GAME RECAP
UNION vs FC DALLAS
MARCH 6th
WRITTEN BY: CHRIS WINKLER | PHOTOS COURTESY USA TODAY
Dallas, Texas (March 6, 2016)
If you had to pick the toughest place to start
a new era, Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas might
be pretty high on the list. Facing the defending
Western Conference regular season champs in their
2016 MLS Regular Season opener, the Union knew
they would have their hands full. That doesn’t even
include the fact the Union were breaking in seven
players who would make their club debuts.
But all in all, there was some progress even if
the scoreboard didn’t show it. The Union lost 2-0
and were fortunate to have Andre Blake in goal. But
it was an inspired second half effort that saw the
Union wind up winning the possession battle. In the
end, it just wasn’t enough.
“I thought we were a little timid to start the
match,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said. “They put
us on our heels. We survived the first 15 minutes
but… If you look at both goals they came on bad
giveaways in bad spots. It’s difficult. It’s a learning
experience but I was happy, for the most part, with
our younger guys. We made two big mistakes and a
team like Dallas will punish you for that.
“We learned a bunch from this game,” he
continued.
One thing learned – in case you didn’t know – is
that Blake is pretty good. The 2014 No. 1 overall pick
again stood on his head, making eight saves to
keep the Union alive. Some were of the spectacular
variety, like usual.
“He was huge today,” one of the seven debutants
Chris Pontius said. “Unbelievable some of the saves
he made. He kept us in it. That’s what you ask from
your goalkeeper.”
Said Curtin of Blake: “He really showed up and
bailed us out – a lot. He had a good game, but I felt
we left him out to dry far too much, especially at
the end of the game. I thought we could have done
a better job to push for the goal, when it was 1-0.”
Blake’s heroics have come often, despite this
being only his eighth career MLS game. On top of
last year’s franchise-record 10 saves against New
England, he’s also had games of seven and five.
“It was a good game. They’re a very good team,”
Blake said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the win. It’s
my job to be back there, to try to help my team
and do whatever I can.”
The vaunted FC Dallas attack struck pretty much
how you would expect. In the 22nd minute, Mauro
Diaz had enough space to perfectly carve a pass
through the Union defense for a streaking Fabian
Castillo. The speedy winger was in alone and beat
Blake through his legs for the 1-0 lead.
In the second half, after a Union turnover, it
was again Diaz picking out the right pass, this time
finding Maximiliano Urruti for the final dagger, 2-0.
“Their front four is dangerous as there is in our
league,” Curtin said. “We knew it would be a tough
task. They got in behind us a little more than we
would have liked. They had more of the possession
in the first half. In the second, I thought we were
able to get a hold of things a little better, but
then made a mistake on the second goal and they
punished us.”