FC Dallas’ run in MLS Playoffs comes to an end

FC Dallas had the better of the ball in the early going and nearly found the back of the net when Marvin Chavez picked off a Red Bull New York clearance attempt at the top of the area in the 14th minute. Chavez put himself in perfect position and controlled the ball in a tight space before firing a shot just wide of Frank Rost’s left post.

Dallas had another chance to go ahead in the 19th minute when Brek Shea controlled the ball on the left flank before sending a low cross into the area for Jackson. The Brazilian forward stretched out to get a foot on the cross, redirecting a shot on goal, but the attempt was directly at Rost, who made an easy save.

Chavez earned FC Dallas a free kick, 25-yards away from goal in the 28th minute. The chance began with a counter-attack in which Chavez was brought to the ground after cutting inside on Red Bull defender Tim Ream. Ream was shown a yellow card for the tactical foul, but Jair Benitez was unable to convert the chance. The defender’s bending attempt cleared the wall, but was caught cleanly by Rost.

Red Bull earned its first scoring chance in the 32nd minute. On a play that was very similar to Dallas’ counter-attack chance, Ugo Ihemelu was shown a yellow card for a foul on Dane Richards. New York’s chance, taken from just outside the left side of the box, was passed latterly to Teemu Tainio, who fired a line drive shot towards the back post. Just as the ball looked to have made its way through a crowd of players inside the area, Shea stuck out his right foot from behind an attacker to block the shot.

New York’s pressure continued through the 37th minute, when a partial clearance fell to the feet of Ream at the top of the area. The U.S. National Team defender had time to bring down the ball before launching a hard shot towards goal, but FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was in position to punch away the chance and keep New York off the scoreboard heading into the half.

Red Bull New York’s first goal came in the 61st minute when Joel Lindpere found the ball in the middle of the field and fired a long shot towards goal. Hartman made a nice diving save to his left side, but the rebound was collected by Richards and dropped into the path of second half substitute Mehdi Ballouchy. Ballouchy took a touch before sending in a cross on the ground, which was redirected past Hartman for the 1-0 lead.

FC Dallas’ hopes of coming from behind for the third time this season improved in the 78th minute when Red Bull defender Jan Gunnar Solli was shown a red card for a tackle from behind on midfielder Daniel Hernandez.

Playing with a one-man advantage, Dallas created two chances to even the score. The first came in the 87th minute when a short pass from Fabian Castillo to Maicon Santos opened enough space for the forward to knock a low, hard shot by Rost, but the attempt just missed the left post. Dallas’ second chance came in the 89th minute. The play began with a throw-in to the feet of Shea, who turned his defender and got off a hard shot, which Rost punched out for a corner kick.

With FC Dallas pushing all its numbers forward for a goal to extend its season, New York added a second goal in stoppage time. The goal came when a ball was cleared forward to Thierry Henry, who was the only player on Dallas’ defensive side of the field. All alone, Henry dribbled in alone against Hartman and got off a shot that was initially saved, but the rebound dribbled to the far post for the forward to knock over the goal line.