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Posted by
Harjeet Johal,
July 31, 2016 |
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@HarJournalist
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VANCOUVER, B.C - Blas Perez made his much anticipated return to Frisco, Texas to take on his former team, FC Dallas. Vancouver was looking to pick their first away point against FC Dallas, but the MLS leaders proved to be a challenging task at Toyota Stadium. Kellyn Acosta and Max Urruti both scored in the second half to lead FC Dallas to a 2-0 win before 13,824 fans.
Vancouver falls to 8-9-6 on the season and 0-8-0 all-time against FC Dallas in Texas, FC Dallas improves t0 13-6-5 this season.
Carl Robinson shared his thoughts on the match.
"Goals change games, at halftime the goal was to be in the game. We were unable to score, we need to be better with the ball."
The Opening 45
Whitecaps left-back Marcel de Jong earned his first start with Vancouver after signing with the club on July 11. Jordan Harvey was absent from the 18-man roster due to a sprained MCL. He is expected to miss 3 - 4 weeks of action. Rookie, Cole Seiler earned his second MLS start after a strong debut last weekend against the Houston Dynamo in a 0-0 draw.
It was quite a conservative first half as neither side wanted to use too much energy in the hot Texas heat. Game time temperatures were hovering around 93-Fahrenheit. A water break was issued in the 30th minute to allow both teams to stay hydrated and fresh.
The best scoring opportunity came in the 26' minute when Michael Barrios setup striker Max Urruti inside the Whitecaps box. The 25 year-old had all sorts of time and space, but unfortunately for Urruti he sent his shot into the Toyota Stadium seats. Centre-back Walker Zimmerman also had a terrific chance to score, but his open header was wide of the target in the 37' minute.
Going into the interval the match remained scoreless with FC Dallas holding a 59% - 41% possession advantage.
The Second Half
FC Dallas was able to push the pace early on in the second half that resulted in a goal from 21 year-old homegrown midfielder Kellyn Acosta in the 56' minute. Some excellent build work from Michael Barrios and Mauro Diaz helped setup Acosta. He delivered a low rolling shot that just got underneath David Ousted's arm for his second goal of the season.
FC Dallas wasn't quite done as they smelled blood and quickly hit on the counter attack for another goal just three minutes later. Atiba Harris sent a beautiful long ball up the pitch to a streaking Max Urruti. The Argentine striker collected the ball on the bounce, split Whitecaps centre-backs Kendall Waston and Tim Parker and then blasted the ball pasted a helpless David Ousted.
Vancouver was on the back foot and needed to make some substitutions to switch up play and try and get back into the match. Nicolas Mezquida and Erik Hurtado both entered the match for Blas Perez and Masato Kudo in the 64' minute.
Playing against FC Dallas on the road was always going to be a tall order for the Whitecaps. The visitors hung in tough with the MLS leaders for the duration of the opening forty-five, but weren't able to continue with solid defense in the second half. A pair of momentary lapses helped Kellyn Acosta and Max Urruti score and lead FC Dallas to a victory and three important points.
Man of the Match
Max Urruti was the most dangerous players on the pitch and had several chances to contribute on the score-sheet. Urruti's 6th goal of the season sealed a win for FC Dallas. In a lineup with several talented players, Urruti adds another dimension to Oscar Pareja's squad. You can't simply defend Mauro Diaz, Fabian Castillo, or Michael Barrios. Urruti is another threat to score and he showed the Whitecaps just what he can bring when given space and an opportunity to shine.
Vancouver Whitecaps Starting XI: David Ousted; Cole Seiler, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, Marcel de Jong; Andrew Jacobson, Matias Laba; Christian Bolaños, Blas Pérez, 64 (Nicolas Mezquida), Pedro Morales(C), 73 (Cristian Techera); Masato Kudo, 64 (Erik Hurtado). 4-2-3-1
FC Dallas Starting XI: Chris Seitz; Maynor Figueroa, Matt Hedges, Walker Zimmerman, Atiba Harris; Kellyn Acosta, Mauro Diaz(C), 85 (Mauro Rosales), Carlos Gruezo; Ryan Hollingshead, Maximiliano Urruti, 83 (Carlos Lizarazo), Michael Barrios, 73 (Tesho Akindele). 4-3-3
Notes: Whitecaps FC striker Giles Barnes will join his new team in Dallas on Monday after being traded to Vancouver on Saturday from the Houston Dynamo.
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