By DAN KARELL
Saturday night’s encounter between FC Dallas and the San Jose Earthquakes had just about everything that any soccer fan would want to see.
In a four-goal thriller where three red cards were shown in the second half, FC Dallas battled back from a two-goal deficit to draw the Earthquakes, 2-0, at FC Dallas Stadium. FC Dallas’ Michel scored the game-tying goal in the second half on a controversial penalty kick, which got the ball rolling in terms of referee Baldomero Toledo’s decisions for the rest of the match.
Using the confidence boost of a big victory against Sporting Kansas City a week earlier, the Earthquakes needed only seven minutes to break the deadlock. Winger Cordell Cato stormed down the left side of the box towards the byline before playing the ball back into the middle. Cato’s teammate Alan Gordon arrived at the top of the box and smashed home for his fourth goal of the season.
The Earthquakes stunned the crowd of 14,920 in Frisco, Texas when right back Steven Beitashour score only his second ever professional goal to give the visitors a two-goal advantage in the 16th minute. Three minutes later, FC Dallas would give their fans some hope.
Michel, in his left back role, played a long ball towards the top of the box. FC Dallas midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson met it and sent a header towards goal that Blas Perez only needed to touch past Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch to cut the deficit to one in the 19th minute. From here on, the home side started to gain control of the match. Busch, who made four saves, made arguably his best one in the 24th minute to deny FC Dallas’ David Ferreira an equalizer.
In the 69th minute, controversy took hold of the match. On a beautifully chipped ball from Watson to Perez, the referee Toledo judged Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez to have pulled down Perez in the area, though video evidence points to very minimal contact. Toledo pointed to the spot, and once everything was sorted out three minutes later, Michel scored to tie the match.
As the teams continued to battle, the Earthquakes were put at a disadvantage when left back Justin Morrow was sent off in the 81st minute for a reckless tackle from behind on FC Dallas midfielder Ramon Nuñez. Five minutes later, both teams had players see red as Bernardez and FC Dallas substitute Kenny Cooper were shown their marching orders after a brief scuffle, making the Earthquakes finish the match with just nine men on the field.
Here are the game highlights:
You may dislike the pk but as a defender you cannot stick your arm out and grab a player who it is clear has a better position on you. Not saying I agree, but if he wouldn’t have reached out to grab Perez would have never flopped.
That acting job by Perez was a total disgrace. Embarrassing. He should be fined and suspended.
I don’t know which homer announcers these guys are (sounded like SJ from their reactions) and I’m totally neutral on this match, but all 3 red cards were deserved and In real time and where Toledo is positioned, I can see how he got duped by Blas Perez. He makes a living out of flopping, feigning and in reality ruining the game of football and MLS by his consistent disgraceful actions. There are several others that do it also, but Blas Perez is at the top of the list, for me.
Tossed away two points in a critical game…to give up such a soft crap goal only minutes after scoring the second goal was a complete lapse in defensive discipline…really poor. Vic and Morrow deserved reds. Bernardez needs to realize how critical he is to the team as the best defender and captain. He stepped on Cooper and left his foot on him…stupid play trying to bait Cooper. You can’t pull that BS and expect to give yourself a chance to make the playoffs. Now we have to go to LA without Vic…huge problem and totally preventable. The PK was a bad call, but that stuff evens out over the course of a season. I would like to see Perez suspended for a game though…really blatant simulation.
Colorado and Vancouver need to drop points to give the Quakes any hope. RSL, LA, Portland and Seattle are going to make it. It’s going to go down to the last game of the season and we’re going to rue giving up these two points.
Definitely a bad PK call. I wonder if MLS can give B.Perez a card now for simulation. There was no body contact.
Also, the card on V.Bernardez should be rescinded. He clattered into K.Cooper, but there didn’t look to be a foul and when Cooper went have Bernardez, Bernardez just had his hands up the whole time, without any retaliation.
B.Toledo is a bad, bad ref.
He stepped on Coopers back. All 3 reds were correct.
Agree. The pk call was bad but all reds were deserved.
People are probably just repeating whet they hear the game commentators said.
Nuñez needs to get a red after being chopped down like a scrub bush and then just blowing in the wind after.
Wow. That is some unbelievably poor officiating. Even allowing for Morrow’s red, I can’t see defending either the PK or the red to Bernardez, much less both. (And Eric, I have watched this 5 times and can’t see any “stomp.”)
AFAICT, Cooper was likely reacting to the last SJ game where he got kicked in the head, but for serious, you have to send some one off for an infraction. There’s a reason that the announcing team was incredulous.
If you can’t see him stepping on Cooper, then you are as blind as Toledo. All 3 reds were earned and deserved. The PK was a horrible call, but at the speeded of the game and Perez sold it, it could’ve gone either way.
There was no stomp just putting his foot down. If you watch again you can clearly see that Bernarnez keeps his eyes up which leads me to believe it was on accident.
I am a SJ fan and Morrow deserved his red, it was a very dangerous play. But wow was that PK call bad.
Wow. Easily one of the softest PK’s I’ve ever seen.
A terrible penalty call on Perez’s flop in the box was the difference. The game just deteriorated after that. After all these years, the officiating in MLS is as bad as it’s ever been.
Toledo s.crewed the pooch on the PK call for sure, but it’s not his fault the game deteriorated after that. There’s a reason why San Jose has a rep as the dirtiest team in the league. Scything down opponents from behind and stomping on them while they’re on the ground will do that (and having Steven Lenhart, too, but he mostly behaved himself in this one). Cooper shouldn’t have retaliated, but both Morrow and Bernardez gave Toledo little choice but to send them off.
And no, I’m not an FC Dallas fan.
No stomp.
He clearly stepped on on him. You may not consider it a stomp but it was a red worthy touch. I don’t think Cooper would have gone ballistic on him if it was nothing. Coopef is one of the nicest guys.
no doubt he stepped on Cooper but Bernardez never looked down that tells us he was just getting his balance after a defensive play. Lenny is a very nice guy off the field also, whats your point?