CURITIBA, Brazil - FC Dallas tied Club Atletico Paranaense's B Team today 1-1 in a game played at the Club Atletico Paranaense training center in Curitiba, Brazil. Carlos Ruiz knocked in a Drew Moor cross in the 18th minute, but CAP equalized with a well placed shot in the 62nd. FCD will have the weekend off before resuming preseason training next Monday. The team will play CAP's U-20 on Tues. March 6 at the training grounds and the Atletico Paranaense first team at Kyocera Arena on Wed. March 7 in the first-leg of the USA-Brazil Challenge.
"For the most part I was very, very pleased," said head coach Steve Morrow. "I think it was a tougher game than yesterday for us, but I think we started to see a lot of positives and things I'm looking for out of the players and out of the team. I think for the first hour of the game we played some very, very good stuff. Our passing was very good, our movement was good, and our commitment to go and pressure was very good."
FCD controlled the pace of the game for large stretches of the first half, anchored in the back by captain Drew Moor and Clarence Goodson as center backs, with Blake Wagner on the left and Alex Yi covering the right side of the defense. Two defensive midfielders, Richard Mulrooney and Pablo Ricchetti, provided cover in the middle while beginning the movement forward to the offensive foursome of Arturo, Alvarez, Carlos Ruiz, Roberto Mina, and Kenny Cooper.
Similar to Thursday's game against Malucelli, a Roberto Mina's freekick lead to the Dallas goal. In the 18th minute, Mina took a freekick from just outside the area on the left side that the goalkeeper was forced to dive to his left to stop. Moor followed the play, keeping the ball in bounds and then lifting a crossing pass back across the goal mouth. Carlos Ruiz ran to the far post and calmly left-footed the ball past another diving attempt by the keeper.
While not the same amount of stops of play as the Malucelli game, the referees once again seemed to play a role in the flow of the game. Dallas kept possession for long stretches, and the physical side began to show for the CAP B-side. Ruiz and Cooper were each involved in minor confrontations, as well as take downs when the ball was near them. On the other end, the Dallas defenders gave CAP virtually no room to maneuver, with Ray Burse only forced to make one save in the first half.
The game became more balanced in the second half and Burse was tested five minutes but tipped a ball over the crossbar off a deflected shot that seemed to be heading in. Atletico Paranaense came through with the equalizer in the 65th minute. Rogerinho took a ball across from left to right and hit a well-placed shot between two out-stretched defenders to the side net to tie the score.
Dallas kept pushing forward and some questionable offsides and goalkicks instead of corners prevented more dangerous opportunities from developing.
FCD had the final good chance to break the deadlock in the 80th minute. Dominic Oduro touched a ball to the right into the area for an on-rushing Anthony Wallace, who hit a right footed shot that forced a good diving save by the CAP keeper.
The team will take the weekend off and return to training on Monday.
SCORING:
FCD - Ruiz (Moor) 18'
CAP - Rogerinho 65'
FC DALLAS: Ray Burse, Blake Wagner (David Wagenfuhr 55), Clarence Goodson (Aaron Pitchkolan 75), Drew Moor (Chris Gbandi 75), Alex Yi (Michael Dello-Russo 75), Pablo Richetti (Anthony Wallace 46), Richard Mulrooney (Juan Carlos Toja 55), Arturo Alvarez (Sandy Gbandi), Kenny Cooper (Scott Jones 60), Roberto Mina (Bobby Rhine 30, Dominic Oduro 55), Carlos Ruiz (Abe Thompson 55).
CLUB ATLETICO PARANAENSE B-TEAM: Vinicius (Vagner 46), Stanley (Dagoberto 60), Leonardo (Lucas 60), Alex, Edimar, Douglas, André Rocha, Rodrigues (Vitor 46), Kaio, Jonatas (Renato 55), Paulo Rink (Rogerinho 46).
