Looking disjointed in attack, FC Dallas was unable to take advantage of a chance to propel themselves to the top of the Western Confence standings, losing 2-1 to the Colorado Rapids on Sunday afternoon at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
A goal from red-hot Dominic Oduro was not enough to overcome a first-half strike from Conor Casey and a second-half goal from Tom McManus.
In the first real chance of the game, Colorado took the lead. In the seventh minute, Christian Gomez held off a pair of defenders in the center circle before lofting a nice ball over the FCD defense to Casey, who had run parallel to the Dallas defensive line to stay onside before the pass.
Casey outran Dallas defender Duilio Davino to the ball and, after a crossover dribble that sent Davino in the wrong direction, he sent a low, curling shot inside the right post for his first goal of the season.
Casey almost got a second goal not two minutes later. Jacob Peterson ran on to a through ball down the right flank and sent a high cross back across the box from the touchline. Casey out-jumped Davino, but his hard header to the middle of the goal was saved by Dallas 'keeper Ray Burse.
The middle of the first half bogged down due to some ineffective play from both teams, who sent numerous long balls to their forwards rather than maintaining possession and playing through the midfield. Both Kenny Cooper and Dominic Oduro were targets of these efforts for Dallas that frequently ended in offside calls or easy interceptions by the Rapids defense.
The Dallas back line looked off the pace for much of the first half, with the Rapids forwards and midfielders consistently beating them to through balls. In the 24th minute, Casey played a ball forward to an unmarked Christian Gomez. But the pass was a little long and by the time he collected the ball by the end line, Aaron Pitchkolan was able to deflect Gomez's cross to Burse, who easily smothered it.
Dallas had its first good chance of the game in the 32nd minute when Drew Moor met a Bobby Rhine free kick with a diving header that looked well aimed but went over the bar.
Another Rhine free kick for Dallas in the 38th minute pinged in and out of the box a few times before settling to Ricchetti 30 yards out. He played a high cross across the box for Pitchkolan, but Rapids 'keeper Preston Burpo did well to charge off his line and smother the ball an instant before Pitchkolan got there.
Peterson had another great Rapids chance in the 42nd minute. Receiving the ball unmarked 30 yards from goal, he stormed to the top of the penalty box before unleashing a low drive that was wide of the left-hand post.
Dallas tied the game in the 45th minute of the first half on some opportunistic play from Oduro. After a Dallas corner kick had ping-ponged back and forth in the box, the ball fell to Marcelo Saragosa near the penalty spot. His shot hit Oduro, but the ball luckily fell right to the forward's feet, and he was able to quickly poke the ball over the charging Burpo and into the net.
Dallas seemed to come out with more fire in the second half, playing quicker and more effectively on the attack. Cooper beat the Rapids defenders to a through ball in the 49th minute, but Burpo again was again quick off his line to smother the chance.
McManus almost put the Rapids up again in the 53rd minute. After Christian Gomez beat three different men on a great dribbling run down the left wing, he sent in a long cross, finding an unmarked McManus, who had time to settle the ball, take a dribble, and send a low rocket to the far corner of the net. Only a great diving save from Burse kept the Rapids from taking the lead.
In the 72nd minute, McManus finally got the goal he had worked so hard for. After Pitchkolan misjudged a header, McManus beat Davino in a footrace to the ball. His first-time shot from the upper corner of the penalty area slipped past Burse and went just inside the near post for McManus' third goal of the season, and second in two games.
Omar Cummings nearly put the game away for the Rapids in the 80th minute. McManus did a nice job letting a ball from Christian Gomez go past him to the streaking Cummings, who showed some nice dribbling skills in freeing himself for a shot from the right corner of the box. His shot looked perfectly placed, but Burse did a great job in diving to make the save.
Several offensive substitutions for Dallas led to more offensive pressure, but not many chances, in the last 15 minutes of the game. In fact, only Burse was called upon over the final stretches of the contest, smothering hard shots from Cummings in the 89th and 92nd minutes.
With the win, the Rapids once again sit atop the Western Conference standings. Dallas was unable to extend their two-game unbeaten streak, and now sits in fifth place.
Geoffrey Urland is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
