After the final whistle brought down the 2007 SuperLiga opener between FC Dallas and CD Guadalajara at Pizza Hut Park on Tuesday, the scoreboard read that the sides had finished tied 1-1, but that was only half the story.
FCD had taken a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute off a goal by Arturo Alvarez only to see Chivas draw the match level in the 67th after midfielder Antonio Olvera beat Hoops goalkeeper Ray Burse inside the far post.
Olvera's goal wasn't without controversy as he seemingly brought the ball down with his left hand just several feet away from Costa Rican referee Walter Quesada but he chose to let play continue and Olvera subsequently netted the equalizer.
Then in the 72nd minute, FCD right back Drew Moor was sent off after retaliating to an elbow by Chivas defender and captain Hector Reynoso that knocked him to the ground.
Despite the controversy, Chivas head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre was pleased with the end result.
"It was a good result," de la Torre said. "We were happy with the result of the game. Like I always say, results are always just because that's what happened in the game. We had opportunities and didn't make them, but it was the same for them. So, I feel that the result was just."
The FC Dallas coaches and players certainly felt Olvera had gained an advantage from the apparent handball. But Olvera saw it differently.
"If the ball rebounded and hit me, it wasn't intentional," he said. "I was able to play on and get the shot off. To play here and score this goal gives me a lot of confidence. Even if you think the referee might waive the play off, you just have to play through it."
Chivas finished the match having outshot the Hoops by a 16-8 margin. The game was a speedy affair that saw both teams streak up and down the field, something not usually characteristic of MLS regular season matches.
"I think it was a good start (to SuperLiga)," de la Torre said. "We came into these games looking for results. I think that the fans are happy with the results."
Even though Chivas came into the match with five players absent, resting following various national team responsibilities, de la Torre was pleased with the showing of many of his younger players who were able to play in their place.
"It's good as a coach to get our young players the chance to play in these tournaments as we prepare for the season," he said. "We take every game and every tournament seriously. We have young players who are pressuring right now to get opportunities."
De la Torre also likes the form that Chivas is showing heading into the opening of the 2007 Clausura season in less than two weeks' time.
"We are always delighted to play against the U.S. in international tournaments," he said. "We think that this is a good event that they have established. We had to leave some of our national team players out to get them rest, but it gave some of our younger players an opportunity.
"We had a good tournament in Korea (at the Peace Cup) and a good start to SuperLiga. You can see that our players don't back down and feel like they can compete with anyone."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
