Relentless pressure dooms FC Dallas

Rocha's first goal not enough to carry Dallas to win

Andre Rocha scored his first goal of the season for FC Dallas in the loss to D.C. (Getty Images)

FCD are still winless on the road, having scored just three goals in their matches away from Pizza Hut Park. With Moreno's first goal in the 56th minute, five of the 14 goals that FCD have given up have come in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

FCD coach Schellas Hyndman ran out the same lineup he did in the 2-0 loss at Chivas USA last Saturday, minus suspended goalkeeper Dario Sala. Ray Burse replaced the Argentinean between the pipes; Sala was issued a red card for handling the ball outside of the penalty area in that loss.

United pressured Burse immediately as Moreno collected a rebound near the top left corner of the penalty area in the fourth minute, cut back inside and swung a bending shot that 'keeper saw at the last second and punched away with both hands.

Four minutes later, the energetic Moreno darted toward open space some 30 yards from goal and his right-footed blast eluded Burse but slid just wide of the left post.

Moreno collected the ball in a similar location a minute later but chose to swing the ball wide to Chris Pontius, who was running hard through the right channel. But his low blast met the same fate, skimming just wide of the left post.

Drew Moor nearly gift-wrapped a goal for United in the 25th minute, turning the ball over to Santino Quaranta in the midfield, but the Dallas native recovered in time to force a shot from distance that bounced wide.

FC Dallas matriculated into United's half of the field for their first significant attack in the 25th minute, finishing with Pablo Ricchetti combining with striker Kenny Cooper for a scoring chance that was foiled deep in United's end of the park.

However, United cleared quickly, catching FCD with an immediate counterattack the other way. Luciano Emilio in tandem with Moreno barreled down on Marcelo Saragosa and Ricchetti, exchanged the ball near the top of the penalty area before the Bolivian's right-footer curled squarely off the right post. Clyde Simms picked up the carom but his attempt was deflected just over the bar.

Completely against the run of play however, Rocha got inside position on Rodney Wallace and flicked a header from a Dave van den Bergh corner kick between goalkeeper Milos Kocic and Ben Olsen, who was hugging the near post, to make the score 1-0 in the 28th minute.

Emilio and United continued to dominate possession and generated two quality chances just seconds after the goal. Emilio lunged near the six-yard box to get a significant piece of a Quaranta cross from the right flank that trickled tantalizingly wide of the left post. Olsen got into a dangerous position inside the penalty area just moments before that but his shot was blocked.

Van den Bergh responded nicely to those, testing Kocic with a low skidder that the young 'keeper had trouble corralling cleanly off the wet turf.

United continued where they left off in first half, attacking decisively, but Burse was equal to the task, stoning Emilio from near the six-yard box in the 49th minute. Moreno did well to get space on the left touchline before floating a ball to the far post to a wide open Emilio but Burse made a superb reaction save to knock the ball to safety.

Dallas finally succumbed to United's pressure in the 56th minute. Bryan Namoff sent an optimistic ball from deep over the Dallas back line that Moreno collected and settled with a deft, left-footed first touch before knocking a low shot through Burse, who got a piece of it but not enough to keep it out of the net to make the score 1-1.

Emilio was released all alone behind the FCD backline a few minutes later but his final touch around a sliding Burse was too firm for a direct shot at goal. The Brazilian sharpshooter retrieved the ball however, just before it made its way over the end line, cut back and feigned a shot around Burse sliding in the other direction before finally having a go that was deflected and ultimately cleared off the goal line by an alert and calm Daniel Torres.

Moreno's class was on display again, slipping though the heart of the Dallas back line and calmly chipping the ball over a charging Burse to give United lead 2-1 in the 66th minute. Christian Gomez, who came on for Olsen just short of the hour mark, collected the ball some 30 yards from goal and played a smooth ball through to the MLS all-time goal scoring leader for his second goal of the match and 124th of his career.

United didn't quite stop after that as Pontius nearly extended the lead in stoppage time but Burse wasn't going to have it, sliding hard and taking the shot off the face to deny the rookie his second goal of the season.

Chris Snear is a contributor to MLSnet.com.

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