Despite missing a number of key players, FC Dallas continues to get results, this time a 1-0 victory on the road at struggling Real Salt Lake, who have yet to get a win this season.
The Hoops pressed from the opening whistle with little to show until three minutes into second-half stoppage time when Dominic Oduro pelted a low rocket past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando and inside the far post.
It's a scenario that Dallas is familiar with in Salt Lake City. FCD opened the 2007 season grabbing a tie at Salt Lake when Carlos Ruiz evened things up late in stoppage time. And in July 2006, Abe Thompson slipped in a game-winner at Rice-Eccles, also in the 93rd minute.
FCD head coach Steve Morrow wasn't surprised his team could grind out the result.
"I think that's the third time we've done it to them here -- scored late in the game," said Morrow. "To be honest with you, I think it was just exactly what we deserved."
The game's goal scorer also thought Dallas was the better team on the night.
"It's always hard to play away from home," said Oduro. "It was a tough game -- nice competition -- but at the end of the day we were the best team and we deserved to win."
It was the second consecutive win for a depleted Dallas side who are missing a number of players to injury -- most recently Kenny Cooper, whose leg was broken last Sunday against the Galaxy -- and national team duty, as Carlos Ruiz is with the Guatemalan national team for the Gold Cup.
Those players are missed, but Morrow said that anyone on the Dallas roster can step up and contribute for the team.
"It's been very tough on us [losing key players]," said Morrow, "but we said from the start of the season that we have a very deep roster and that everybody will play their part and Dominic Oduro and Abe Thompson and Arturo [Alvarez] and people like that have stepped up and contributed very well for this team.
"I always knew that they would. I've got great belief in all the players here - especially some of our younger talent. They all stepped up and played their part tonight."
FCD club captain Chris Gbandi said he feels the team is deep with talent and character.
"It shows the character of this team and the kind of players that we have," said Gbandi. "We miss those kind of guys -- and those aren't guys that come off the bench, those are big-time players -- to miss those guys and still be able to keep winning shows the kind of players that we have here.
"We realize that anybody [on this team] can come out there and help us, and we just play, to be honest with you ... with whoever's out there we know that we can beat anybody in this league. And that's what we go out there to try and accomplish."
Oduro sees the qualities of the missing players in those who are still present.
"Abe Thompson plays the same way as Carlos Ruiz," said Oduro. "Carlos is good at keeping the ball and releasing it, but at the end of the day Abe Thompson did his job the same. It doesn't matter who plays."
Oduro and Alvarez spent much of the night charging through the RSL defense creating dangerous chances for themselves and their teammates. Several times Oduro got in behind the RSL defense without success, until finally he broke through for the game's only goal.
"That's what I do," said Oduro. "I've got speed and most of the time I try to utilize it 110 percent.
"It was a great chance, and I just finished my work as a striker. It was a great ball from Dario [Sala] and a nice flick from Marcelo [Saragosa]. I think I was just the end point of that whole team work."
Although it was the seventh win on the year for the top team in Western Conference, it was the first regular season shutout for the Hoops since Sept. 2 of last season.
"That was the biggest cheer going into the locker room after the game," said Morrow. "It's been a long time coming. We've defended well in games. The most important thing to me is getting three points in games, but it's an extra bonus to get a clean sheet."
Scott McAllister is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
