't think we showed that today. Credit Harbour View - they were fitter than we were and their pressure caused us problems," Soehn said. "But we are excited to get back home. We have been on the road for a while, and it will be a different thing when we get to our stadium."

Harbour View 1

Lovel Palmer 85th

DC United 1

Devon McTavish 45th