Stumped three times previously at the semifinal stage of the PDL playoffs, the Des Moines Menace finally cleared their hurdle en route to bringing the league title back to the Heartland. As usual for the PDL, it was not the expected story as another exciting season gave way for surprising postseason drama.

Heading toward the playoffs it appeared as though it was going to be the year of the Richmond Kickers Future, but the unbeaten 12-0-2 squad led by Cristian Neagu and Dominic Oduro, who finished second and third in scoring in the league, dropped their last two contests of the year in the final weekend and were passed by the 15-1-0 Orange County Blue star from the left coast for the regular season title and the two-time champion Cape Cod Crusaders (13-2-1) for the regular season conference title.

But as is often the case come the second season in the PDL, Cape Cod took the hit as a top seed, falling in the opening game to Raleigh as Richmond edged the Ocean City Barons in a thrilling back-and-forth affair 5-4. Richmond went on to win the conference with a 2-1 decision over Raleigh to advance to the semifinals against the El Paso Patriots.

El Paso, dominant all season in the Mid South at 11-3-2 downed the defending champion Central Florida Kraze 2-1 in their opener and blanked new rival Laredo Heat 2-0 to reach the semifinals. PDL MVP Daniel Frias scored three of the four Patriot goals.

In another thriller for Richmond, the Kickers Future overcame an early deficit to lead 2-1 before a second half three-goal surge from El Paso put Richmond out of reach despite a late goal to make it a 4-3 final scoreline to send the Patriots to their first final since hosting the US Open Cup championship in 1995 against the senior Kickers side, who won the title.

Orange County survived as the top seed in the Western Conference by knocking off the Fresno Fuego 2-1 and the Cascade Surge 3-0 with Sasha Kljestan scoring three times to set up a semifinal meeting against the Menace.

Des Moines, the third seed in the Central Conference, knew the PDL upset phenomenon well having been knocked out in the opener of the 2002 playoffs after an unbeaten 15-0-3 campaign and returned the favor against the top-seeded Chicago Fire Premier, who finished 14-1-1 after going unbeaten in 2004 as well with a 17-0-1 record. The Menace stunned the defensive juggernauts with a 3-0 loss in only the fourth game in the last three seasons in which Chicago had allowed three goals.

It was the second time that season Chicago had allowed three goals with the previous also making headlines as the Indiana Invaders ended a 35-game regular season winning streak in a match that was easily the Game of the Year. Chicago looked good for a 1-0 win when Indiana tied the match in the 89th minute to force overtime, which proved even more thrilling. Indiana took the initial extra time lead five minutes in only to see Chicago level two minutes later and appear headed toward a draw to keep the streak going. But Albert Villareal, who tallied the regulation equalizer, added more late heroics, this time with the winner in the 109th.

Michigan upset the 13-2-1 Boulder Rapids Reserve 4-1 in overtime after leveling the game nine minutes from time in the other Central semi, but saw their run come to a screeching halt despite an early lead against Des Moines. Within a minute of falling behind the Bucks, the Menace leveled the score and took a 2-1 lead to halftime as they went on to a 4-1 win to reach the semifinals.

The Menace fell behind Blue Star two minutes before halftime but found an equalizer in the 45th. Cory Farabi scored his only goal of the year in the second half to send Des Moines to the final in El Paso with a 2-1 win.

Despite numerous dangerous chances, the 2005 PDL championship was decided in a dramatic seven-round penalty kick showdown with the visiting Menace prevailing in the tiebreaker 6-5 in front of 6,792 after a scoreless back-and-forth 120-minute game.

A dramatic match that saw several good stops by both goalkeepers also saw an intense finish in the tiebreaker. El Paso's Rodrigo Morin had his shot from the spot stopped by Menace goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum in the second round to give Des Moines the advantage. Des Moines' Cody Kother stepped up in the fifth round with the score level and sent his potential winner off the crossbar, banging down on the wrong side of the goalline, sending the the tiebreaker into sudden death tied 4-4 after five rounds.

Both sides saw their sixth round shots find net, but Daniel Casteneda's shot in the seventh was not far enough to the left for a diving Gruenebaum, who made the critical stop and was named the Championship MVP for his play throughout the match. Luke Frieberg knocked home the winner to give the Menace, in their 12th season, the championship.