The team with the best overall record in Major League Soccer came to Toronto -- and it was no contest. But it was Toronto FC that recorded the big victory, routing FC Dallas 4-0 on Sunday afternoon at BMO Field in the biggest win in Toronto history and Dallas' heaviest defeat of the season.
Maurice Edu knocked in a Danny Dichio rebound to open the scoring in the 22nd minute, and Dichio himself scored just a few minutes later as part of an extended TFC assault on the Hoops' goal. Carl Robinson added a third midway through the second half, and Jeff Cunningham scored in stoppage time to send TFC to a comfortable win.
It was a dominant offensive first half for Toronto, who could have netted another pair of goals were it not for some wayward shots and offside calls. TFC had six shots on goal to FCD's one, and Toronto outshot Dallas 7-3 overall in the half.
The Dallas attack didn't create many chances outside of the first 15 minutes. Forward Dominic Oduro drew an appreciative reaction from the BMO Field crowd with some acrobatic dribbling that led to the Hoops' best chance of the half.
In the 13th minute, Oduro carried the ball to the right side of the Toronto penalty area. His pass attempt to fellow striker Abe Thompson was deflected by a TFC defender, but the ball landed at the feet of Hoops midfielder Arturo Alvarez. His hard shot, however, sailed right of the net.
Kevin Goldthwaite, back in the lineup after a one-game suspension, made a wonderful individual effort that led to Toronto's first goal. The defender chased the ball to the endline and made a nifty move to both evade a sliding Dallas defender and keep the ball in bounds.
Goldthwaite's centering pass found Dichio in the goal area, but Dichio was stopped twice at point-blank range by FCD 'keeper Dario Sala. Midfielder Edu was well-positioned, though, to knock the ball home for his second goal of the season.
Dichio broke through with a goal of his own just a few minutes later. Carl Robinson sent a beautifully-aimed direct free kick that found Dichio just outside of the goal area. The big forward headed the ball past Sala for his team-leading fourth goal of the season.
The Hoops looked strong out of the gate in the second half, picking up two shots on goal in the first five minutes.
The FCD attack's inability to score manifested itself in on-field frustration. The Hoops were assessed four cautions in the first quarter-hour of the half, including one to Oduro for an unnecessarily hard toss of the ball back to TFC keeper Srdjan Djekanovic. FCD captain Carlos Ruiz, back after seeing his native Guatemala eliminated from the CONCACAF Gold Cup just the day before, was then cautioned after arguing the call.
Toronto, meanwhile, kept creating opportunities. Robinson headed home his first MLS goal off of a cross from Goldthwaite in the 65th minute to give TFC a three-goal lead.
Cunningham, who had stretched the FCD defense all day with his long runs, finally broke through with a score in injury time. Robinson and Ronnie O'Brien traded touch passes after Robinson lined up for a corner kick, and Robinson's cross found Cunningham for the striker's fifth goal of the season.
The only negative for Toronto FC on the day was a possible injury to Dichio. The striker required on-field treatment for an apparent right ankle injury in the 33rd minute, and was clearly favoring the injury for the remainder of the half. Andrea Lombardo replaced Dichio at the start of the second half.
Djekanovic also required some on-field attention after taking a hard collision in the closing minutes of the game. The 'keeper stayed on the field, however, to close out the first clean sheet of his MLS career.
Toronto FC won't be back at BMO Field until after the All-Star break with a six-game road swing ahead due to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup. TFC begin their sojourn on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass., against the New England Revolution. Toronto suffered the worst loss in their brief history in their last trip to New England -- a 4-0 rout on April 14.
FC Dallas conclude a three-game road trip on Saturday with their first-ever trip to Dick's Sporting Goods Park to face the Colorado Rapids. In spite of their loss in Toronto, the road has mostly been kind to Dallas this season. The Hoops' four road wins are still the most of any team in MLS, and the club has already matched their total of four road wins in 2006.
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
