FC Dallas Play To A Draw

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Substitute midfielder Victor Ulloa scored the equalizing goal in the 82nd minute to pull visiting FC Dallas into a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in a battle between the top two teams in MLS.

Ulloa entered the match in the 80th minute and was an immediate and deciding factor as he rifled a shot from just outside the penalty area off the outstretched hand of Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard and into the upper-right corner of the net.

The draw allowed FC Dallas (12-6-5, 41 points) to steal the victory away from Colorado and remain three points ahead of the Rapids in the Supporters Shield race and the Western Conference table.

Colorado (10-2-8, 38 points) still hasn’t lost an MLS match since early April and is unbeaten in 15 straight league contests. Ulloa’s goal was only the fifth allowed by the Rapids at home in MLS play this season.

The Rapids grabbed all the momentum late in the first half when forward Marlon Hairston picked the pocket of FC Dallas defenseman Atiba Harris in the 44th minute and roared into the box, shifted his way across the goal mouth from left to right and past FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz and punched the ball into the net for the only goal of the first half.

A minute later, Howard denied an equalizing goal when he reached out with his left hand to swat away a header by FC Dallas’ Walker Zimmerman after a pinpoint corner kick by Mauro Diaz.

The start of the match was delayed 57 minutes because of lightning in the area around the stadium.