FRISCO, Texas – The stage was set on Wednesday night as David Ferreira returned to the pitch after 15 months out. With the game tied 1-1 midway through the second half and FC Dallas searching for their first win since April, it seemed like this was a script straight out of Tinseltown.
There would be no Hollywood ending, however, as FCD were unable to find a second-half goal against Toronto FC and slumped to another disappointing home draw.
OPTA Chalkboard: Ferreira opens lanes for FCD attack
Ferreira’s insertion into the lineup with 32 minutes left with the game tied 1-1 did seem to spark FC Dallas, but as has been the case for two months now, the ball wasn’t able to find the back of the net when they needed it most.
HIGHLIGHTS: DAL vs TOR
“I thought we created some good chances in the second half when David went on,” manager Schellas Hyndman told reporters after the game. “I thought there was some good penetrating balls, whether the service wasn’t there or the guy wasn’t able to get to the ball or somebody blocked the shot.”
While Ferreira was clearly not yet at the level that Dallas fans had come to expect from the 2010 MLS MVP, simply seeing him return to the field was probably the highest moment of an otherwise frustrating season for the Hyndman and his team.
“All the hard work that I have been putting into coming back from the injuries finally paid dividends because I was able to come back into the field,” Ferreira said after Wednesday’s game. “But I want to continue to work and continue to contribute to the team and I’m looking forward to Saturday to get the result that we’re looking for.”
Despite Ferreira’s insertion, FCD were unable to register a shot on goal in the second half with the best chance, a Fabián Castillo individual effort, blocked brilliantly by TFC defender Richard Eckersley.
The draw is a bitter pill to swallow for a team that was initially aiming for nine points from the three game homestand yet sit with just two points from the first two games. For Ferreira personally, it puts a sour note on his return to the FC Dallas Stadium field.
“Of course there is something there that doesn’t allow me to be as excited as I would want to be," he said, "because we didn’t get the result that we were looking for.”
