Facing a must win situation against an opponent in preseason form, D.C. United suffered a disappointing 3-2 loss to F.C. Atlante last night. United put forth a solid effort, but was exposed by Atlante F.C.’s efficient counter attack. Atlante’s victory relegated United’s SuperLiga 2008 hopes to a mere prayer.

The SuperLiga pits four MLS teams against four Mexican clubs. The teams are selected based on their performances in domestic league and tournament play during the previous year. For the Mexican sides, SuperLiga constitutes a tidy warmup for their regular season, which is scheduled to begin in a couple weeks. Though MLS regulations marginalize its players’ share of SuperLiga prize money, the competition presents a chance for American clubs to prove their worth against a league that has dominated them for much of MLS’s 12-year existence.

United were unable to take advantage of this opportunity, despite a couple of classy finishes from Francis Doe and Luciano Emilio. A pair of miscues by Marc Burch left United’s defense flatfooted for a pair of Atlante goals, and a moment of brilliance from midfielder Christian Bermudez provided the visitors with the game-winner.

Though Atlante worked through their preseason rust, United combated the fatigue accrued from a schedule packed with competitions supplementing their regular MLS season. The result was a tentative first twelve minutes, as each side attempted to advance possession without committing a serious mistake.

United disrupted this delicate balance when they pushed too far forward. Burch’s misplay of a clearance gave the ball to Gabriel Pereyra, and the United defender compounded his error by attempting a tackle that left him out of position. Pereyra slotted a pass through the United back line, springing Luis Gabriel Rey. The forward scored on an easy finish past goalkeeper Zach Wells.