FC Dallas Wins In Guatemala City
via FC Dallas
GUATEMALA CITY (October 20, 2016) – For the first time in franchise history, FC Dallas has qualified for the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League with a come-from-behind 5-2 win against Guatemalan champions CSD Suchitepequez.
A wild first half saw FC Dallas concede an early goal in their second straight CCL road game. A corner kick was initially cleared, but the ensuring ball in was inadvertently flicked off the back of Tesho Akindele to give Suchitepequez a lead in the fifth minute.
Things went from bad to worse for Dallas mid-way through the first half as Wilson Morales stepped into a ball laid off to him and lashed a shot past Jesse Gonzalez in the 26th minute to give the home side a 2-0 lead.
FC Dallas staged a furious comeback as the half went on. Akindele beat two defenders and his cross from the endline was initially cleared but Carlos Gruezo headed in the rebound to score his first FC Dallas goal and pull FCD within a goal in the 27th minute.
Dallas dramatically tied things up in the 3tth minute through the head of Matt Hedges. The FC Dallas defender headed home on a free kick whipped in from Mauro Rosales to score in his third competition this season.
In the second half, FC Dallas picked up right where they left off. Rosales whipped in a free kick that goalkeeper Manuel Sosa punched straight into Atiba Harris with the ball rebounding into the goal to give Dallas their first lead of the match.
There were nervy moments for FCD as they held onto the one-goal lead with Jesse Gonzalez tipping wide a fantastic effort in the 58th minute.
With about ten minutes to play, a torrential rainstorm began and it didn’t stop FC Dallas. Maynor Figueroa sent in a cross on an FCD counterattack that was cleared into the goal by a Suchitepequez defender in the 87th minute to put the match beyond doubt.
However, there would be an important goal scored by FCD in the 90th minute as Carlos Lizarazo unleashed a laser from 25 yards that gave FCD a 5-2 lead. The goal was significant because it moved Dallas past New York Red Bulls on tiebreaker meaning FCD will be the 7th seed heading into the CCL quarterfinals.
In their first-ever CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal appearance, Dallas will face Panamanian side Arabe Unido with the home-and-home series happening in February and March of 2017.
FC Dallas heads to Los Angeles on Friday where they will face the Galaxy on Sunday in a nationally televised match on FS1 as part of MLS Decision Day. If Dallas earns a win or draw, they will win the Supporters’ Shield awarded to the top team at the end of the regular season for the first time in franchise history.
