FC Dallas Lets Opportunity Slip Against Toronto
Published 10/12/2008 8:18:53 AM by staff from dallas
Just nine days ago, FC Dallas played San Jose to a 1-1 draw at Pizza Hut Park. In that tie, the Hoops were bailed out by a late penalty kick in the 89th minute that was converted by Kenny Cooper, allowing FC Dallas to escape with a point. A similar scenario played out Saturday against Toronto FC. FCD took a 1-0 lead into halftime through a Cooper goal. But the Reds netted a pair of unanswered goals before FCD was allowed to salvage a point after yet another late penalty kick, this one finally converted by Cooper (on a second attempt) well into stoppage time for a 2-2 draw. But let's face it......If you have two of the worst teams in the MLS on your home field within a week and end up not winning either match, do you really belong in the MLS Playoffs? I say no way. "I thought we did enough things to win the game," FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "I thought Andre (Rocha) played very well, controlling the game and controlling the ball. It was very difficult for us to put the ball in the goal. We had some really good chances. Both teams were going at each other very hard." Dallas left back Blake Wagner felt the game was one that should not have come down to a wild ending. "Obviously, we're playing at home and we really wanted to get the three points," he said. "It was unlucky that we gave up two goals. But we fought back and got another goal. It's good, which shows our character again. We needed to win that one. We've still got two games left. It will be tough on the road but I think we'll be all right." The Hoops were the better side for the first half, but the balance shifted in Toronto's favor for the second 45 minutes. Still, most in the Hoops locker room felt that they deserved to emerge victorious. "It's a tough result to take," midfielder Dax McCarty said. "I think we were the better team tonight in all facets of the game except for the finishing. Maybe we did get bailed out a little bit at the end but from what I've heard, it was a clear PK and a definite foul. We just have to take it in stride and hope that some other results go our way and take care of business our last two games on the road." Much like it's been for much of the 2008 season, several momentary lapses of concentration proved to keep FCD from getting full points. "We just need to stay tuned in for the whole 90 minutes," Wagner said. "We can't give up goals like that. We just need to fight through the whole thing and not give up silly stuff like that." The main nemesis for Dallas proved to be Toronto FC defender Marvell Wynne, who assisted on the first goal by Marco Velez in the 72nd and scored the equalizer in the 88th. "Wynne is a very fast player," Wagner said. "He got in behind and once he gets in behind, he's probably not going to look back. It was a good finish by him." With the draw, FCD finishes the regular season with a home mark of 5-4-6, the club's fewest home victories in five seasons. In their last five matches at Pizza Hut Park, the Hoops are just 1-2-2. Dallas now must travel to Real Salt Lake next weekend before finishing the regular season the following weekend at Los Angeles. If there is any hope of FCD making the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, it is that their road record is 2-1-2 in their last five games away from home. Cooper's two-goal performance was his fourth brace of the year. His two tallies give him 18 for the year, which ties Jason Kreis for the FCD club record. The total also puts him one tally behind LA's Landon Donovan for the Budweiser Golden Boot. Cooper also has 33 career goals, which makes him FCD's No. 2 all-time scorer behind only Kreis.
Label: FC Dallas Toronto FC, Kenny Cooper, Marvelle Wynn, Danny Dichio
|