Under some circumstances, a draw is an acceptable result in soccer. Playing in a hostile stadium against a superior opponent would be one of these circumstances. If you head into the second leg of a Cup match with the lead on aggregate, you'd be happy to walk away with a draw. You'd contently take away one point from a match when you are desperate to end a season-long losing streak: baby steps, right?

D.C. United found themselves faced with this last scenario after they tied the New England Revolution, 1-1. When the dust settled, United coach Tommy Soehn called the game "a step in the right direction". He appropriately qualified this statement, admitting "you're never happy with a 1-1 result". We have to agree with you, Tommy: not much happiness in last night's draw.

The lineup card revealed one surprise and hid another. Newly signed forward Nicholas Addlery started in place of Jaime Moreno, who handed the captain's armband to Ben Olsen. Once the opening whistle blew, the second surprise was revealed: for all intents and purposes, United abandoned their 3-5-2 formation for a 4-4-2, as Josh Gros played on the left side of the defense, pushing Facundo Erpen toward the center. Though Gros and Bryan Namoff made occasional attacking forays, United's new look produced a more conservative feel to their play. It proved to be effective, as the Revs' chances were limited in the first half. Though United didn't have any clear-cut chances of their own, they enjoyed a comfortable possession advantage.

The confidence United built in the first half was washed away in the opening minute of the second when the team suffered one of this season's trademark defensive lapses. After D.C. cleared to midfield, New England won a couple of 50-50 balls and midfielder Shalrie Joseph ended up with possession. He quickly floated the ball over the out-of-position Erpen, who lost a foot race to MLS leading scorer Taylor Twellman. Twellman's shot was blocked by United GK Troy Perkins, but the rebound landed right at the feet of onrushing playmaker Andy Dorman, who buried the ball into the open net.

Only four minutes later, United leveled the score thanks to second half sub Jaime Moreno. The 33-year-old striker made use of his fresh legs and rushed into the box to meet a floating pass from Bobby Boswell. On his way there, he was met shoulder-to-shoulder by defender James Riley, who forcefully pushed Moreno to the ground. When the referee called for a PK, Moreno made sure to take advantage, easily converting it as Matt Reis dove helplessly in the wrong direction.

Though the PK call was certainly questionable, United got their biggest break of the match in the 59th minute. With a ball up for grabs near United's penalty box, Olsen and Joseph met in a violent collision. Though Joseph caught a piece of the ball, the 6'3" native of Grenada toppled Olsen's 5'8" frame. The ref reached for his back pocket and pulled out the direct red card, delighting the 12,908 in attendance.

The advantage now clearly lay with D.C. United. The Revolution were down a man and without the services of MLS's premier holding midfielder to disrupt United's attack. Yet United faltered. They suffered their biggest blow when Fred left the game in the 79th with (presumably) a pulled hammy groin. Throughout the game, Fred had exhibited the most daring and skill of any player on the pitch. His sub, newly signed Ivorian Guy Kpene displayed some of those qualities, but was incapable of mimicking Fred's veteran instincts.

With the Revs barely making a customary gesture of a counterattack, United threw all of their players forward in a desperate attempt for the win. They were denied by the upper 90 of the goal post, the New England defense, and the outstretched fingers of Reis.

There were several positives to extract from last night's game. The team as a whole played with more passion, if ultimately lacking inspiration in their offense. The defense held strong apart from the one mistake. Fred played superbly, and Brian Carroll (entering in the 54th) looked to regain the form he's displayed over the last few years.

In the end, United came away with something they desperately needed: a point in league standings, a symbolic step toward respectability. There's no denying, though, that United had a tenable chance to get the full three points. With this year's lofty expectations, last night's baby step did little to erase the indignity of this young season.

United will have another chance at the full three on Sunday (3 p.m.), when Chivas USA comes to town.