FRISCO, Texas – FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea scored with two minutes left to play to hand the home side a 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy on a stormy night at Pizza Hut Park.
READ: Postgame notes from LA @ FCD match
Fabian Castillo notched his first MLS goal two minutes after halftime by looping home from inside the penalty area, but Landon Donovan equalized five minutes later by poking home at the far post.
Lightning storms drove the players from the field for more than a hour with just a few minutes left on the clock, but Shea snatched all three points for FCD when play resumed as his cross drifted into the far side netting. The result ended the Galaxy's five-game unbeaten streak.
FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman made just one injury-forced change to his starting XI after last Saturday's 2-1 comeback victory at Vancouver. Eric Avila made his second start of the season in central midfield with David Ferreira ruled out for several months after suffering a broken right ankle against the Whitecaps.
Juan Pablo Angel returned to the lineup for LA after coming on as a halftime substitute in last Saturday's 3-0 home win over Portland. Angel partnered Chad Barrett up top in the Galaxy's 4-4-2 formation with Miguel Lopez omitted from the squad entirely with a left knee contusion. David Beckham retained his place in the starting XI after attending the Royal Wedding in London on Friday and traveling to Dallas on Saturday.
Neither side really found a rhythm in the opening stanza, though each did carve out a couple of chances. FCD nearly caught the Galaxy napping in the 16th minute, when Martin Chavez drifted into an open area to collect a throw-in and sliced toward the penalty area. He curled in his effort to the near post, but Donovan Ricketts reacted quickly to push the effort around the post.
LA gradually improved and started to come into the match as it progressed toward halftime.
Beckham's clipped service into the penalty area almost located Landon Donovan near the penalty spot, but Kevin Hartman rushed off his line to avert the danger. Hartman's interjection came at a stiff price, though, as he caught teammate Jair Benitez's left leg on the play, forcing the defender from the match with a left knee injury. Zach Loyd replaced him in a straight swap at left back.
Barrett scuffed an opportunity to give LA the lead one minute before halftime. FCD couldn't clear Beckham's free kick from the right flank and the ball bounced kindly for Barrett. But the Galaxy forward snatched at his chance to ensure the sides enter the break on level terms.
Castillo finally opened the scoring for FCD two minutes into the second half. Andrew Jacobson flicked Jackson's throw-in to Castillo on the second attempt and the Colombian forward scooped his effort over Ricketts and inside the far post for his first MLS goal.
Donovan replied five minutes later to draw the Galaxy level. Juninho played a cutting ball toward the back post. Both Donovan and Zach Loyd crashed toward the goalframe, but the Galaxy man apparently managed to slide behind Loyd and poke home his second goal of the campaign.
HIGHLIGHTS: Galaxy 1, FC Dallas 2
LA nearly scored again two minutes later as Donovan collected a fortunate bounce off Ugo Ihemelu and knifed through two FCD defenders into the FCD penalty area. But Hartman did well to stand tall and push Donovan's effort aside.
By this point, the torrential weather in Frisco enveloped the field and fostered attacking play from end-to-end. Chavez once again went close for FCD after a quick move through midfield concocted by Shea. But Chavez’s effort skimmed just wide of the far post.
Both sides made changes as the second half progressed in order to conjure up a winner, but neither side could create the decisive chance before lightning invaded the area and forced the players from the field for an hour.
Shea ensured the hearty fans went home happy with his goal two minutes from time. A curled cross from the left floated over Ricketts and into the far side of the net. Whether intended or not didn’t matter. It meant three points for Dallas.
Scoring Summary:
DAL -- Fabian Castillo 1 (Andrew Jacobson 1, Jackson Goncalves 2) 47
LA -- Landon Donovan 3 (Juninho 1, Juan Pablo Angel 2) 51
DAL -- Brek Shea 2 (Zach Loyd 2) 88
LA Galaxy -- Donovan Ricketts, Sean Franklin, A.J. DeLaGarza, Omar Gonzalez, Todd Dunivant, David Beckham (Chris Birchall 83), Landon Donovan, Juninho, Mike Magee (Paolo Cardozo 72), Juan Pablo Angel (Jovan Kirovski 83), Chad Barrett.
Substitutes Not Used: Frankie Hejduk, Bryan Jordan, Michael Stephens, Josh Saunders.
FC Dallas -- Kevin Hartman, Jackson Goncalves, George John, Ugo Ihemelu, Jair Benitez (Zach Loyd 36), Eric Avila (Ricardo Villar 69), Daniel Hernandez, Andrew Jacobson, Brek Shea, Fabian Castillo (Eric Alexander 89), Marvin Chavez.
Substitutes Not Used: Maykel Galindo, Milton Rodriguez, Bobby Warshaw, Chris Seitz.
Misconduct Summary:
LA -- Juninho (caution; Reckless Foul) 55
Referee: Alex Prus
Referee's Assistants: Rob Fereday; Adam Garner
4th Official: Allen Chapman
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 21,867
Weather: Rain-and-49-degrees
