FC Dallas Beat Colorado
FRISCO, Texas – FC Dallas came from behind to defeat the Colorado Rapids, 2-1, in the round of 16 of the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday night at Toyota Stadium
FC Dallas forced Colorado goalkeeper Zac MacMath to make his first save of the match in the eighth minute, when Mauro Diaz freed Tesho Akindele with a pass over the top of the Rapids defense. Akindele caught up to the pass just before MacMath, and got off a quick poke towards the back post. Charging off his line MacMath made a kick-save with his right foot to keep the score tied, 0-0.
Colorado returned fire in the 21st minute, when Dominique Badji had his cross into the area deflect down and into the path of teammate Luis Solignac. At the top of the six-yard box, Solignac got of a glancing shot towards the back post but FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez was in position to make a diving save to his left side.
After coming off the bench for Dillon Serna, who suffered an injury in the 15th minute, Marlon Hairston setup Badji for the first goal of the match in the 38th minute. After receiving a pass on the top corner of the area, Hairston hit a hard pass on the ground towards the back post. Badji caught up to the pass inside the six-yard box, sending a
high shot up into the net to make it 1-0.
Colorado would have gone up 2-0 in the 60th minute, if not for a diving save made by Gonzalez on a rising shot fired from just inside the top left corner of the area by Hairston.
Fabian Castillo created a counter-attack out of nothing with a remarkable individual effort in the 64th minute. Castillo latched onto a clearance from an FC Dallas defender, split a pair of Rapids defenders at midfield and pushed the ball into space. Castillo sped towards goal and drew the attention of MacMath before slipping a pass to the back post for Diaz to finish off to make it 1-1.
Gonzalez made a diving save to his left side to deny Badji of a brace in the 89th minute. Seconds later, Kellyn Acosta ripped a shot on Colorado’s goal, only to have MacMath stand his ground and punch away the shot, sending the top two teams in the MLS table into overtime.
Maxi Urruti, who came on in the 77th minute for Akindele, gave FC Dallas a 2-1 lead in the sixth minute of the first overtime session when he received the ball in the middle of the pitch, 30 yards from goal. Urruti used his fresh legs to weave through a pair of Rapids’ defenders and round the corner on the right side of the area. With a nearly impossible angle on goal, Urruti ripped a shot towards the near post. The ball beat MacMath to the front post, skipped on the frame and caught enough of the back post to send it into the net.
