FC
Dallas edges Whitecaps, climbs to top of West
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[September 24, 2018]
Matt Hedges headed home the
winner in the 87th minute, and visiting FC Dallas beat the Vancouver
Whitecaps 2-1 on Sunday to climb into first place in Major League
Soccer's Western Conference.
Maximiliano Urruti sent a corner kick into the box and Michael
Barrios flicked on a header at the near post. Hedges attacked the
ball at the far post and headed it in to break a 1-1 tie.
FC Dallas (15-6-8, 53 points) jumped over Sporting Kansas City
(15-8-6, 51 points) for the top spot in the West.
The defeat was a blow to the Whitecaps' playoff hopes. Eighth-place
Vancouver (11-11-7, 40 points) sits four points behind the Seattle
Sounders (13-11-5, 44 points) for the West's sixth and final playoff
position. The Whitecaps have dropped back-to-back matches after
going unbeaten in six straight.
Kei Kamara's goal in the 66th minute had lifted Vancouver into a 1-1
tie.
Kamara outjumped a defender to head in Alphonso Davies' cross from
the left flank. Davies, a 17-year-old Canadian sensation headed for
Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga after the season, triggered
the play by dribbling the ball through and around defenders with a
burst of speed.
The goal was Kamara's team-leading 13th of the season.
Santiago Mosquera scored in the 42nd minute for Dallas to open the
scoring.
Vancouver's ability to perform well in a big game was questioned in
days leading up to the contest. However, the Whitecaps did little to
quell their critics in the first half, managing no shots on target
and only causing two corner kicks.
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Davies did force Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez to stop a
deflected shot in the 33rd minute. Still, the Whitecaps were not
overly dangerous otherwise as Dallas enjoyed a slight edge in
possession before the break and generated six corner kicks.
Mosquera opened the scoring when he headed Urruti's free kick past
Whitecaps goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic.
Vancouver winger Yordy Reyna returned from a one-game suspension for
yellow-card accumulation but was held in check most of the game as
Dallas denied the Whitecaps many of their trademark counter-attacks.
Whitecaps left back Brett Levis departed after the first half due to
a left quadriceps strain. He was replaced by midfielder Nicolas
Mezquida as coach Carl Robinson adjusted his formation, going with
three defenders.
--Field Level Media
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