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FC Dallas gets quick jump on Red Bulls

Apr 13, 2008 - 4:38 AM By Ken Costlow PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FRISCO, Texas (Ticker) -- Goals from Arturo Alvarez and Kenny Cooper paced FC Dallas to a 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park.

It was the first win of the young season for FC Dallas (1-0-2, 3 points) following two draws in its opening two contests. New York (1-1-0, 3 points) sustained its first loss.

Alvarez got the game off to a quick start for FCD, scoring on a header from 12 yards to the right of the spot off a cross from Andre Rocha just 51 seconds into the contest.

It was the second-fastest goal from the start in FC Dallas history, after Aaron Pitchkolan's 31-second opening strike against Chivas USA on May 22, 2005.

In the 22nd minute, Alvarez had a chance for a second goal, breaking free for an open run from 40 yards in front, but New York goalkeeper Jon Conway narrowed the angle and deflected Alvarez's attempt away.

"(Arturo) got some great chances early in the game and seemed to be finding open space really well," Alvarez's strike-partner, Kenny Cooper, said. "He's such a dangerous player and it's such a pleasure to go down the field like that."

Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio admitted that surrendering a goal so quickly from the opening whistle changed the complexion of the match immediately and sent him scrambling for a new plan of attack far earlier than he had planned.

"That was my biggest complaint with the team. Any team that wants to be successful, you cannot concede a goal in the first minute," Osorio said. "Obviously, that has a great impact on the game. However, I think the team showed strength of character to come back and play some good football and create some chances. If I'm honest, the first half should have been 1-1 or 2-1."

Cooper doubled the FC Dallas lead in the 66th minute by taking a long pass from the left sideline from defender Adrian Serioux, dribbled in from the top of the arc and beat Conway with a shot to the right corner of the goal.

Serioux has made a career of long passes and through-balls, especially from throw-ins, and he was excited to have had a part in the goal that virtually sealed the victory.

"I have to give credit to Cooper for making a great run and that makes my job a lot easier," Serioux said. "It's something we noticed at halftime, that (New York's) defenders were playing a lot tighter on him. There was more room for him to spin off and expose them, and that's exactly what he did. I guess I gave him a great pass to run on to and he put it away."

The Red Bulls were without offensive juggernaut Juan Pablo Angel, who missed the contest due to a strained left hamstring. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Oscar Echeverry.

New York had three strong chances for an equalizer midway through the first half, but Dave van den Bergh's lob shot from the left sideline was saved by FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala, Oscar Echeverry's 27-yard blast in front sailed long and Jozy Altidore fired wide of the right post off a cross from Danleigh Borman.

Altidore and Borman's considerable advantage in quickness and pace presented problems the entire game for FCD defender Drew Moor and midfielder Dax McCarty, but Moor and McCarty were equal to the task in the second half.

"We talked about a lot of things at halftime, like giving (New York) too much room in the middle of the field," FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow said. "They had a little 3-on-3 in the middle of the field and Dax got caught in it a couple of times. We cleared that up at halftime and told Dax to get a little tighter and then brought Juan (Toja) back in to make it a 3-on-3 in the middle.

"They threw a lot of bodies forward in the last 20 or 30 minutes, but I think we defended well in the second half."