No Playoffs For FC Dallas
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FRISCO, Texas –Earlier this week, Chicago forward Mike Magee talked about how much he likes playing FC Dallas.
On Saturday night, the Fire striker delivered a goal and an assist as Chicago claimed a 3-2 victory over FC Dallas, eliminating the home team from playoff contention for a second straight season and putting the future of coach Schellas Hyndman in serious doubt.
After controlling play for most of the first 20 minutes, Chicago struck first when Juan Luis Anangono netted his second goal of the season in the 25th minute, scoring off a corner kick. Chicago’s Mike Magee, tied for second in MLS with 18 goals, delivered a great ball from the flag on the far side of the pitch and Anangono got inside Dallas right back Zach Loyd, sending a header into the far side of the net to make it 1-0.
Magee added a goal — his 19th of the season tying him for the league lead — in the 42nd minute when a shot by Alex deflected off his chest and into the back of the Dallas net. It was Magee’s seventh career goal against Dallas.
Chicago (14-12-7, 49 points), which moved into a tie for fourth in the
Eastern Conference with the win, added a third goal in the 52nd minute when Jalil Anibaba beat goalkeeper Chris Seitz with a spectacular bending ball from about 25 yards to make it 3-0.
Anibaba’s goal, his first of the season, came after a corner kick taken by Magee was headed by Dallas’ Matt Hedges and Jackson before landing at the feet of Anibaba, who finished the chance with sheer precision.
Local product Kenny Cooper scored twice for Dallas in the second half with goals coming 12 minutes apart.
Cooper scored off a cross from Dallas captain David Ferreira in the 63rd minute and then converted a penalty kick in the 75th after Jackson was taken down in the box by Chicago’s Gonzalo Segares. Cooper now has three goals in two games after ending a 15-game scoring drought in last week’s 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake with Dallas’ only goal of the evening.
The Dallas attack was largely nonexistent in the opening 45 minutes except for two chances by Colombian speedster Fabian Castillo, both of which were saved by Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson. The first Castillo attempt came in the 21st minute and the second in the 39th.
Seitz made a nice save on Anangono in the 89th minute at close range to keep it a one-goal game. However, Dallas was unable to find the equalizer in regulation or in four minutes of added time and saw its playoff hopes end.
