FRISCO, TEXAS — FC Dallas defeated LA Galaxy 3-1 this Saturday night at TOYOTA STADIUM. Los Toros got their first win of the season, after the defeat against Minnesota on their debut. The first half was intense by both teams, trying to build up from the back but getting the best chances with high pressure, provoking mistakes to recover the ball and rapidly creating spaces to shoot.
The first opportunity came just after the 3rd minute, Marco Farfan robbed the ball from Efrain Alvarez, gave it to Jesus Ferreira who took a shot outside of the box that was saved by Bond and hit the post. LA Galaxy then started to gain some control on the midfield, Riqui Puig appeared on many occasions taking charge of the distribution and their opportunities began to show up. A shot by Efrain Alvarez saved by Paes and one by Riqui Puig outside of the box that went just wide the goal, it seemed the first goal was close by LA.
As the time moved on Riqui and Efrain were the best players for Greg Vanney’s squad, an associative play between Puig, Alvarez, Leerdam and Dejan Joveljic gave them the lead at the 35th minute, the first goal by the team this season, who is waiting for Javier Hernandez recovery in the upcoming weeks. The first half was not over, it had something left. A long ball that seemed under control by Galaxy’s defense was recovered in a great sacrifice run by Paul Arriola, who crossed it through the penalty area and Alan Velasco shoot it to the back of net with 10 seconds remaining of stoppage time.
The second half began differently, FC Dallas entered the field with more intensity, and it was reflected on the scoreboard ten minutes after the whistle. Jesus Ferreira, defined in front of the goal, after a great header assist by Arriola that left him alone in front of the goalkeeper at the 56th minute. After the goal Nico Estevez’s team didn’t stop the pressure on the midfield, and it was going to be rewarded. At the 64th minute, Jesus Ferreira would score his second goal of the game, a great pass between lines from the right side given by Paxton Pomykal, that left Ferreira solo against Bond, and Ferreira would convert the chance to increase the advantage for Los Toros.
The last 15 minutes, LA Galaxy increased their revolutions and had some opportunities to score, a shot looking for the far post by Preston Judd that went outside the goal at the 80th minute, and a long-range shot by Riqui Puig that was outstandingly saved by Maarten Paes with just 30 seconds left of regular time. A time that would be extended to the 99th minute when the referee used the whistle. The first victory by FC Dallas this season and the opposite for LA Galaxy. This result leaves FC Dallas at the 4th place for now, waiting for Minnesota’s result, and gets Greg Vanney’s team to the 13th position of the Western Conference.
“The first game was a great learning experience for us to remind ourselves who we are and what we need to do well on the field in order to get wins,” Dallas coach Nico Estevez said. FC Dallas will face Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club on Saturday, March 11 at BC Place stadium on their 3rd game of this Major League Soccer season.
