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FC Dallas Down Toronto FC In Texas
The Texas squads both decided to move into the win column on the same day, with Dallas following Houston's lead in a win over Toronto.
Apr 20, 2009 12:00:37 AM
FC Dallas rode their luck and secured their first victory of the season
following Kenny Cooper's second half penalty that consigned Toronto FC
to a 3-2 defeat on the road.
First Half
There was only one change in the lineups from last week's tie in Toronto as FC Dallas brought in Marcelo Saragosa at right back. The home side enjoyed the greater possession, but Toronto FC was blessed with the better of the chances.
In the eighth minute, Fuad Ibrahim connected with Dwayne De Rosario, whose subsequent lay off presented Amado Guevara with a fantastic opportunity, but the Honduran midfield dynamo blasted his shot over the bar. Soon thereafter, Chad Barrett found space on the right, but only managed to hit the side netting from a testing angle.
Barrett's inclusion in the starting lineup was indicative of John Carver's faith in him, but the coach must have been bitterly disappointed when the forward spurned another chance in the twentieth minute. Good play down the right by Marvell Wynne allowed Sam Cronin to deliver a deep cross that Dallas goalkeeper Ray Burse let slip and fell straight on the boot of Ibrahim. Barrett met the Ethiopian's meek shot in the six-yard area. However, the redirection only managed to find the body of the fantastic Drew Moor, who cleared the ball.
Dallas started to show signs of life with Cooper weaving past three defenders but shooting straight at Toronto goalie Stefan Frei. Not long after, Ferreira was fouled on the left of the penalty box. Dax McCarty floated in a delightful swinging cross from the subsequent freekick that was powered past Frei by Moor, giving Dallas a 1-nil advantage in the 25th minute.
Toronto's sloppiness in defense was made to pay as Ferreira intercepted another stray pass and played Kenny Cooper into some space on the edge of the area. Cooper's shot was exquisite: a daisy cutter evading the desperate lunge from Frei and nestling in the bottom right hand corner of the net. FC Dallas was up 2-nil with only a minute left in the half.
However, Toronto cut the home side's advantage before the interval. In a move reminiscent of the one that Dallas scored from late on in Toronto last week, Guevara delivered a deep cross, evading everyone else, but reaching Carl Robinson. Adrian Serioux scored when he turned in Robinson's low cross. At 2-1, Toronto went in at the break believing they could salvage something from the game.
Second Half
Carver's faith in Barrett paid off in the 59th minute. Ibrahim played a long diagonal ball from the left that Guevara headed into the path of Barrett, who was clear in on goal with George John caught napping. With only the keeper to beat, Barrett took his time choosing his spot and finished coolly to draw Toronto level at 2-2.
TFC was firmly in the ascendancy and looking for a winner. With the referee allowing rough challenges to go unpunished, the physical nature of the game was bound to take its toll. De Rosario, who had been nursing a hamstring strain, pulled up in the 72nd minute and had to be replaced by Pablo Vitti. Despite the setback, Toronto seemed the likelier team to score.
The tide changed in the 83rd minute as Dallas lay siege on the visitors' goal. Captain Pablo Ricchetti saw a goal-bound shot blocked. The subsequent wave of Dallas pressure forced the referee to award the home side a penalty as Ferreira's pull back/flick clearly struck the arm of Wynne. Cooper strutted up to slot the penalty home decisively for his second goal of the game and curtail Toronto's rousing comeback.
A minute later, Cooper had a gilt edged chance to wrap up a hat trick when he was one-on-one with the keeper, but he somehow managed to miss the target so embarrassingly that the ball went out for a throw-in. Despite another strong spell by the visitors at the death, Dallas held firm and collected their first three points of the campaign.
This game may be a bigger setback for Toronto than just a disappointment on the road. De Rosario may be on the treatment table indefinitely and even Serioux seemed to have calf trouble at the end of the game. Toronto may have suffered casualties in key areas as a result of this game and will need to root out the complacency plaguing their defense for the upcoming stretch of home games if they are to remain in playoff contention.
Dallas have truly picked up from their late equalizer in Toronto and their character shone through today as they ground out a victory in a game in which they were second-best for much of the second period. They will hope to keep the momentum running as they look to move up the Western Conference.
Talha Zaheer, Goal.com
Follow all the action of the U.S. top flight in the Goal.com MLS section!
First Half
There was only one change in the lineups from last week's tie in Toronto as FC Dallas brought in Marcelo Saragosa at right back. The home side enjoyed the greater possession, but Toronto FC was blessed with the better of the chances.
In the eighth minute, Fuad Ibrahim connected with Dwayne De Rosario, whose subsequent lay off presented Amado Guevara with a fantastic opportunity, but the Honduran midfield dynamo blasted his shot over the bar. Soon thereafter, Chad Barrett found space on the right, but only managed to hit the side netting from a testing angle.
Barrett's inclusion in the starting lineup was indicative of John Carver's faith in him, but the coach must have been bitterly disappointed when the forward spurned another chance in the twentieth minute. Good play down the right by Marvell Wynne allowed Sam Cronin to deliver a deep cross that Dallas goalkeeper Ray Burse let slip and fell straight on the boot of Ibrahim. Barrett met the Ethiopian's meek shot in the six-yard area. However, the redirection only managed to find the body of the fantastic Drew Moor, who cleared the ball.
Dallas started to show signs of life with Cooper weaving past three defenders but shooting straight at Toronto goalie Stefan Frei. Not long after, Ferreira was fouled on the left of the penalty box. Dax McCarty floated in a delightful swinging cross from the subsequent freekick that was powered past Frei by Moor, giving Dallas a 1-nil advantage in the 25th minute.
Toronto's sloppiness in defense was made to pay as Ferreira intercepted another stray pass and played Kenny Cooper into some space on the edge of the area. Cooper's shot was exquisite: a daisy cutter evading the desperate lunge from Frei and nestling in the bottom right hand corner of the net. FC Dallas was up 2-nil with only a minute left in the half.
However, Toronto cut the home side's advantage before the interval. In a move reminiscent of the one that Dallas scored from late on in Toronto last week, Guevara delivered a deep cross, evading everyone else, but reaching Carl Robinson. Adrian Serioux scored when he turned in Robinson's low cross. At 2-1, Toronto went in at the break believing they could salvage something from the game.
Second Half
Carver's faith in Barrett paid off in the 59th minute. Ibrahim played a long diagonal ball from the left that Guevara headed into the path of Barrett, who was clear in on goal with George John caught napping. With only the keeper to beat, Barrett took his time choosing his spot and finished coolly to draw Toronto level at 2-2.
TFC was firmly in the ascendancy and looking for a winner. With the referee allowing rough challenges to go unpunished, the physical nature of the game was bound to take its toll. De Rosario, who had been nursing a hamstring strain, pulled up in the 72nd minute and had to be replaced by Pablo Vitti. Despite the setback, Toronto seemed the likelier team to score.
The tide changed in the 83rd minute as Dallas lay siege on the visitors' goal. Captain Pablo Ricchetti saw a goal-bound shot blocked. The subsequent wave of Dallas pressure forced the referee to award the home side a penalty as Ferreira's pull back/flick clearly struck the arm of Wynne. Cooper strutted up to slot the penalty home decisively for his second goal of the game and curtail Toronto's rousing comeback.
A minute later, Cooper had a gilt edged chance to wrap up a hat trick when he was one-on-one with the keeper, but he somehow managed to miss the target so embarrassingly that the ball went out for a throw-in. Despite another strong spell by the visitors at the death, Dallas held firm and collected their first three points of the campaign.
This game may be a bigger setback for Toronto than just a disappointment on the road. De Rosario may be on the treatment table indefinitely and even Serioux seemed to have calf trouble at the end of the game. Toronto may have suffered casualties in key areas as a result of this game and will need to root out the complacency plaguing their defense for the upcoming stretch of home games if they are to remain in playoff contention.
Dallas have truly picked up from their late equalizer in Toronto and their character shone through today as they ground out a victory in a game in which they were second-best for much of the second period. They will hope to keep the momentum running as they look to move up the Western Conference.
Talha Zaheer, Goal.com
Follow all the action of the U.S. top flight in the Goal.com MLS section!
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