Here we go again with another draw. How else could I start a report on this match? The Thursday night ESPN2 tilt ended in a 1-1 draw in FCD’s only trip to Chicago this year. FC Dallas struck first on a 6th minute goal from midfielder David Ferreira only to be equalized by a missed offside call in minute 40 when Chicago Fire forward Brian McBride headed home the equalizer. No one else found the back of the net it what turned out to be a so-so performance by both teams. FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea did find the net in the first half but was judged to be offside. Replays seemed to show it was a harsh call. But I will say it again. Play through it. Don’t cry over the calls or lack thereof. If you want to be the referee, be the referee. FCD defender Ugo Ihemelu got caught playing ref on McBride’s header and Dallas paid for it. It doesn’t matter if you think he was offside and in this case he clearly was. The call was made by the Assistant Referee that he was onside and that’s the way it is. It may be wrong and unjust but that is the system and it is not going to change for awhile. And don’t forget, FC Dallas has benefitted from a few calls already this year and I warned all in an earlier piece that paybacks were heck. Anyone remember Avila’s obvious handball against Columbus or Yeisley’s Mexican League worthy dive against Seattle that stole FCD a point each? I thought so.

Dallas must be disappointed in their display as they came into the game with 4 wins in 4 attempts at Toyota Park, 8 straight years with the Brimstone Cup and to be up 1-0 after 6 minutes you know they had to be thinking 3 points is ours for the taking. Dallas’ Ferreira got off the scoring snide with his first tally of the year when he beat Fire keeper Andrew Dykstra from 10 yards out after abusing Fire defender Wilman Conde and faking out fellow Fire defender CJ Brown to give the north Texas boys an early lead. Conde looked bad throughout the night but Chicago’s Mike Banner might have had a worse night when in minute 36 he somehow had an open net from 3 yards out but put the ball about 6 yards OVER the crossbar. Not sure how he did it but I saw it and played it back about 5 times to make sure I was not seeing things. Then, in minute 40, FCD seemed to revert to the old “mistake at the worst possible time” scenario that has defined this team for a few years now and let McBride head one from 12 yards out that beat FCD keeper Kevin Hartman who appeared to be stuck in no mans land. It appeared Ihemelu “knew” he was offside so he quit on the play and it seemed like FCD defender George John started to jump but heard something as did not get up like he usually does. And Hartman was out at the 6 yard box and seemed surprised McBride got a head on it.

After the break FC Dallas seemed content to get a single point but again to me, that’s not good enough. So now, after 10 games, they do only have 2 losses but they stand with all of 2 wins and 6 draws for 12 points. Times that by 3 and you get 36 points and a seat in front of the big screen watching the MLS playoffs. Dallas just packed it in, especially after the 60th minute when FCD midfield Mr. Everything Dax McCarty got injured and had to leave the game. Then it seemed like 75% of the time Ferreira was back with the defenders which really doesn’t help any offensive presence you hope to create. Why Dallas did not go for the win I do not know. In fact, given there previously stated dominance of Chicago, especially in Illinois, and the fact that Chicago has not won a game since April 24th and since then they have gone 0-2-3 in MLS matches has to be disheartening. It’s been proven lately if you stop Dax, FCD is pretty helpless and has to resort to a game of long ball. And with FCD forward Jeff Cunningham playing like he did in 2009’s first half and no other viable forward options available, scoring more than 1 goal in a game is getting harder and harder.

The next game, a home tilt Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park against the San Jose Earthquake, will probably not provide any more answers for FCD fans. I could see them scoring 5 goals and all being right with the world just as easily as I could see them dominating for 89 minutes only to have a brain fart and lose 1-0. It still is a long season but 10 games are down the drain and those 18 lost points can never be recovered. And let’s see if they can improve on the stat thrown out there on television. FCD is first in shots, second in shots on goal but ninth in goals scored. The pressure on Milton Rodriguez to produce when he arrives in mid-July is getting larger with each passing game.

Player ratings

On scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest:

Hartman 6 – only really needed to make one save and he didn’t do it
Loyd 6 – nice assist on long pass, had some troubles too
Ihemelu 5 – he can play much better than this
John 5 – ditto Ugo’s comment
Benitez 4 – has looked bad 2 straight games, even if he doesn’t think so
Hernandez 5 – not making positive things happen
McCarty 7 – I added a point since team looked so lost without him
Harris 6 – not a forward ok, end of experiment please
Shea 7 – best FCD player on field tonight
Ferreira 7 – he gets an added one for the very nice goal. Now he has as many goals scored as Ugo. Since he is the attacking mid this can’t be good
Cunningham 4 – this may be too high a score, yikes

Substitutes:
Guarda 5 – he’s know Dax grandma
Pearce 6 – looked a little off but lots of effort
Yeisley 5 – came on for Brek but didn’t outperform him