PHOENIX, Arizona - FC Dallas came up short in its first preseason game of the year, falling 4-1 to the Columbus Crew at Grand Canyon University's soccer stadium in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday night. Crew forward Kei Kamara scored twice in the first half and once in the second, with an own goal by Dallas rounding off the Columbus score line. FCD midfielder Dax McCarty finished his chance early in the second half for the lone Dallas goal.
"We used this game to look at the young kids," said FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow. "I saw a lot of positives in some, and not so much in others. This game answered a lot of questions and some of the decision we wanted to make were also answered. The way we started the second half was more of what we were looking for, and I thought that Wagenfuhr, Dax, Pitchkolan, Abe and Dominic showed well. As for the result, I never like losing, but we were facing a Columbus team that was playing their fourth or fifth preseason game to our first."
"We plan to continue looking at the roster situation through the SMU game, then the coaching staff and I will sit down on Saturday morning and evaluate," added Morrow. "We need to be roster compliant by March 1 and we feel it's important to make some decisions before we leave for Brazil next week."
FC Dallas used a starting lineup that included four 2007 draft picks, two invitees, and five second year players. The Dallas starting lineup combined had two games of experience in MLS, and only one player had ever played in an MLS game (Justin Moore). Columbus' starting 11 had played in a combined 530 MLS regular season games in their careers, with 10 of the 11 starters having previously played in an MLS game.
The experienced Crew side dominated play early and broke the scoring in the 12th minute of play. Eddie Gaven lifted a ball over the defense into the right side of the penalty box, where Kei Kamara ran on and hit a shot past FCD keeper Ray Burse. The Crew stretched their lead to 2-0 only two minutes later, when Jose Retiz sent in a corner kick from the right side that FCD defender Andrew Daniels inadvertently his in while trying to clear it.
The Crew's third tally of the half came in the 30th minute. Retiz received a ball down the right side which he crossed into the penalty area. Kamara came across and met the ball, out jumping his mark to head in his second goal of the night.
Each team made numerous changes to begin the second half. Dallas brought in Dax McCarty and Aaron Pichkolan to run the center of the field, and added Abe Thompson as a striking partner to Dominic Oduro. Sebastian Le Toux moved from defensive midfield to right back, and David Wagenfuhr came in at left back.
The moves paid off immediately, as McCarty and Wagenfuhr combined for the Dallas goal in the 48th minute. Wagenfuhr took off down the left flank and met the ball towards the end of the field. After taking a few touches forward, he sent a low cross to the top of the six-yard box that McCarty met to knock past Crew keeper Bill Gaudette.
Kamara closed out his hat trick in the 60th minute, taking a pass on the left side from Ned Grabavoy and firing a rocket to the far side net past Burse.
Scoring:
CLB - Kei Kamara (Eddie Gaven) 12'
CLB - Own Goal (Andrew Daniels) 14'
CLB - Kei Kamara (Jose Retis) 30'
FCD - Dax McCarty (David Wagenfuhr) 48'
CLB - Kei Kamara (Ned Grabavoy) 58'
FC Dallas - Ray Burse, Blake Wagner (David Wagenfuhr 46;), Michael Dello-Russo, Andrew Daniels, Justin Moore (Dax McCarty 46); Anthony Wallace (Aaron Pitchkolan 46'), Sebastian Le Toux, Scott Jones (Mark Redshaw 75'), Tommy Krizanovic (Sandi Gbandi 59), Eddie Santeliz (Abe Thompson 46'), Dominic Oduro.
Columbus Crew - Andy Gruenebaum (Bill Gaudette 46), Brandon Moss (Rusty Pierce 46), Marco Gonzales (Chris Leitch 46), Ezra Hendrickson (Chad Marshall 46, Marc Burch 52, Joseph Ngwenya 70), Marc Burch (Leonard Griffen 46), Eddie Gaven (Aaron Chandler 70), Jose Retiz (Brandon Moss 70), Danny O'Rourke (Duncan Oughton 46), Kei Kamara (Andy Herron 70), Joseph Ngwenya (Ned Grabavoy 46), Aaron Chandler (Danny Szetela 46).
Referee: Richard Herron
Attendance: 3,364
