FC Dallas and CD Guadalajara started SuperLiga 2007 with a pulsating match full of controversy, the teams trading goals 11 minutes apart in the second half before settling for a 1-1 draw Tuesday night at Pizza Hut Park.
The home side took the lead in the 56th minute through Arturo Alvarez, but Chivas drew level in the 67th courtesy of a goal by Antonio Olvera scored after he clearly seemed to have controlled the ball with his hand. FCD finished the match a man down after Drew Moor was sent off in the 73rd minute.
There was some drama before the match even started, as Dario Sala, FCD's regular starting 'keeper, was unable to play after suffering an MCL strain in his right knee during training on Monday. In his place, the Hoops went with inexperienced second-year 'keeper Ray Burse, who had yet to see action with the FCD first team this year other than two starts in exhibition matches against Mexican Primera Division side Tigres UANL.
The Hoops nearly got off to a dream beginning. In the fifth minute, FCD captain Carlos Ruiz saw that Chivas goakeeper Luis Ernesto Michel was off his line, and the Guatemalan international lobbed one toward goal from about 45 yards out.
Ruiz's effort was set to flutter into the upper left corner when, at the last moment, Michel made a terrific aerial save to deflect the ball over the endline. Alvarez took the ensuing corner and found Ruiz, but Michel made the stop on his goalbound header.
In the seventh minute, after Chivas was awarded a free kick about 20 yards out to the right of the Hoops goal, Burse came up big. Edgar Mejia's kick landed at the feet of Chivas captain Hector Reynoso. The visiting defender then attempted to beat Burse far post, but the young 'keeper was there to make a truly spectacular diving save.
Chivas were pushing forward, and Sergio Santana and Omar Arellano both had good chances that didn't find the target. Then in the 22nd minute, midfielder Sergio Avila blistered one toward the FCD goal from about 20 yards out. His shot was clearly heading to the left of the goal, but Burse dove and got his fingertips on it to push it wide.
Tempers started flaring for both sides beginning in the 24th after Michel won a footrace with Ricardinho and the FCD striker appeared to clip the Chivas goalkeeper with his boot at the left edge of the box. A few minutes later the young Brazilian, added to the roster over the weekend, was fouled just outside of the penalty area. On the ensuing free kick, Alvarez tried to beat Michel at the right post, but he punched the ball away.
Alvarez was again active in the 33rd, when the FCD midfielder dashed up the far sideline and then cut inside. After outrunning several Chivas players, he got off a shot, but it went just to the right of the goal.
Each goalkeeper was called upon at either end to make textbook saves. In the 38th minute, Chivas forward Julio Nava created a nice chance for himself and his side but his shot was right at Burse. Then in the 42nd Hoops midfielder Juan Toja was on the receiving end of a long free kick into the box, but his header bounced right into the hands of Michel.
Chivas had the better of the chances over the first minutes of the second half, but it was FC Dallas that took the lead in the 56th minute. Ruiz found Alvarez on the right side and all the FCD midfielder had to do was lob the ball over Michel's head as the Chivas 'keeper was out of position to give the home side the lead.
Chivas came storming back. In the 58th, Nava worked his way up the right flank and found Burse out of position and attempted to lob the ball into the goal, but Goodson was there to clear the ball off the line. On the ensuing corner, Reynoso got a shot off from inside the box, but once again Burse made a diving save at the far post.
The Mexican giants finally broke through Olvera, who had come on just a minute before. He appeared to have handled the ball just outside the FCD area, but the play went unwhistled by Costa Rican referee Walter Quesada and Olvera's shot beat Burse near post for the equalizer.
The match threatened to boil over in the 73rd minute. Moor had been knocked down by Reynoso in the Chivas penalty area, and upon getting back to his feet, pushed Reynoso in retaliation. That brought out a red card from referee Quesada, and as Moor left the field he was pelted with debris from a number of the Chivas fans in attendance.
Chivas came close in the final stages as both Arellano and Santana had one final chance, but neither one could find the net.
Both teams will now face important matches in their second SuperLiga games on Saturday. FCD will play host to Pachuca in Frisco (7 p.m. CT), while Chivas travel to The Home Depot Center to take on the Los Angeles Galaxy (7 p.m. PT).
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
