FC Dallas 2, Vancouver 1
Dubious Penalty Call Lifts FC Dallas Past Vancouver
What started as a drab, cautious contest turned into a travesty at the end, as referee Mark Geiger needlessly whistled Vancouver for a penalty in the 83rd minute and gifted FC Dallas the win.
IT WAS NOT A PRETTY GAME. In fact it was downright ugly at times. Thanks to a few spells of quality play from its youngsters, however, and a very controversial penalty call late in the second half, FC Dallas defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 in the opening round of the MLS playoffs.
FC Dallas will travel to Seattle to play the Sounders on Sunday (9pm ET, ESPN2) while the Whitecaps will return home feeling cheated by Mark Geiger, a referee who had a strong showing at the 2014 World Cup but who has struggled in MLS since then.
Nothing about the match will find its way into a Major League Soccer promotional campaign.
The first half lacked flow as both teams seemed determined to avoid major mistakes. Vancouver, in particular, was particularly inept offensively and relied heavily on ineffective long balls into the attacking half. There were few clear chances for either team until the 40th minute when FC Dallas took advantage of a positional breakdown to get on the scoreboard.
On the play, both of Vancouver’s central defenders were caught on the left side of the field and Kendall Watson was unsuccessful in his challenge on Mauro Diaz. Diaz quickly fed Tesho Akindele on the right side who hit a perfect low shot past Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted for a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Vancouver came to life and began taking the game to Dallas. The visitors' first good chance came in the 47th minute when Mauro Rosales hit a powerful and bending free kick from 30 yards out that rattled the crossbar. Then, in the 60th minute, Dallas keeper Chris Seitz made a huge save on Kekuta Manneh from close range.
The equalizer came in the 64th minute when a Vancouver long free kick from Rosales landed in the box. After a poor clearance, the ball fell to Erik Hurtado whose deflected shot slipped past Seitz for a deserved equalizer.
While Vancouver was the better team in the second half, a harsh penalty call proved to be the decisive moment in the contest. In the 83rd minute Geiger whistled Watson for a handball in the box. There were no attackers near the ball and the ball and no threat on goal as the bounced up to hit Watson’s hand—which was at his side—but Geiger pointed to the spot and unleashed a fury of protests on the pitch and across the Internet.
On the ensuing penalty, Michel approached the ball with tantalizing deliberation and then buried his left-footed shot as Ousted dove in the wrong direction.
The win over Vancouver was far from perfect as the Whitecaps were able to control long stretches of the second half. Still, there are plenty of reasons for Dallas to be pleased with its performance. For one, the young players on the roster rose to the occasion. In particular, Akindele and Diaz showed their class on the opening goal.
That said, Dallas will need to step up its game as it prepares for Seattle. Akindele and Diaz delivered quality performances they can build on, which is a big positive for FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja. So too did defenders Walker Zimmerman and captain Matt Hedges, although Seattle's big three—Obafemi Martins, Clint Dempsey, and Lamar Neagle—are certain to pose a much bigger challenge than anything Vancouver offered up.
One potential key: Fabian Castillo. The Colombian attacker had a few quality moments in the first half—particularly one memorable occasion when he dribbled around Jordan Harvey to create a chance—but the 22-year-old will need to elevate his game if Dallas is going to stand a chance against the Supporters' Shield winners on Sunday.
While Vancouver was the better team in the second half, a harsh penalty call proved to be the decisive moment in the contest. In the 83rd minute Geiger whistled Watson for a handball in the box. There were no attackers near the ball and the ball and no threat on goal as the bounced up to hit Watson’s hand—which was at his side—but Geiger pointed to the spot and unleashed a fury of protests on the pitch and across the Internet.
On the ensuing penalty, Michel approached the ball with tantalizing deliberation and then buried his left-footed shot as Ousted dove in the wrong direction.
The win over Vancouver was far from perfect as the Whitecaps were able to control long stretches of the second half. Still, there are plenty of reasons for Dallas to be pleased with its performance. For one, the young players on the roster rose to the occasion. In particular, Akindele and Diaz showed their class on the opening goal.
That said, Dallas will need to step up its game as it prepares for Seattle. Akindele and Diaz delivered quality performances they can build on, which is a big positive for FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja. So too did defenders Walker Zimmerman and captain Matt Hedges, although Seattle's big three—Obafemi Martins, Clint Dempsey, and Lamar Neagle—are certain to pose a much bigger challenge than anything Vancouver offered up.
One potential key: Fabian Castillo. The Colombian attacker had a few quality moments in the first half—particularly one memorable occasion when he dribbled around Jordan Harvey to create a chance—but the 22-year-old will need to elevate his game if Dallas is going to stand a chance against the Supporters' Shield winners on Sunday.
