MLS FC Dallas

FC Dallas Downs USL Affiliate OKC Energy, 2-1 in Preseason Finale

Published on February 27, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


FC Dallas Celebrates a Goal vs. OKC Energy FC
FC Dallas Celebrates a Goal vs. OKC Energy FC
(FC Dallas, Credit: Steven Christy/OKC Energy)

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - FC Dallas' Atiba Harris scored and picked up an assist in a 2-1 win against its USL affiliate Oklahoma Energy FC, tonight at Taft Stadium.

With the preseason officially in the books, FC Dallas now focuses in on its season-opening match against the Philadelphia Union presented by AdvoCare, set for next Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m. in Toyota Stadium. To purchase tickets for that match visit www.FCDallas.com or call 888.FCD.GOAL (323.4625).

Tonight, FC Dallas opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Tesho Akindele accepted a pass, turned and ran at the OKC Energy defense. Akindele's dribble opened space on the right flank for Harris to get forward. The St. Kitts and Nevis man made his move and Akindele curled a pass with the outside of his foot, into the path of Harris, who cracked a right-footed shot with his first touch. The line-drive blast gave Oklahoma City goalkeeper Cody Laurendi no chance to react before it caught the far upper corner of the goal to give Dallas an early 1-0 lead.

The visitors went up 2-0 in the 15th minute on another first-touch strike. Harris was involved again. The defender took a pass from Mauro Rosales on the right side and fed a ball across the top of the area to Timo Pitter. The German, drafted in the second round of last month's MLS SuperDraft, buried the shot in the far upper corner. The strike was Pitter's sixth goal of the preseason.

Oklahoma City pulled a goal back in the 27th minute, when Michael Byskov broke free inside the area and got off a hard shot towards the back post. The midfielder's shot appeared to be headed wide of the back post but the velocity of the shot gave FC Dallas defender Zach Loyd little chance to get out of the way. In a stroke of bad luck, the ball caught a piece of Loyd and trickled into the back of the net to make it 2-1.

Akindele nearly gave Dallas its second two-goal lead of the night in the 43rd minute. The Canadian international pounded a header on goal on a corner kick served in by Rosales, but Laurendi came up with a huge, diving save to his left side.

FC Dallas held on to the ball and preserved its lead for much of the second half but Oklahoma City pushed forward in search of a game-tying goal in the final minutes. Pitter eased the pressure for Dallas several times with long dribbles down the right flank. He nearly picked up an assist on a shot by Akindele in the 78th minute, after weaving his way through the Energy FC defense.

Pitter also set up defender Agustin Jara in a similar fashion in the 87th minute but the trialist pushed his back-post header just wide of the post.

The 2016 FC Dallas home opener vs. Philadelphia Union, presented by AdvoCare, will be at Toyota Stadium on Sunday, March 6th at 2:00pm. For tickets and match details go to www.fcdallas.com.

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Images from this story

FC Dallas Celebrates a Goal vs. OKC Energy FC
FC Dallas Celebrates a Goal vs. OKC Energy FC
(Steven Christy/OKC Energy)		   



Major League Soccer Stories from February 27, 2016


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