LAFC Frustrated With Draw at Home vs. FC Dallas

It was a slight bruise on the chin for LAFC in their second game ever in the engaging confines of Banc of California Stadium. A second half goal by FC Dallas ruined a fairly tight game by LAFC, annoyed by the 1-1 draw between the MLS Western Conference contenders on a very warm Saturday afternoon.

"It's easy to say that the problem was that we didn't score goals. We had a lot of chances to finish the game. When you miss, you are in trouble and there is a problem, there is only one goal... We lost two points at home." said LAFC forward Carlos Vela.

LAFC Head Coach Bob Bradley: "Overall we have good starts. In the first half we scored a really good goal. But the reminder at halftime was that it's only 1-0. And now there's this whole part of how do you finish games?"

Defender Steven Beitashour got LAFC off to a quick 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. It was a beautifully coordinated strike leading to Beitashour's angled placement into the far left corner of the net. The setting: Diego Rossi passed to Vela who passed back to Rossi cutting towards the goal. A clean touch pass right to Beitashour brought the crowd to its feet.

LAFC's offense continued to pressure Dallas throughout the first half as the festive crowd led by The 3252 fans section felt more scores were on the way. LAFC controlled the ball 56.9% of the time in the first half. They had seven shots at goal with four on target. They had eight crosses and six corner kicks. But the scores never came.

"We started the second half with two really good chances. There were some moments in the second half where we were a little slower with the ball, which turned into some counters for them," said Bradley.

"So that would be the area where I felt like we weren't good enough and we then paid the price and we had a few more chances to win. We hope to continue to understand all the little things that go into those games."

LAFC had a couple of good chances to increase the lead early in the second half. In the 50th minute Mark-Anthony Kaye sprayed a left-footed blast from just outside the goal area. The crowd moaned while Kaye curled in agony. Rossi kicked a short punch high over the goal on a perfect pass from defender Benny Feilhaber four minutes later.

FC Dallas tied the game in the next minute. Maxi Urruti took a pass from Santiago Mosquera, pivoted unabated at the top of the penalty arc and laced a fine low shot into the right side of the goal. LAFC goalkeeper Tyler Miller was hung out to dry by a defensive lapse. The home crowd felt the uncomfortable sting of Urruti's equalizer.

LAFC had a total of six shots at the goal in the second half but none of them were on target. In the 71st minute Rossi made a surgical pass up the right side of the field to Omar Gaber breaking away. Omar attacked Dallas goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer at an extreme angle and painfully missed a slicing attempt at the far left post.

In the last minute of the match Vela almost drew blood on a short left-foot turn-around that skirted just right of the post and rebounded out of bounds into the backside of the goal net, momentarily teasing the sold-out crowd of 22,000. The draw gives second-place LAFC a credible 5-2-1 start to its inaugural MLS season.

Vela concluded: "I think this team played really well and tried to be an attacking team and has scored goals. We have tried. It's the way we want to play. We are doing well. Of course we have to finish the games, even more at home. We'll have another chance on Wednesday."