Branches dotted nearby streets and two unmoored banners dangled from the Audi Field roof as the first home game of D.C. United’s Leagues Cup campaign arrived Saturday night, several hours after thunderstorms ripped through the region.
But to the 14,599 in attendance, the conditions surprisingly proved ideal. With the afternoon’s steamy temperatures dropping to a breezy 78 degrees by kickoff, supporters of visiting Mexican club Pumas exchanged songs and chants with United’s Barra Brava fan group from opposite ends of the stadium, setting up a charged encounter.
United’s performance didn’t live up to that atmosphere. Needing just a draw through regulation to win its group and secure another home game against a Mexican club in the knockout round, D.