FRISCO, Texas — FC Dallas found another hero off the bench on Wednesday, as forward David Texeira, who had not started for the Texas club since April, scored a brace to give Dallas a 3-1 win they desperately needed, over the Seattle Sounders at Toyota Stadium.
The first half saw Dallas control much of the play, with the Sounders mostly dangerous on the break. While Dallas ended up taking over the game by the end, Seattle produced plenty of threatening play in the second half, especially when Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins or Marco Pappa were on the ball.
The hosts first took the lead in the eighth minute, when Andres Escobar played a ball to Texeira on the right side of the Seattle defense, arcing it over Sounders defender Chad Marshall. The Uruguayan showed no rust in his finish, blasting a well placed shot past Seattle netminder Stefan Frei to the far post. It was his first goal since scoring April 12, coincidentally also against the Sounders.
With the second half picking up in intensity, Seattle changed the game for a time when Lamar Neagle came off the bench and equalized in the 58th minute. After receiving the ball in midfield courtesy of a sweeping backheel from Dempsey, Neagle unleashed a fantastic dipping shot from 30 yards up to the far upper corner, and Dallas 'keeper Raul Fernandez had zero chance to save the blast. It was reminiscent of his goal against Real Salt Lake on Sept. 12, and breathed life back into the game for the visitors.
But Dallas reasserted their control on the match. As the second half wore on, a lot of the danger for FC Dallas came from free kicks by Michel and dribbling runs by Escobar.
The eventual breakthrough came in the 78th minute. Another run at the Sounders defense by Escobar unlocked the Seattle back line and sent a centering pass through the six-yard box, and once again the Colombian connected with Texiera, who tapped the cross in behind Seattle's defense for his second goal of the night.
FCD tacked on an insurance goal in the 88th minute when Michel found Blas Perez in the box on a corner kick and the Panamanian international powered home a header that Frei could not keep out of the net.
The win gives Dallas more breathing room from fifth place in the Western Conference, nine points ahead of Portland, and getting closer to assuring them at least a fourth place finish. It also puts them one point behind Real Salt Lake in third place, who play the Whitecaps on Saturday in Vancouver. FC Dallas’ next game is Oct. 4, also at Vancouver.
Seattle, on the other hand, remain on 54 points, tied with the Los Angeles Galaxy for the best record in the league. The Sounders host Chivas USA on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.
