Major League Soccer is a league that is often ridiculed by fans of the European game, mainly because they haven’t really sat down and given it a proper chance. So then, if you happened to switch on FC Dallas vs Vancouver Whitecaps last night, you were in for a real treat as the two Western Conference strugglers played out a thrilling four-goal draw.
Bottom of the table scrappers
Dallas are in 12th place in the conference whereas Vancouver are lingering in bottom spot in 13th. These two teams weren’t supposed to put on any kind of clinic and there probably wasn’t meant to be all too much excitement but instead of conforming to what was expected of them, they went out there and put on a real show. Sure, the end result may not have been what either would’ve wanted coming in, but this kind of hard shows that they’re heading in the right direction.
MLS drama
A goal late in the first half and then a 94th minute own goal to equalise with the lead changing twice? Sign us up. We’re well aware of the fact that the MLS receives a lot of stick for the quality of the league as a whole but in terms of drama, there are very few like it across both North America and Europe. They know and understand what it means to really make it in the MLS because one or two good seasons over there could lead to brighter fortunes.
The only way is up?
It’s hard to draw momentum from a 2-2 game where both sides probably felt like they had a good chance of winning it, but such is the complicated nature of the MLS structure. Neither team will view themselves as realistic playoff contenders and neither should they because this campaign should be all about building blocks.
They’ll almost certainly have even tougher games coming up on the horizon and this should be one to look back on and say “we learnt a thing or two there”, which in this instance, goes for both Dallas and Vancouver.
Match Report
Dallas: Maurer (5.5), Nelson (7), Burgess (6), Bressan (5.5), Che (6.5), Acosta (7.5), Quignon (6), Hollingshead (7.5), Ferreira (7), Obrian (6), Pepi (8), Sealy (6.5), Pomykal (6.5), Ricaurte (6), Jara (6)
Vancouver: Crepeau (7.5), Brown (6.5), Godoy (6.5), Rose (7.5), Gutierrez (6.5), Bikel (6.5), Dajome (6), Alexandre (6), Teibert (6.5), Caicedo (7.5), Cavallini (7.5), Metcalfe (6), White (6), Nerwinski (6), Veselinovic (4.5), Raposo (6)
Referee: Ramy Touchan
Goals: Pepi, Veselinovic OG :: Cavallini, Rose
Yellow Cards: Acosta, Obrian, Cavallini, Alexandre, Metcalfe, Nerwinski
Red Cards: N/A
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