FC Dallas Wins At DC United
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Michael Barrios found the back of the net in the 14th and 28th minutes and Maxi Urruti added a third in the 52nd minute to lead FC Dallas to its first road victory of the season, 3-0, tonight against D.C. United at RFK Stadium.
Fabian Espindola, who had two goals and an assist against Dallas the last time FCD visited RFK Stadium, on April 26, 2014, nearly broke through in the seventh minute of the match. Chris Rolfe set up Espindola with a through ball and the forward cut inside to take a right-footed shot, only to be denied by a last second slide tackle by defender Zach Loyd, who was making his first start of the 2016 season.
Barrios was the recipient of a turnover following some miscommunication between D.C. United defenders Taylor Kemp and Kofi Opare in the 14th minute. The Colombian winger snuck in and pounced on the chance after Maxi Urruti pressed to win the ball back. Barrios dribbled towards goal and curled a left-footed shot into the corner of the net to put the visitors up, 1-0.
Barrios did well to finish off his second goal of the match in the 28th minute after taking a pass from Mauro Diaz. The Argentine playmaker held the ball up on the right flank before slipping a
pass inside to Barrios. His first touch looked to have let him down, but Barrios used his speed to recover, and arrived just in time to tap a bending shot around D.C. United goalkeeper Travis Worra to put Dallas up, 2-0.
The assist was Diaz’s third, the most in MLS this season and FC Dallas looked poised to come away with the road victory, having won 19 of its 20 last matches that it was able to score two or more goals.
Urruti locked in the result when he knocked in his third goal of the season, assisted by Fabian Castillo and Diaz, to give Dallas a three goal advantage in the 52nd minute. Castillo knocked a cross into Urruti from the left flank and the forward was able to bring the ball down while under pressure and get off a shot that found the far corner of the net, sending the Argentine into a tie atop the league’s golden boot standings.
FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz came up with a huge save on Lamar Neagle to keep United off the board in the 64th minute. Defender Matt Hedges slipped on the play and Espindola chested a ball into space for Neagle to strike with first touch, but Seitz flew off his line to deny Neagle with a kick save.
Two minutes later, Seitz was called upon again after referee Jose Carlos Rivero awarded United a penalty kick. Espindola attempted to pick out the lower left corner of the goal but Seitz read him well and preserved his clean sheet once again with a diving save to his right.
FC Dallas returns home next weekend to Toyota Stadium where they are a perfect 2-0-0 this year without a goal allowed to face the Columbus Crew presented by MoneyGram.
