San Antonio, Texas (June 6, 2018) – FC Dallas traveled south to face USL-side San Antonio FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday evening. Being in the middle of the MLS season with a game at the weekend, Dallas would make some lineup changes and hang on for a 1-0 victory.
U.S. Open Cup Review: FC Dallas Advances to Round of 16 After 1-0 Win Over San Antonio FC
The heralded Open Cup continued Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with games across all regions of the states. Dallas won the tournament most recently in 2016 but were knocked off by Sporting Kansas City in ugly fashion in the 2017 quarterfinals.
FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja made several key changes for the midweek matchup against San Antonio. Knowing where his team stands in MLS and with a game back in Frisco on Saturday, Pareja would bring in several new faces to the 18-man squad.
Mauro Diaz and Maxi Urruti were just a few names that did not see the field Wednesday evening in San Antonio. Jordan Cano and Ema Twumasi would make their MLS debuts with FC Dallas, with Cano making several big-time plays to keep Dallas in the game.
Quick Start 2nd Half
FC Dallas would struggle with connectivity the whole match. Movement and possession across the lines were rigid and lacked fluidity. The home side looked strong on the attack, but the Dallas defense was up to the task, even with a few goal-line clearances.
The second half would start 0-0, but Dallas would put one on the board less than 15 seconds later. A bad giveaway by the San Antonio defense sprung a Dallas counter in the final third. Tesho Akindele was played perfectly in behind the defense and finished low and away from the keeper to put the away side up.
Dallas would have several more chances later on but would hold on to a 1-0 victory. San Antonio FC did look more dangerous on attack overall than Dallas but was unable to capitalize on their 16 total shots.
Last Word
Dallas head home to prepare for the Montreal Impact on Saturday. Thursday morning revealed that Dallas will face Sporting Kansas City in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup later in June. Surely one of the best matchups for next round, FCD vs. SKC will have Dallas fans looking for revenge, while SKC looks to retain their title.
Side Note
Local amateur side NTX Rayados’ cinderella run of the U.S. Open Cup came to a close last night. The Dallas club team gave a stellar performance against the Houston Dynamo in BBVA Compass Stadium Wednesday night but were eventually overpowered late on and eventually fell heavily 5-0.
