A stunning goal from Chris Gbandi in the 82nd minute gave FC Dallas a 2-1 victory against Real Salt Lake on Sunday evening at Pizza Hut Park.
Gbandi's long-range blast, which kissed off the inside of the post right at the angle of the crossbar before settling into the net, capped a see-saw battle that saw Arturo Alvarez give the home side the lead in the 26th minute before a Freddy Adu penalty kick pulled RSL level midway through the second half.
FCD head coach Steve Morrow employed a somewhat different lineup for Sunday's match. Returning to the starting 11 for the first time in three games was forward and captain Carlos Ruiz. Joining him in a three forward scheme was speedy Dominic Oduro, who was getting his first start of 2007, and Alvarez.
Both new additions made their presence felt in the opening eight minutes. First, Alvarez got a nice look at the RSL goal from about 20 yards out in the fifth minute, but his shot hit the far post and caromed away from danger. Then in the eighth minute, Oduro dashed up the right side and sent a great cross into the opposing box. But there were no FCD players in the vicinity and the ball scooted harmlessly away.
RSL got a bad break in the 10th when midfielder Carey Talley, who heading into the match had played every minute of every game, had to leave the field because of a right lower leg contusion. He was replaced in the lineup by Chris Lancos.
Salt Lake had their first shot of the evening in the 17th minute after receiving their second corner kick in less than a minute. Adu took the corner and sent it toward Stewart, who was waiting near the far post, but his header went wide left.
FC Dallas continued to have the better of the play and continued to create good chances. Oduro got his first look at the Real goal in the 18th, but saw his effort sail high. The quick striker created a nice on-on-one opportunity with RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando in the 33rd but the RSL 'keeper was up to the challenge and punched a sure goal over the crossbar. A similar chance ended the same way in the 42nd.
Alvarez's goal, his first of the season, came after a long dribbling run when he beat Salt Lake's Mehdi Ballouchy and Jack Stewart up the left side of the field to work his way free inside the 18. Once inside the box, he launched a beautiful left-footed blast that beat Rimando far post to make it 1-0.
After the goal, the RSL attack started to show signs of awakening. Salt Lake striker Atiba Harris made a nice run up the right side in the 29th minute. But the FCD back line was there to make a deflection, which landed squarely in the arms of Hoops goalkeeper Dario Sala, who was credited with his first save of the match.
Sala's second stop came just two minutes later when Adu received a dangerous ball inside the FCD box. With the Argentinean 'keeper somewhat screened, Adu sent a shot toward the Hoops net, but Sala was there for the save.
For the most part, RSL leading scorer Jeff Cunningham was quiet for most of the opening 45 minutes. Cunningham, who has scored three of his side's six goals so far this year, didn't get his first shot of the match until the 42nd minute, when Sala saved his blast from the right side.
At the break, FCD had 10 shots to RSL's six with three efforts for each side being on frame.
Sala again came up big in the 56th minute when RSL midfielder Chris Klein put an effort on goal after dribbling up the left side of the field. His blast was saved, but the rebound popped out yet no Salt Lake attackers were in the vicinity and the ball was cleared over the endline.
Just four minutes later, Oduro again caused the RSL defense real problems. The Ghanaian striker wove his way through the RSL box to get yet another look at the opposing net, but once again, Rimando came up with the save.
Real pulled level in the 69th minute after Adu converted a penalty kick for his first score in an RSL uniform. The spot kick was awarded after FCD center back Alex Yi grabbed the jersey of Salt Lake forward Atiba Harris inside the box.
In the 73rd minute, Ruiz received a yellow card for dissent. It was his fifth caution of the season and means that the Guatemalan international will miss next Saturday's match at Chivas USA because of suspension.
Each team had good looks at goal over the following exchanges, but neither 'keeper was greatly troubled, setting the stage for Gbandi's wicked strike.
The defender scored his first goal since July 2, 2005, when he netted the last goal by a Dallas player at the Cotton Bowl. He got a nice crossfield feed from FCD midfielder Pablo Ricchetti, who was given his first career MLS assist, on the left side and launched a rocket that sailed past the dive of Rimando and hit the inside of the top of the goal post and caromed in to make it 2-1.
With the win, FCD has now won three matches in a row heading into next Saturday's match at Chivas USA. RSL, who will face the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match before traveling to face the Chicago Fire next Sunday, remains winless on the season.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
