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Rocha scores for Dallas in 1-1 tie with Sounders

May 17, 2009 - 4:02 AM By AMIT KALUSKAR STATS MLS Correspondent

FRISCO, Texas (STATS) -- For 47 minutes, it was the expansion Seattle Sounders FC that looked like one of the original MLS teams and not FC Dallas. That is until Andre Rocha's goal three minutes into first-half stoppage time helped FC Dallas tie 1-1 with Seattle on Saturday night.

Rocha redirected a long volley from Marcelo Saragosa on the left flank into the left corner of the net. Saragosa crossed a pass from about 35 yards away to Rocha, who took a sliding shot with his right foot from outside the right corner of the goalie's box just before the whistle.

Seattle (4-2-3) took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute after Jhon Kennedy Hurtado beat Saragosa to a loose ball and then tapped in a shot from 12 yards away into an empty net for his first career MLS goal. Nate Jaqua set up the score with a cross from inside midfield.

"We're upset and frustrated," Jaqua said. "We did enough to win the game and we didn't put the game away. We definitely learned something from it."

Last-place Dallas moved to 1-6-2 despite failing to score more than one goal for the seventh time in eight games this year.

"Andre scored a great goal and we came in (to halftime) with some enthusiasm," Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said. "It was a difficult first half,they came into our stadium and moved the ball around, scored one goal and could have had a couple others."

Brad Evans almost scored for the Sounders in the 36th minute with a right-footed shot from inside the penalty box, but his shot hit the top of the left post and bounced away from the net. Seattle's Fredy Montero came close to scoring on a shot from near the top of the goalie's box in the 5th minute, but his shot was deflected.

"I feel like we left two points on the table," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "A point is better than a loss, but we don't want to be an inchworm just inching along."

Brek Shea had a chance to score for FC Dallas in the 69th minute with a header from the top of the goalie's box but Kasey Keller stepped in front to make the save. Keller finished with four saves while FC Dallas' Ray Burse made two saves.

"It was the perfect ball in, I should have scored," Shea said.

FC Dallas lost two starters to injury during the first 30 minutes of the game. Forward Jeff Cunningham left in the 24th minute with a left hip injury and was replaced by Shea while defender George John left in the 28th minute with a right hamstring injury and was replaced by Daniel Torres.

Seattle was without midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, who did not make the trip to Texas due to a migraine headache.

"I thought we were a little disjointed," Schmid added. "We had a couple new guys playing, but at the end of the day it's no excuse we should have put the game away in the first half."