FC Dallas

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Dallas wins first meeting with San Antonio Scorpions, earns date with Houston Dynamo (video)

June 18, 2014 by Adam Uthe

FC Dallas defeated the San Antonio Scorpions in their first-ever meeting in Round 4. Photo: Erik Davila, FC Dallas

Tuesday night’s Fourth Round US Open Cup game in Frisco, Texas was the first ever meeting between NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions and MLS’s FC Dallas, but there was still plenty of hatred in the air. Thanks to a pair of second-half goals from Fabian Castillo and Andres Escobar, FC Dallas fans went home happy but the visiting Scorpions brought a busload of noisy supporters who helped create a lively atmosphere.

Unfortunately for the supporters, the game got off to a slow start with neither side creating many dangerous chances early on.

FC Dallas captain Blas Perez pulled a shot wide in the sixth minute while San Antonio midfielder Danny Barrera (formerly of Cal FC fame) managed to put a shot on frame that was saved by Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz three minutes later. Barrera was easily the most active player for the Scorpions as he put a shot on frame in the 17th minute and created several chances in transition for forward Eric Hassli, who played for FC Dallas in 2013. Fabian Castillo was the Dallas player giving San Antonio’s defense fits at the other end. He managed to earn Dallas several corners early in the first half, but none of them resulted in a decent chance for the home side.

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The game picked up towards the end of the first half when Barrera had a shot from inside the box parried by Seitz, but Hassli botched the rebound to keep things scoreless in the 32nd minute. Scorpions midfielder Freddie Braun, who replaced defender Adrian Cann just before kickoff, had a shot of his own saved in the 37th minute. San Antonio’s star midfielder Walter Restrepo, who made NASL’s Best XI in 2012 with Fort Lauderdale Strikers, was shaken up right before halftime but ultimately stayed in the game. San Antonio finished the first half with a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal despite Dallas owning the majority of possession.

The second half started with Dallas bringing central midfielder Andrew Jacobson on for rookie forward Tesho Akindele. Both teams started to match the energy their fans brought and in the 53rd minute Dallas midfielder Andres Escobar looked to have been fouled hard, but the Hoops were ultimately awarded a corner kick, drawing the ire of the home fans. Escobar would go on to earn a yellow card in the 57th minute for a reckless challenge on Restrepo as the game began to get rougher. Hassli returned the favor earning a yellow of his own in the 69th minute for a reckless foul on Dallas defender Moises Hernandez.

With the intensity rising in the second half it was only a matter of time until one team broke through and in the 74th minute Castillo scored to put the home side up 1-0. The Dallas winger was played in behind the Scorpions defense by Andrew Jacobson and managed to score from a tight angle by finishing between the legs of San Antonio keeper Jeremy Vuolo. The goal was Castillo’s third straight in all competitions. Seven minutes later Escobar added a second, courtesy of second-half substitute David Texeira, and the 2-0 scoreline would ultimately hold up as Dallas won its initial US Open Cup match for the second year in a row.

Next up for Dallas is another “Texas Derby” as they will travel to Houston to take on their MLS rivals at BBVA Compass Stadium on June 24th or 25th. San Antonio, who hadn’t played a competitive game for 10 days and needed four second-half goals in the previous round just to defeat Dallas-based amateur side North Texas Rayados, will break for the summer now that their NASL Spring season is over.

HIGHLIGHTS: FC DALLAS 2:0 SAN ANTONIO SCORPIONS

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: FC Dallas ends road drought with 2-0 win in Fort Lauderdale

May 30, 2013 by Pedro Heizer

FC Dallas registered their first road victory since 2007 in the US Open Cup Tuesday night in the Third Round, downing the NASL Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2-0 on second half goals from Blas Perez and defender Matt Hedges.

However, don’t let the score fool you, it was a very hard-fought and chippy game by both sides.

Strikers’ midfielder Walter Restrepo threatened the Dallas goal twice in the early moments of the match. His first shot from point-blank range was saved by Chris Seitz in the second minute and his second attempt in the 11^th minute, a chip shot over Seitz, hit the crossbar before rolling uncontested back into the Dallas keepers hands.

“The Strikers took it to us in the first half,” said FC Dallas’ head coach Schellas Hyndman. “A lot of that was enthusiasm, and they tried to set the tone early in the match.”

“He was an aggravation for us up front,” said Hyndman of Restrepo’s presence throughout the game.

“We knew Walter and Darnell had some speed that would give them trouble,” said Fort Lauderdale Strikers’ head coach Daryl Shore. “You have to give credit to the guys behind them that were able to put them in good situations. I thought for the first 54 minutes we were the better team. We’re very disappointed because we thought we deserved better given how we played.”

“We dominated the game for most part,” Restrepo said. “We had the better chances, but they were able to finalize on their two chances.”

FC Dallas finally broke through in the second half to take the lead.

Midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson found some space on the right side, curling in a ball that flashed across the box to Castillo at the far post. The Colombian tapped a ball to Blas Perez who was unmarked in front of goal and slid it under Strikers goalkeeper Matt Glaeser to put Dallas on top in the 54^th minute.

“That was one of the few crosses that we’ve made,” said coach Hyndman. “Getting that first goal always puts the pressure off and then I thought we even started playing better.”

Defender Matt Hedges added the insurance goal in the 66^th minute on a header. Midfielder Michel recorded the assist.

“Fort Lauderdale is a strong side,” said FC Dallas captain George John. “Any time in this tournament that you come into an opposing team’s field, it’s tough to get a victory. They came out with a lot of energy and had a couple of great opportunities, but luckily we were able to come into halftime with a clean sheet and regroup. We got two goals and were able to come away with the victory to move on to the next round.”

Dallas moves on to the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since 2011 and will host the winner of the match between the Houston Dynamo and FC Tuscon at FC Dallas Stadium on Wednesday, June 12.