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September 4, 2008
FCD SLIPS DOWN IN DIVISION RACE
Rapids break losing streak, Dallas jinx
By Phil Stephens
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Dax McCarty, left, was the most dangerous offensive player for Dallas in the thirty minutes he played in the game. Colorado beat FCD 1-0 Thursday at Pizza Hut Park.
Photo by Michael Stephens |
FRISCO, TX--FC Dallas, fighting for their playoff lives, lacked the punch needed Thursday as they found another way to lose a game, their second home loss in a row, by a score of 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids.
Colorado’s Mike Petke scored his first goal in more than year in the 60th minute, flying in unmarked on the ball after a corner kick from Terry Cooke. This was a victory that both teams desperately needed in the tightly packed Western Division. The win lifts the Rapids (8-12-3 and 27 points) from last place to a tie for third, with Chivas. Dallas, now (6-9-8 and 26 points) is in fifth place. Before the weekend is over, Dallas could fall to seventh if Los Angeles (entertaining D.C. United) and San Jose (being visited by second place Real Salt Lake) each get a win.
There are only seven games left in the regular season, and four are on the road for FCD. Unfortunately for Dallas, Pizza Hut Park has not been a particularly safe harbor this season. Dallas is 4-4-4 at PHP.
The Rapids, playing under interim coach Gary Smith, really beat the odds with its victory tonight. Colorado has not won a regular season game in Dallas since May 5, 2001 in the Cotton Bowl. That was a 13-game losing streak to Dallas in Texas. The goal by Petke broke a 238-minute goalless streak by the Rapids, more than three games.
Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman was not happy with the players’ efforts.
“It always takes 90 minutes to win,” Hyndman said. “It takes one second to lose. And that's the disappointing part; this was a game we needed to win. It was a desperation game for both teams, and I think we let ourselves down. I think we let our fans down.”
Dallas is now winless in its last four games, but still didn’t attack the field with the urgency one would expect from a team trying to reverse that trend. Hyndman surprised with a very young lineup, with second-year player Anthony Wallace at left flanker, in his fourth start of the season and Michael Dello-Russo in his first start of the season at the right flank. Dello Russo replaced veteran Andre Rocha at his position. Rocha was not even listed on the bench for this game. FCD coach Hyndman said Rocha’s absence was an “internal issue.”
Rookie Bruno Guarda started for the second time at attacking mid. Veteran players missing included central defender Duilio Davino, still mending from a broken toe, and right back Adrian Serioux, playing for the Canadian National Team. Though still young, Olympian Dax McCarty has plenty of Dallas starts to his credits and was sitting on the bench at the outset of this game. Holding midfielder Pablo Richetti moved back to the central backline, in place of Drew Morrow, who slid to right back in place of Serioux. Richetti did a very good job in keeping the back line in order and knowing when to get into the attack on occasion. Moor got a caution in the 90th minute of the game, the yellow card his fifth of the season. He will have to sit out the next game for Dallas, on the road at D.C. United.
When Dax did sub into the game, he was easily the most active player, with a number of on-target passes into the offensive third. Hyndman called him “dangerous” from the moment he came into the game in the 65th minute. Avila subbed in the 52nd minute for Wallace on the left flank and Dominic Oduro entered the game in the 74th minute for Marcelo Saragosa.
Dallas has suffered a number of defensive lapses this season that have cost them deadly goals and several losses. Against the Rapids, Dallas forward Kenny Cooper dropped back to cover Petke on the corner, but appeared to be pushed in the back by a defender. He fell to the ground and Petke had a clear channel deep inside the penalty area. Cooper looked for a call, but it never came from the referee.
The Hoops had a number of dangerous chances to score; the first in the sixth minute when Cooper must missed a connection with fellow forward Jeff Cunningham. Guarda had a header in the 18th minute that just went over the cross bar. Five minutes later, Dello-Russo fired a shot after a pass from Cunningham that Rapids goalie Preston Burpo was forced to save.
Cooper fired a hard shot in the 32nd minute that bounced off Burpo. Cunningham just lost a race to the ball with the goalie. Cooper came right back the next minute on a shot that Burpo was forced to bat out.
The best chance of the game for Dallas came in the 35th minute when Cooper slipped a pass to Cunningham. He went diagonally and was met by Burpo, but still managed to get around him. The ball went wider still to the right, and Cunningham took an off-balance shot at an open goal that deflected out of play off the right upper 90 angle of the crossbar and post.
The Hoops pushed hard to close the half with a goal, but couldn’t get it done.
Colorado came very close to going up in the second minute after halftime on a quick Casey Conor crank that Pitchkolan saved with a quick reaction clearance off the line.
Cooper’s best shot came in the 50th minute on good dribble at the top of the box, eluding a defender and ripping a strike from 19 yards that Burpo just barely saved.
After Colorado scored, Dallas opened up its attack as offensive subs came in. The Hoops outshot Colorado 15-9 and took seven on-target strikes at the net to just four for the Rapids. But Thursday, Colorado was the only team to get a goal.
Dallas returns to Pizza Hut Park Sunday for an exhibition game against Club America, with a 4 p.m. game start. The team’s next MLS game is Saturday, September 13 at D.C. United.
GAME 23 – September 4, 2008
FC DALLAS 0, COLORADO RAPIDS 1
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX
Scoring:
COL -- Mike Petke 1 (Terry Cooke 8) 60
FC DALLAS (4-4-2): Dario Sala (GK), Blake Wagner , Aaron Pitchkolan , Pablo Ricchetti, Drew Moor , Anthony Wallace (Eric Avila 52), Marcelo Saragosa ( Dominic Oduro 74), Bruno Guarda, Michael Dello-Russo (Dax McCarty 65), Jeff Cunningham, Kenny Cooper .
Subs Not Used: Ray Burse (GK), Jamie Watson, Abe Thompson, Brek Shea.
Shots – 15; Shots on Goal – 7; Total Saves – 3; Fouls – 10; Offsides – 0; Corner Kicks – 10
COLORADO: Preston Burpo (GK), Kosuke Kimura, Cory Gibbs, Mike Petke, Jordan Harvey, Colin Clark, Nick LaBrocca, Pablo Mastroeni (John DiRaimondo 52), Terry Cooke, Tom McManus (Facundo Erpen 67), Conor Casey (Omar Cummings 82).
Subs Not Used: Bouna Coundoul (GK), Jose Burciaga Jr., Christian Gomez, Jacob Peterson.
Shots – 9; Shots on Goal – 4; Total Saves – 7; Fouls – 12; Offsides – 2; Corner Kicks – 4
Misconduct Summary:
DAL -- Drew Moor (caution) 90
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