July 14, 2012
SKID IS OVER
Hoops outlast Rapids 2-1

Fabian Castillo had a goal and an assist as FC Dallas ended their winles streak. Photo by Michael Stephens

COMMERCE CITY, Colo.---Fabian Castillo set up the equalizer, then scored the game winner, giving FC Dallas a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park Saturday night.

The win, the Hoops’ first on the road this year, snaps FC Dallas's 13 game winless streak, the fourth longest in MLS history. They improve to 4-9-7, 14 pts. For skidding Colorado, the loss is their third straight, as the fall to 7-11-1, 22 pts.

Omar Cummings gave the Rapids the lead in the 51st minute, scoring a tricky goal. Conor Casey made a nice run down the middle and slipped a short ball to Cummings on the right corner of the penalty area. Cummings went in on Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, and instead of going to the left to a mostly open net, slipped the ball into the near side.

If FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman was looking for a spark when he inserted Carlos Rodriguez into the game in the 57th minute in place of Ricardo Villar, he got it.

Less than two minutes later, Castillo played a ball from 35 yards out to the far post. Rodriguez went up between the defenders and headed the ball past Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens.

Castillo added one of his own in the 81st minute, after Drew Moor cleared a Rodriguez shot off the line. The ball fell at Castillo’s feet.

The Rapids dominated much of the game, and had several opportunities to take the lead, but were thwarted by the efforts of Hartman, the woodwork, and some off-target shooting.

In the ninth minute, Moor sent a header from the right corner of the box just wide, and moments later Jaime Castrillon got a foot on a ball into the area, sending it high and wide. In the 18th minute, he sent a header over the bar.
Casey got his head on a cross into the penalty area in the 38th minute, but Hartman grabbed it before it could do any damage.

Hartman made his biggest save of the game in the 53rd minute, stretching to make a stop on a shot by Casey. Barely a minute later, the Dallas goalkeeper stopped a shot by Martin Rivero as he tried to go to the same hole that Cummings found for his earlier goal.

In the 73rd minute, Cummings hit the right post with a left-footed shot from the right side of the box.

It wasn't just the Rapids who were off target. In the 43rd minute, Zach Lloyd sent a header from the center of the box high and wide, and two minutes later, Brek Shea had a chance to put a header on the mark, but it was stopped by Pickens.