FRISCO, Texas (Saturday, Oct. 16) – FC Dallas (17-8-8, 59 points) came from behind to defeat Seattle Sounders FC, 2-1, tonight at Toyota Stadium.
Maxi Urruti and Carlos Ruiz scored second half goals for Dallas. The second came in dramatic fashion in the 89th minute, when Carlos Gruezo centered the ball for Diaz, who chipped a first-touch pass into the path of Ruiz. The 37-year-old netted his 89th MLS goal, volleying a shot past Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei. The win sets up a Supporters-Shield-deciding match in LA next weekend, when FC Dallas takes on the Galaxy with the Colorado Rapids (15-6-12, 57 points) just two points behind them.
Diaz began the match with a good look at Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the 11th minute. Ryan Hollingshead came forward from his position at right back, combined with Kellyn Acosta and served a ball into the area for Michael Barrios. Dallas’ leading goal scorer brought the ball down out of the air with one touch, setting up Diaz, but the Argentine could not keep his shot under the bar.
Barrios slipped another pass inside to Diaz in the 16th minute. In open space, Diaz threaded a pass in on goal to Maxi Urruti. Frei charged off his line to challenge the FC Dallas forward and caught enough of the shot to direct it away from goal.
Seattle’s Herculez Gomez thought he had put his side up 1-0 in the 34th minute following a Sounders FC corner kick. FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz slapped a chance away from Seattle center back Roman Torres, the loose ball fell to Gomez, who finished off the chance, but referee Mark Geiger whistled Torres for a foul on Seitz prior to the goal.
Seattle’s Nicolas Lodeiro curled a free kick over the FC Dallas wall and just inside to the post to Seitz’s left side in the 41st minute. The goal was Lodeiro’s fourth since joining Sounders FC during the summer transfer window.
Victor Ulloa, who came on for an injured Acosta just before halftime, earned a free kick for Dallas in a dangerous spot in the 56th minute. Diaz whipped a ball to the back post, where a wide open Matt Hedges looked to be in position to tie the score, only to lose sight of the ball in the sunlight. The ball skipped past Hedges and went out for a Sounders FC throw.
Dallas’ second substitute of the match, Mauro Rosales sent a similar free kick to the back post for Hollingshead in the 69th minute. The defender was able to track the ball and smacked a header on goal but Frei was in perfect position to snatch the ball out of the air and keep the score, 1-0, in favor of Seattle.
Urruti tied the match for Dallas in the 79th minute after Hollingshead earned Dallas its third dangerous free kick of the half. Diaz sent a ball into the air for Hedges, who redirected a shot on goal. The attempt was saved off the line by Seattle’s Cristian Roldan but Urruti cleaned up the garbage, poking the loose ball just inside the back post to make it 1-1.
Ruiz’s game-winner came 10 minutes later. It was the forward’s 25th game-winning goal in MLS. For Diaz, the assist was his 13th of the season. The most for an FC Dallas player since David Ferreira was named MLS MVP in 2010.
Scoring Summary:
SEA – Nicolas Lodeiro 41
DAL – Maxi Urruti 79
DAL – Carlos Ruiz (Mauro Diaz) 89
FC Dallas – Chris Seitz, Ryan Hollingshead, Matt Hedges, Walker Zimmerman, Atiba Harris, Carlos Gruezo, Kellyn Acosta (Victor Ulloa 37, Carlos Ruiz 77), Tesho (Mauro Rosales 67), Mauro Diaz, Michael Barrios, Maxi Urruti.
Substitutes Not Used: Jesse Gonzalez, Aubrey David, Norberto Paparatto, Getterson.
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei, Chad Marshall (Zach Scott 63), Joevin Jones, Tyrone Mears, Roman Torres, Cristian Roldan, Nicolas Lodeiro, Alvaro Fernandez (Aaron Kovar 74), Erik Friberg, Jordan Morris, Herculez Gomez (Oneil Fisher 88).
Substitutes Not Used: Tyler Miller, Michael Farfan, Tony Alfaro, Darwin Jones.
Misconduct Summary:
DAL – Carlos Gruezo (caution) 40
DAL – Maxi Urruti (caution) 45+1
SEA – Tyrone Mears (caution) 58
Referee: Mark Geiger
AR1 (bench): C.J. Morgante; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Ted Unkel
Weather: Sunny, 88