September 2, 2012
NOT ENOUGH
Tie with Sounders doesn’t gain ground for FCD

Jackon's 33rd-minute goal lifted FC Dallas into a 1-1 tie with Seattle Sunday at FC Dallas Stadium. photo by Michael Stephens

FRISCO, Tex---FC Dallas still has a lot of ground to gain if they hope to move into playoff position in the MLS West. Gaining only one point from a home game, with a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders at FC Dallas Stadium on Sunday, doesn't help much.

With the tie, FCD moves to 8-12-9 for 33 points, still four points behind the skidding Vancouver Whitecaps, who lost to Los Angeles 2-0 on Saturday. With the tie, the Sounders (12-6-8) move a point ahead of the Galaxy with 44.

The Sounders took the lead the 20th minute, on a fantastic effort by Steve Zakuani. Zakuani made a run down the left side until he was almost even with the six, beating defender Zach Loyd along the way. Zakuani played the ball back to Mauro Rosales, who got behind Jair Benitez and had an easy finish past Kevin Hartman.

Dallas equalized in the 33rd minute. Blas Perez sent a cross from the right side across the mouth of the goal and Jackson tapped it in.

The Hoops had a number of chances to take an early lead. In the third minute, David Ferreira’s corner kick was headed just over the net by George John. Three minutes later, Lloyd whipped a ball into the penalty area, but Perez's header was stopped by Seattle goalkeeper Michael Gspurning.

Andrew Jacobson came closest to giving Dallas the lead in the eighth minute, when his shot was cleared off the line by Brad Evans.

In the second half, Perez came close in the 66th minute, when he chipped a shot on a cross from Ferreira just wide.

Ferreira challenged Gspurning with a shot in the 77th minute, but the Sounders keeper was able to hang on to it. A minute later, Jackson charged into the area and tried to switch from his right to the left foot, then had the shot blocked.

As the game wore on, the Sounders seemed to be feeling the fact that they played a CONCACAF Champions league game on Thursday, as well as the 100 degree Texas heat. They didn't create many chances in the second half and seemed content to settle for the road tie.

The Sounders did force Hartman to make a big save only three minutes after FCD had tied the game. Mauro Rosales sent a ball across the 18 from the right side. Evans got a head on it, and Hartman had to leap to push it over the crossbar. The Dallas goalkeeper also grabbed away a header by Fredy Montero in the 86th minute.

Dallas pressed in the last 20 minutes to get the go ahead. Julian De Guzman missed twice while putting pressure on in the 85th minute.

Dallas came close twice in stoppage time, first when a shot by Perez was pushed out by Evans, then a moment later when Lloyd's shot was punched away by Gspurning.