{"id":5789,"date":"2017-04-05T01:26:13","date_gmt":"2017-04-05T05:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsoccer.com\/?p=5789"},"modified":"2017-04-05T01:26:13","modified_gmt":"2017-04-05T05:26:13","slug":"fc-dallas-devastated-at-the-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2017\/04\/05\/fc-dallas-devastated-at-the-death\/","title":{"rendered":"FC Dallas Devastated at the Death in the CCL Semis"},"content":{"rendered":"
C.F. Pachuca<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>defeated\u00a0FC Dallas<\/a>\u00a03-1 in a dramatic encounter\u00a0<\/strong>at\u00a0Estadio Hidalgo\u00a0on Tuesday\u00a0night. A series of three goals in the final 13 minutes of the match\u00a0saw Pachuca edge the Texas side 4-3 on aggregate to\u00a0advance to the CONCACAF Champions League final.<\/div>\n

FC Dallas Devastated at the Death in the CCL Semis<\/h2>\n
FC Dallas entered the match with\u00a0a 2-1 aggregate lead<\/a>. Kellyn Acosta scored a brilliant free kick winner in the 58th minute of the first leg to give the advantage to the MLS side. Pachuca was\u00a0in disappointing domestic form coming into the match, recently falling down the Liga MX ranks from their\u00a0first place position.<\/div>\n

First Half<\/h3>\n
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Pachuca dominated possession from the outset but produced few\u00a0good chances in the early stages of the match. FC Dallas made occasional forays forward, probing for a counter-attacking opportunity. In the 24th minute, FC Dallas’ new number nine, Cristian Colm\u00e1n, had a glorious chance to put the MLS side up a goal. He made a streaking run\u00a0into the opposition\u00a0half and Roland Lamah sent him through one-on-one\u00a0with the keeper. Colm\u00e1n put his head down and blasted a shot\u00a0on target, but at a good height for Pachuca’s Alfonso Blanco, who saved comfortably.<\/div>\n
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Pachuca grew in confidence after the 30th minute and started to apply heavy\u00a0pressure to\u00a0the FC Dallas goal. Seitz made one brilliant save to keep the score level but couldn’t repeat the performance. In the 38th minute\u00a0Jonathan Urretaviscaya served a skipping ball into the box.\u00a0Franco Jara battled\u00a0to the ball side of Walker Zimmerman with a near post run and nodded a header in\u00a0from close range. The first half closed at 1-0 to Pachuca and 2-2 on aggregate, giving\u00a0the Mexican side an advantage\u00a0via their\u00a0away goal.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Second Half<\/h3>\n
The second half opened with a 15 minute period of measured play. FC Dallas should have scored in the 61st minute, when Kellyn Acosta drove\u00a0to the byline and hammered a ball across the face of goal. Michael Barrios got a touch on the fizzing cross, but the ball drifted painfully wide of the post. As the half progressed, Pachuca became\u00a0more conservative tactically and only ventured forward in small numbers.<\/div>\n
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In the 80th minute, Mexican international winger\u00a0Hirving “Chucky” Lozano drifted\u00a0in from the left side of Pachuca’s\u00a0attack. He dribbled under little\u00a0pressure and unleashed an accurate shot from outside the box. It beat Seitz’s outstretched hand and nestled into goal at the near post. Pachuca led 2-0 and 3-2 on aggregate.<\/div>\n
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Not to be outdone, Dallas found a goal and some hope just\u00a07 minutes later. Following\u00a0an uncertain punch by Pachuca’s keeper Alfonso Blanco, Carlos Gruezo served a lobbed ball back into Pachuca’s box. Cristian Colm\u00e1n connected with it\u00a0and his header sent the ball skipping into goal. FC Dallas had the\u00a0away goal they needed and the match\u00a0was level, 3-3 on aggregate.<\/div>\n
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Disaster struck FC Dallas just as\u00a0the game inched toward the full time whistle. Hirving Lozano played a soft speculative cross into the box from Pachuca’s left. Victor Guzman crossed in front of goal in an attempt to connect with the cross. Guzman missed the ball, but his attempt froze Seitz and Lozano’s ball\u00a0continued. It snuck into the bottom right corner of the goal to give Pachuca a\u00a0lead in stoppage time. There was no time to recover for\u00a0FC Dallas. Pachuca won 3-1 on the night and progressed 4-3 on aggregate.<\/div>\n

CONCACAF Champions League Final<\/h3>\n

Pachuca had more possession and chances than FC Dallas over the course of the match, as one would expect them to have\u00a0at Estadio Hidalgo. FC Dallas was\u00a0not dramatically outplayed though. \u00d3scar Pareja’s game plan was sound, and his team\u00a0produced\u00a0the counterattacking chances they needed to get a result.\u00a0It was not meant to be though, and FC Dallas\u00a0was eliminated in heart-wrenching fashion. Pachuca advances to the CONCACAF Champions League final where they will face\u00a0the winner of Tigres UANL and the Vancouver Whitecaps in late April.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n