FRISCO - Soccer can be a game of inches.
FC Dallas learned that first-hand on Wednesday night at Toyota Stadium in their 0-0 draw against Guatemalan champions Suchitepequez.
"It was a game where we couldn’t put that final touch or even that final blow on the one that Carlos had," said Oscar Pareja after the match. "We were a team that couldn’t score tonight and I have to accept it because that’s part of the game."
Despite 27 shots on goal and over 70% possession, Dallas was unable to find the breakthrough. After a tight first half, Carlos Ruiz, making his first start for FC Dallas since 2007, saw his shot smack the crossbar early in the second half. After that, second half substitute Tesho Akindele saw a clear PK shout turned away before Ruiz would slip on a chance fumbled by the Suchitepequez goalkeeper that was just inches from crossing the line before it was cleared.
"It wasn’t going our way," said Akindele. "We hit the post and I definitely should’ve had a PK...Carlos had one where he just lost his footing and it was just a game where nothing seemed to go our way."
With the draw, FC Dallas still leads the CCL group with one game left in Guatemala City against Suchitepequez on Thursday, October 20th. FCD needs a win or draw to advance to the CCL quarterfinals for the first time in club history.
"The series is open and now we’ll go into Guatemala against a team that showed today that they’re fighting as well," said Pareja. "We need to go there and get a result."
