FRISCO — FC Dallas needed penalties to do it but converted all five kicks to defeat Minnesota United on a penalty shootout 5-4 following a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time at Toyota Stadium on Monday night.
FCD goalkeeper Maarten Paes dove to the right to save Wil Trapp’s penalty, Minnesota’s second, meaning Alan Velasco’s cheeky paneka to keep FCD perfect from the spot was the deciding kick.
“I’d decided from the first minute,” Velasco said. “I saw the goalkeeper was taking a risk, jumping a bit before the shot and I imagined he was going to do it on the last one as well.
“Luckily, the goal went in, and we go through to the next round.”
FCD secured the result by the smallest of margins, but the club is onto the conference semifinals against Austin FC on Sunday.
Going into the game, FCD knew it needed to always keep an eye on Minnesota United No. 10 Emanuel Reynoso, the team’s leading scorer and assist-giver. With that in mind, Estévez started midfielder Facundo Quignon to serve as his shadow and mark the fellow Argentine out of the game. Keeping him quiet all match proved to be impossible, however, and he opened the scoring in the 53rd minute.
“I know Bebelo Reynoso from Argentina. I played against him there and know him and have seen him play a lot. I tried to be close, more than anything when they came out on the counter-attack so he didn’t have time to think because if you players of his class think, with the quality they have, they’re able to score a lot of goals,” Quignon said after the match.
A long ball from Trapp in the midfield fell to the feet of Bongokuhle Hlongwane. As he approached the box, several FCD players closed in to try to dispossess Hlongwane, but he somehow kept control and found Reynoso arriving at the top of the area, ready to send a left-footed laser past FCD’s Paes.
On the verge of elimination, FCD found a goal to bring things level once again. Velasco, in his first start for more than a month after suffering a thigh injury, whipped in a corner kick won from a Arriola shot.
Center back Matt Hedges nodded his ball across the face of goal where Quignon headed in from point-blank range and was off to celebrate the equalizer.
“I think it was really important how the team responded to a goal against,” Estévez said. “It shows the mentality of this young group.”
Center back Matt Hedges nodded his ball across the face of goal where midfielder Facundo Quignon headed in from point-blank range and was off to celebrate the equalizer.
Hearts were racing for fans at Toyota Stadium again as seconds later Minnesota had the ball in the net shortly after the restart, only for relief to set in after seeing the assistant referee raising his flag to indicate Reynoso was offside.
And in the 83rd minute there were more nervous moments as Velasco tried a back heel in his own half that was intercepted and turned into a Robin Lod shot that Paes smothered.
Not that FCD didn’t have its own chances as regular time was ticking down. In the 88th minute, Paul Arriola chipped a clever ball over Minnesota’s back line looking for Brandon Servania, who had entered the match at halftime for Paxton Pomykal after the starter suffered a hamstring injury.
Servania was in the right place but couldn’t get his timing right to bring down the ball or put a volley past St. Clair. With neither side able to break the deadlock, the game went to a half-hour extra time period.
Extra time didn’t start well for FCD, as Arriola had to come off with what appeared to be a groin issue and Ferreira began to chat with the training staff as well. He soldiered on, as did Velasco, with central forward Franco Jara coming into the game to give the attack a different look.
“It’s obviously challenging,” midfielder Sebastian Lletget said of recovering after such a long match. “Tonight, try to get as much sleep as possible, tomorrow day off and we’ll build into the week.”
The perfect chance arrived when Nanu, also in as a change for extra time, galloped past his defender on the wing and put in a cross that deflected and fell to Ferreira in front of goal. After he scored 18 goals in the regular season, it was a good bet he’d kill off the game, but the forward scuffed his shot. Sebastian Lletget had an effort as well, but St. Clair got down to keep the ball from crossing the line.
The game looked like it would be tight from the opening whistle in a first half in which both teams played like they were more worried bout avoiding defeat than finding a win. Minnesota ended the first half with an eye-popping nine interceptions as the visitors clogged the passing lane and kept FCD from putting together the smooth scoring moves that characterized the close of the club’s season.
That meant free kicks presented FCD’s best opportunities to score. Alan Velasco hit a corner kick to the far post in the 33rd minute and found Arriola’s head, but St. Clair nabbed the ball before it could cross the line.
The Argentine winger again went to the back post with a free kick in the 43rd minute and drew the goalkeeper off his line. With the goal open, FCD center back Jose Martinez looked to direct it home with a spectacular overhead kick but instead made contact with a Minnesota defender and was whistled for a foul.
FCD’s final kick of the match ended up being just as audacious and spectacular, one that FCD fans will see over and over again on video highlights. However, the team hopes it continues to add to its playoff highlight reel next weekend in Austin, giving fans even more to celebrate - and perhaps less to stress about this next time around.
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