MLS FC Dallas

FC Dallas Takes Top Spot in Major League Soccer with 4-0 Win over Orlando City SC

Published on July 5, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


FRISCO, Texas (Monday, July 4) - FC Dallas (10-5-4, 34 points) thrilled a sellout crowd of 16,195 by defeating Orlando City, 4-0, tonight at Toyota Stadium.

FC Dallas took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute after Mauro Diaz and Maxi Urruti pressured Orlando high and earned a corner kick for the home side. Diaz took the corner from the right flank and found Walker Zimmerman wide open in the area after making a hard dash towards the near post. Zimmerman netted his second goal of the season with a first-touch finish to the back post.

Dallas took a 2-0 advantage 10 minutes later when Atiba Harris won the ball back at midfield. The St. Kitts and Nevis defender directed his header at Urruti, who brought the ball down cleanly and slipped a pass into the area on the ground to Michael Barrios. The second-year FC Dallas midfielder snuck in behind his defender, accepted the pass from Urruti and chipped a shot over Orlando goalkeeper Joe Bendik's right shoulder to put FCD up, 2-0, in the 21st minute.

Fabian Castillo nearly made it 3-0 in the 41st minute when he combined with Barrios at the penalty spot. Barrios' return pass sent Castillo in alone against Bendik, but the goalkeeper arrived just in time to knock the ball off Castillo's foot and hold the deficit at 2-0.

Bendik was called upon to deny Castillo of another goal in the 45th minute. The goalkeeper appeared to take down Castillo in the box at the beginning of the play, but the Colombian popped right back up in an attempt to fire the loose ball into the back of the net. Bendik made a save, low to his left side on Castillo's second attempt. He also pushed Urruti's shot, Dallas' eighth of the half, out for a corner kick to bring an end to the half.

Former FC Dallas star Brek Shea nearly made the play to give Orlando its first shot on goal in the 57th minute, but captain Matt Hedges arrived just in time to cut out the midfielder's pass, which was intended for forward Cyle Larin.

Three minutes later, Hedges found the back of the net at the opposite end of the pitch on Diaz's second assist of the game and ninth of the season. Barrios earned the free kick that led to the goal and Diaz played a curled ball to the front post, where Hedges redirected a shot to Bendik's right side to make it 3-0.

Orlando's first shot of the match came in the 71st minute, when Darwin Cerwin snuck in a late run at the back post and attempted to beat FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz, low to his near post. Seitz collected the ball easily and finished the match with a clean sheet without having to make a save.

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