FC Dallas Wins At L.A.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – FC Dallas (6-1-5) took its’ second consecutive 3-2 result over the LA Galaxy this season to pick up the club’s 100th all-time win on the road tonight at StuHub Center.
Dallas is the fifth team in MLS history to reach the century mark in road wins.
Kellyn Acosta nearly put FC Dallas ahead in the fourth minute when Cristian Colman got him the ball in the middle of the field. Acosta dribbled to his left side, down the corner of the box, and got off a left-footed shot that nearly caught the far post.
Making his second start of the season, Jesse Gonzalez was alert and snuffed out a chance for Romain Alessabdrini nine minutes later. The midfielder came free, down LA’s right side, and tried to beat the 23-year-old to the near post. Fortunately for FC Dallas, Gonzalez got just enough of the close-range shot to steer it wide of the near post.
Ryan Hollingshead put FC Dallas up 1-0 in the 33rd minute after an impressive passing display in the offensive third. The second-to-last pass came from Kellyn Acosta, who played a ball to Victor Ulloa. Ulloa let the ball run through his legs to buy time for Mauro Diaz, who picked up his head at the top of the box and found Hollingshead in space. Hollingshead netted his first goal since June 2, 2016, like a seasoned goal-scorer. The left back picked out the top corner of the goal behind Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham with a right-footed strike.
Diaz set up another goal for FC Dallas, his fifth of the season vs. the Galaxy, in the 40th minute. Diaz pulled the ball in centrally before using the outside of his foot to slide a low pass out to the flank for Hollingshead. The left back bent a dangerous ball to the far post that floated past two Galaxy defenders before finding Colman. The striker’s textbook header bounced up off the turf and into the back of the net to Bingham’s left side, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Looking to get back into the game, LA Galaxy came out firing in the second half. Gonzalez made his first save of the second half in the 54th minute after Zlatan Ibrahimovic came free at the far post. Alessandrini found him with a curling cross but Gonzalez read it well and was in position to make a routine save on Ibrahimovic.
Gonzalez stone-walled the legend again in the 64th minute after Ola Kamara set up the striker with a perfect chance. Ibrahimovic tried to beat the goalkeeper low to his left side but Gonzalez got a piece of the shot, knocked it wide, and then dove on the rebound.
Two minutes later, FC Dallas took a 3-0 lead on a goal by Carlos Gruezo. The play was set up by Acosta, who found Michael Barrios free on the right side of the box. The midfielder’s shot was deflected past Bingham and looking to be bouncing wide of the far post, but Gruezo pounced on his chance, beating his marker to the loose ball and heading it over the line.
Ibrahimovic pulled one back for LA in the 69th minute. The Galaxy took possession back in the midfield before Ashley Cole and Sebastian Lletget combined to find the Galaxy striker inside the area on the right, where he slid a shot to the far corner for the home team’s first of the night.
LA pulled within one in the 97th minute with eight minutes added on as Perry Kitchen found Chris Pontious on the end of a long cross. His header at the top of the 18 went right to Ibrahimovic, who scored his second of the night past Gonzalez.
