In familiar late game heroics, FC Dallas got a goal in stoppage time to defeat Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Thursday evening at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
With mere seconds left in the contest, Dominic Oduro latched onto a high, bouncing ball, set himself in the penalty area and volleyed home past RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando for the only goal to give the Hoops the victory and extend Real's winless run to 10 games to begin the season, the longest such streak in MLS history.
Rimando certainly did his part to keep RSL in the match, especially in the first half, when Arturo Alvarez took control of the FCD attack, creating several dangerous chances on goal.
In the 18th minute, after weaving through a few defenders at the top of the area, Alvarez teed up a well-placed curling shot that looked to be tucking nicely into the far post. A fully extended Rimando leapt to get his fingers on the ball to knock it to the ground, then instantly recovered the loose ball.
A couple minutes later Alvarez was charging in on goal again. This time, while blazing past the RSL defense, Alvarez uncorked a solid blast that was batted away by the hands of Rimando.
Then in the 22nd minute Alvarez orchestrated a quick interchange of passes that involved several Dallas teammates until Juan Toja slipped a ball behind the defense for Alvarez to have a chance from very close range. But once again he was thwarted by Rimando.
After the domination of the opening 45 minutes, it was Real that started quickly after the halftime break, nearly scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Alecko Eskandarian battled to drive a low cross just in front of the mouth of the goal. The ball blew past 'keeper Dario Sala, but was headed over the bar and out of play by Chris Gbandi.
From the ensuing corner, the ball was quickly cleared downfield and Oduro retrieved the ball near the sideline in his own half. The Hoops forward charged down the side with little opposition and angled toward goal at the penalty area. Just inside the area he ripped a shot, but it was slapped high over the bar by Rimando.
Oduro continued to wreak havoc down the left side. In the 65th minute he nutmegged Jean-Martial Kipre on his way to goal. Yet just as Oduro got inside the six-yard box Kipre was able to recover and touch the ball over the end line.
In a moment of relaxed defending from Dallas, RSL midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy was left unmarked about 35 yards from goal. Ballouchy took advantage of the space and launched a rocket past a diving Sala that shaved the wrong side of post.
The contest got a little chippy as the second half wore on. In the 71st minute Marcelo Saragosa and Eskandarian got tangled up in the middle of the field. The two traded shoves as they rose to their feet, but were immediately separated by their teammates.
Then in 73rd minute, after making contact with one another, Drew Moor and Freddy Adu exchanged some heated words and also had to be restrained.
Chris Brown came on as a late subsitute for Salt Lake and almost immediately made an impact. After a quick touch around Moor, Brown challenged Sala for the ball with a sliding tackle in the area and ended up putting his studs in the Dallas 'keeper's chest.
Sala continued to came up huge in the 81st minute, punching away a low drive from Adu.
In the 85th minute Dallas rushed the RSL goal in numbers. Oduro began the charge through the midfield, and was dispossessed by Willis Forko. However, the ball fell right in stride for Alvarez who continued the advance. After exchanging passes with Toja, Alvarez put a shot on Rimando that he brought down but could not initially handle.
Toja was there to try and touch the loose ball into the net, but Rimando slapped it away a second time, although the assistant referee ruled Toja was offside on the play.
As regulation time came to a close, Atiba Harris raced toward goal right at the top of the box, but was hit by a shoulder charge from FCD defender Clarence Goodson, sending Harris to the turf. Referee Ricardo Salazar signaled for the game to play on, which caused RSL coach Jason Kreis to loose his cool on the sideline. Kreis was ejected from the match.
In the third minute of stoppage time, a long clearance was sent downfield and headed high into the air. Oduro got past RSL defender Jack Stewart as Stewart fell to the ground, and had the time to wait for the perfect bounce and then launch a low drive inside the far post for the game-winner.
Scott McAlliSter is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
