An FC Dallas own goal proved decisive in a 1-1 draw with the host Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday afternoon.
Goalkeeper Maarten Paes made four saves for Dallas but had no chance when teammate Paul Arriola put the ball in his own net in the 34th minute to level the score.
Sebastien Ibeagha scored for Dallas (1-1-1, 4 points).
Goalie Yohei Takaoka stopped one shot for the Whitecaps (0-2-1, 1 point).
Dallas opened the scoring in the 5th minute.
Nkosi Tafari intercepted a Vancouver clearing attempt a few yards outside the top left corner of the 18-yard box. He sent a cross to Ibeagha, whose glancing header from about 8 yards out from the center of the goal found its way into the bottom right corner of the net.
Takaoka maintained the one-goal game with a point-blank save on Arriola in the 7th minute.
Paes kept the Whitecaps off the board in the 15th minute, making a diving, one-handed stop on Brian White’s volley from 6 yards out.
Ibeagha nearly doubled Dallas’ advantage in the 33rd minute but his header off Jesus Ferreira’s corner kick clanged off the crossbar.
A minute later, Javain Brown’s long throw-in from the right wing was headed along the top of the 6-yard box by Ranko Veselinovic. Arriola was trying to box out the Whitecaps’ Ryan Gauld just outside the far post but stuck his leg out and redirected the ball into the upper corner of the net.
Vancouver nearly took the lead in the closing seconds of the half but Paes made a diving save on White’s header from 6 yards out.
After a wide-open first half, there were far fewer quality scoring chances after the intermission.
Gauld had perhaps the best in the 70th minute following a free kick, but his low, 15-yard attempt from the center of the penalty area went just wide of the right post.
Dallas’ Marco Farfan just missed the upper left corner of the net with a 15-yard volley in the 78th minute.
Vancouver’s Sergio Cordova had his shot on the counterattack saved by Paes a minute later.
A sliding Cordova couldn’t get his foot on a low cross in second-half stoppage time.
–Field Level Media
