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Late Perez tap-in lifts FC Dallas over Toronto FC

Perez

By JASON MITCHELL

It’s good to have the Super Raton back.

Blas Perez, returned to the FC Dallas lineup after missing last week’s match with a hamstring injury, scored in the waning minutes of regulation to give his team a dramatic 2-1 victory over Toronto FC at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

The win returns Dallas (5-1-1, 16 points) to its winning ways after the team dropped its first match of the season last week. Defender Matt Hedges assisted on the game-winning goal and also scored for Dallas in the first half.

With the score tied 1-1 in the 88th minute, a deep Dallas free kick was headed first by Stephen Keel and then by Hedges before falling to Perez at the top of the goalkeeper’s box. The Panamanian chested the ball down and managed to toe a shot into the back of the net as he fell to the ground.

Andrew Wiedeman got on the end of a Bradley Orr cross late in stoppage time, but zipped a close-range header over the bar. It was as close as Toronto would come to equalizing.

Toronto (4-3-0, 12 points) took the early lead and nearly escaped with a road point despite missing both Jermain Defoe and Dwyane De Rosario to injury.

Issey Nakajima-Farran opened the scoring in just the 21st minute, forcing goalkeeeper Chris Seitz into a diving save and then unleashing a blast off the rebound that deflected off Je-Vaughn Watson and into the net for the 1-0 Toronto lead.

Dallas answered fewer than 20 minutes later.

In the 37th minute, Hedges got on the end of a near post corner kick from Michel and thudded it into the far netting for his second goal of the season.

Dallas easily could have taken the lead before the last minute heroics, controlling possession throughout the night and earning a club record 16 corner kicks in addition to numerous free kicks from dangerous places.

Here are the match highlights:

Comments

  1. Touch and go there for a bit…I always get nervous when Benitez gets pissy, and the ref definitely didn’t do us as many favors as he did for TFC but Oscar’s shrewd subs directed the game exactly where he wanted it to go. Good to be a Dallas fan right about now =)

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    • I dunno man, the ref was horrible all around, but Dallas was LUCKY to not get a PK called against them on that breakaway by Gilberto… it could have gone either way on that one

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  2. Pareja has indeed worked his magic as FCD is doing all this winning despite of the fact their best defender hasn’t even played 1min yet this year! They are doing it by controlling possession and scoring goals. Once G.John recovers Dallas will stop leaking goals and should end the season with a ridiculously good Goal diff ratio. Im looking for Dallas to finish 1 or 2nd in the west and to do some damage this postseason.

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    • you ain’t kidding. pareja is a special coach, gets his teams to play an exciting and winning brand of futbol. major props.

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  3. Man, DeAndre Yedlin gets all they hype but kellyn Acosta is gonna be a gem. Defends better and looks good going forward. That’s not a swipe at yedlin, I just like Acosta’s game better. More composure. Also, can we get hedges a call up?! He deserves it.

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    • +1 I was thinking the same thing about Acosta the entire game. Kid looks like a veteran out there, very calm and collected. If he keeps developing that kids going to be a star

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    • Hedges seems to be at least as good as Gonzo is right now. Maybe he turns out to be another Besler. Acosta doesn’t seem as dependent on physical abilities as Yedlin and is really impressive for an 18 year old.

      Reply

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