The fortunes of FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew swung wildly back and forth on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park, before FC Dallas -- playing a man down -- got a dramatic stoppage-time goal from Clarence Goodson for a 3-2 victory.
Twice FC Dallas fought back -- Arturo Alvarez's 60th-minute goal answering a Marcos Gonzalez header after just six minutes, and a Carlos Ruiz header in the 80th minute providing a second equalizer after Andy Herron scored a penalty kick. But then, after Marcelo Saragosa was sent off immediately after the Ruiz goal, Goodson headed home a corner from almost the game's final kick for the winner.
At the beginning, the game was played almost entirely in the Dallas end of the field. Guillermo Barros Schelotto was dangerous from the outset. In the third minute, he had a nice look at the FCD goal but FCD 'keeper Ray Burse was there to knock it over the crossbar, and he would have a shot in the 13th minute deflected by an FCD player.
The visitors opened their account early when Schelotto found Gonzalez inside the heart of the FCD box on what was already his side's third corner of the evening. The Brazilian defender, who had beaten Hoops center back Adrian Serioux to the ball, got his head on the ball and put it past Burse.
Schelotto was credited with his eighth assist of the year on the tally, just one behind current league leader Steve Ralston of New England. Gonzalez's goal was the first of his MLS career and it came in his 41st career game in the U.S. top flight.
In the 20th minute, FCD head coach Steve Morrow was forced to go to his bench a bit earlier than expected when Serioux suffered a left hamstring strain after passing the ball back to Burse in a routine play. Aaron Pitchkolan came in for the Canadian international.
Over the second half of the opening 45 minutes, the Hoops started to turn things around. Hoops midfielder Arturo Alvarez nearly drew the match level in the 22nd minute but was denied by a diving Will Hesmer in the Crew goal, cutting inside from the right before sending a low shot on target.
Dax McCarty delivered great service to set up FCD's next two chances. In the 23rd, he found Pitchkolan on a corner but his effort was deflected. Then, in the 28th, McCarty found fellow midfielder Saragosa on another corner and the Brazilian got his head on the ball, but once again, Hesmer was there to knock the ball over the crossbar.
Both teams made a change to start the second half. FCD brought on Dominic Oduro to replace Abe Thompson up top while Crew head coach Sigi Schmid sent on Robbie Rogers for Gaven.
In the 47th minute, Columbus again threatened to double the lead, but Burse saved an effort from Ned Grabavoy. For the second consecutive league match, Burse started in goal for FCD in place of Dario Sala. The Argentinian 'keeper had started every regular season game for the Hoops before missing last Saturday's affair against the Rapids.
But it was FC Dallas that pulled level in the 60th minute. Oduro attempted a cross that deflected off Gonzalez, and Alvarez quickly spun before lashing a quick left-footed shot that flashed past Hesmer inside the far post.
Yet the Crew took the lead back in the 74th minute. Gbandi tackled Crew defender Frankie Hejduk to the right of the FCD goal and referee Jorge Gonzalez pointed to the penalty spot. Herron, who entered the match in the 63rd minute for Alejandro Moreno, stepped up and kicked the ball high into the center of the goal as Burse dove to his left.
In the 77th minute, the Hoops brought on rookie forward Ricardinho for Pablo Ricchetti, who was found to have an injured left Achilles tendon after the match.
In the 81st, FCD again drew the match level when Ruiz netted his fourth goal of the year. The Guatemalan international received a great cross from Saragosa at the far post and Ruiz then headed past Hesmer inside his left-hand post to tie the match at 2-2.
Any euphoria Saragosa had from that score was short-lived as on the ensuing kickoff, he delivered a devastating elbow to the throat of Grabavoy and was promptly shown red by Gonzalez.
But Goodson delivered in the second minute of added time when he scored off a McCarty corner kick for the game-winner. It was the FCD center back's first regular season goal since July 27, 2005, when he netted a pair in a 3-2 loss at the MetroStars.
McCarty delivered an arcing corner from the right side and with Goodson timing his run perfectly through the heart of the area, he got his head on the ball near the right post and headed home. Goodson also had a goal in Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup win over Charleston on a very similar play.
The Crew kicked off, and barely seconds later, Gonzalez whistled the match to a conclusion. Goodson fell to the ground -- and was soon buried by a dogpile of happy FCD players as the Hoops ran their league unbeaten streak to six games and took over the top spot in the Western Conference standings ahead of Houston Dynamo.
FCD and Dynamo will square off next Sunday at Robertson Stadium, while Columbus will play host to D.C. United at Crew Stadium next Saturday.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
