FRISCO, Texas – The Fourth of July fireworks began a little earlier than planned at Toyota Stadium.
FC Dallas were able to defeat the New England Revolution 3-0 on Saturday night, primarily behind the playmaking ability of midfielder Mauro Diaz – who played a part in all three goals on the evening.
The young Argentine put the home team on the board early following a foul against defender London Woodberry right outside the penalty box in the 8th minute. David Texiera positioned himself right outside the box and was tripped by Woodberry as he made a move toward the New England goal.
Diaz lined up to take the free kick outside the left side of the box, and he fired a shot on the ground underneath a leaping New England wall and out of the reach of a diving Bobby Shuttleworth to give Dallas a 1-0 advantage. The goal was only Dallas’ second goal from a set piece this season, just one season removed from scoring 15 from set-pieces.
Diaz also played a key role in Dallas’ second goal of the night in the 64th minute. The 24-year-old intercepted a ball from Revolution defenderJose Goncalves in the Revs' own third of the field and was able to find fellow midfielder Fabian Castillo rushing into the penalty box. Castillo’s initial attempt was saved by Shuttleworth, but the rebound caromed off of defender Jeremy Hall, who entered the game in the 62nd minute for an injured Kevin Alston, and right back to Castillo who tapped the ball in to double Dallas’ lead.
Diaz continued his offensive display in the 73rd minute when he maneuvered past Revolution midfielder Scott Caldwell and toward the New England penalty box. Diaz tapped the ball to a crossing Michael Barrios, who entered the game for Ryan Hollingshead in the 60th minute, and Barrios zipped the ball between Shuttleworth and defender Chris Tierney for his first career MLS goal and a 3-0 Dallas lead.
The Revolution had a chance to tie the game at one before the match got out of hand in the second half. Alston sent a cross from the right of the penalty box to the feet of Charlie Davies in the 47th minute, who tapped the ball right into the chest of a diving Dan Kennedy. The ball slipped out of Kennedy’s attempted trap with Revolution midfielder Daigo Kobayashi in position to take advantage, but Dallas defender Matt Hedges was able to clear the ball out of harm’s way after nearly being called for a hand ball.
Dallas extends its home dominance this season with the win and now sport a 6-1-2 record at Toyota Stadium. New England on the other hand has now lost five straight and have only won twice since the start of May.
Both teams hit the road next Saturday, with the Revolution visiting the New York Red Bulls and Dallas visiting Orlando FC.
