{"id":774,"date":"2016-09-20T12:50:59","date_gmt":"2016-09-20T16:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsoccer.com\/?p=774"},"modified":"2016-09-20T12:50:59","modified_gmt":"2016-09-20T16:50:59","slug":"fc-dallas-battles-dramatic-nycfc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2016\/09\/20\/fc-dallas-battles-dramatic-nycfc\/","title":{"rendered":"FC Dallas Battles to Dramatic Draw with NYCFC"},"content":{"rendered":"

MLS<\/strong> points leader FC Dallas<\/a><\/strong> battled to a thrilling stalemate with New York City FC<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0on Saturday evening in front of 25,204\u00a0at Yankee Stadium. The game produced several moments of quality\u00a0football\u00a0but there were\u00a0just as many mishaps in the\u00a0game’s storyline.<\/p>\n

FC Dallas entered\u00a0the match\u00a0fresh off their title-claiming\u00a04-2 victory<\/a>\u00a0over the New England Revolution<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The game sprung into life in the eighth minute when New York native Tommy McNamara<\/strong> opened the scoring for the home side. Fullback Ronald Matarrita<\/strong>\u00a0delivered a measured diagonal ball from the left side to Englishman\u00a0Jack Harrison<\/strong> who one-touched to McNamara. The pass put him through one-on-one with the keeper and he finished low to the keeper’s right.<\/p>\n

FC Dallas responded 12 minutes later in\u00a0a move that started from a throw in. Argentine striker Maximiliano Urruti\u00a0<\/strong>controlled the\u00a0ball\u00a0and beat NYCFC’s McNamara on the dribble, taking the ball deep into the box toward the byline. Rather than cross, Urruti blasted a shot from an impossible angle that clipped the bottom of the crossbar and went into the goal.<\/p>\n

The first half ended with a 1-1 scoreline. New York City FC had more of the ball, but FC Dallas had better opportunities to score. The\u00a0half\u00a0was also marked by a litany\u00a0of fouls and restarts. Also of note, NYCFC’s Frank Lampard<\/strong>\u00a0left the game with a calf injury in the 42nd minute.<\/p>\n

FC Dallas took the\u00a0lead early in the second half. Max\u00a0Urruti was involved again, starting the move on the left side of Dallas’ attack. He centered for Mauro Rosales<\/strong> who was afforded space at the top of the box. Rosales one-touched behind New York’s back line, who was playing\u00a0an offside trap. They weren’t in sync though, and the excellent Michael Barrios<\/strong>\u00a0found himself alone with the keeper. He passed the ball into the net from close range, and FC Dallas was in the lead.<\/p>\n

The home side\u00a0found an\u00a0equalizer in the 78th minute of\u00a0this back and forth contest.\u00a0Jack Harrison streaked into space\u00a0down the left side of New York’s attack and delivered a delicious cross into substitute Khiry Shelton,<\/strong> who leapt\u00a0and thundered home a challenged header from the center of the box. Shelton’s\u00a0goal was only the fourth\u00a0headed goal scored by NYCFC this season out of 51 total goals scored.<\/p>\n

The last ten minutes of the match saw\u00a0passages of open play, with\u00a0both teams spurning glorious chances to win the game. Dallas’ Barrios missed an open net from two yards out. He\u00a0attempted a backheel when it looked like a standard tap-in would do.\u00a0Dallas substitute Tesho Akindele<\/strong>\u00a0was put through for\u00a0a hockey shootout style one-on-one with New York keeper Chris Seitz,\u00a0<\/strong>but could not convert. In stoppage time, a clever restart from David Villa<\/strong> helped Steven Mendoza<\/strong> get behind Dallas’s defense\u00a0for yet another one-on-one. It looked like NYCFC would\u00a0steal the victory right at the death, but he pulled his shot agonizingly wide right of goal.<\/p>\n

So the points were shared between these two clubs near the top of the MLS standings. The result leaves FC Dallas five points clear of the LA Galaxy at the top of the Western Conference. New York City FC remains in third place, tied with NY Red Bulls<\/strong> on points\u00a0and two points behind Eastern Conference leaders Toronto FC<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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

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