July 18, 2012
BLOWN PK KILLS TYING GOAL
FC Dallas falls 2-1 at San Jose

Jair Benitez boomed a PK shot over the cross bar in stoppage time to kill Dallas' opportunity to draw even with San Jose. Instead, FCD lost 2-1. photo by Mike Stephens

After an aggressive start from FC Dallas, the league-leading San Jose Earthquakes quickly put a damper on the visitors with a goal by former FCD player Marvin Chavez in just the 12th minute. The team in Red and White didn’t wilt, coming back with quick counters and dangerous passes by David Ferreira in the first half. It was all for naught, as San Jose proved again it is the most dangerous goal-scoring team in the MLS, scoring a second marker in stoppage time at the end of the first half. It was enough to put FCD away 2-1.


That former FCD popular attacking player Chavez touched off the scoring made it sting for the Texans just a little more. His chance came from a terrific pass from Shea Salinas on the right side of the penalty area to Chavez, open on the left side, top of the box. He caught the ball on the bounce and hammered it to net, skipping off the turf to the right corner of the net.

The Dallas players just picked up the pace again, pushing the Earthquakes all over the field, but yielding a first-half stoppage-time goal that was again the result of a perfect assist and strike. Sam Cronin lofted a ball downfield that Alan Gordon timed perfectly and hammered a header to the back of the net, getting inside of Dallas defender Zach Loyd.

FCD continued to get back on the horse and carve out chances in the game. But all the hard work and persistence died in an end-game stoppage time when Jair Benitez boomed a penalty kick over the cross bar. The Texas team’s multiple early unfinished scoring chances were magnified when San Jose scored early in the first half. It squashed the impetus Dallas brought into the game.

The real killer was the stoppage-time goal by the Earthquakes to end the first half. Dallas had been all over the league-leaders but went to the dressing room behind 2-0.

Dallas’ margin of possession showed, taking six shots to four for San Jose and putting three on target to two for the Earthquakes before halftime. The aggressiveness really came out in corner kicks, with eight taken by FCD to just two for San Jose.

With the game slowing down in the second half, neither team took control until FCD caught fire in the 89th minute on a free kick that Hernan Pertuz headed to net on a dive at the left post that ended with him sliding into a crumpled heap at the bar. With the score now 2-1, FCD saw the chance to equalize with less than two minutes left, plus stoppage.

Zach Loyd took the initiative, bolting into the box on attack down the right side in extra time and was taken down by Simon Dawkins.

It all went wrong from there, as Benitez stepped up the spot and boomed the ball high over the left side of the cross bar. Benitez has never scored in the MLS and the question is begged,-- why was he picked to take the potentially point-earning draw?

The draw was clearly within reach, one more crucial point just four days after Dallas won its first game in 14 tries.

To its credit, FCD clearly came to the game looking to win and never gave up on the game, even when it was behind 2-0 with the time nearly gone.

But San Jose, the league’s hottest team, just scored on its few good chances. That’s what winning teams do, especially at home. Dallas clearly outworked the Earthquakes, but sometimes that is not enough.