Frustration reigned supreme for FC Dallas as it settled for a 1-1 draw with the visiting Colorado Rapids on Saturday in Frisco, Texas, and failed to clinch a playoff berth in the teams’ penultimate match of the regular season.
FC Dallas (10-10-13) has now drawn five straight outings and has lost just once in its past 15 matches across all competitions. But the lack of wins has the Toros scrambling for a playoff spot as Dallas heads to its final match on the road against LA Galaxy tied with Portland and San Jose with 43 points and likely needing a win to earn a fifth trip to the playoffs in the past six years.
The Rapids (5-16-12, 27 points) have long been eliminated from the postseason and will end the season with the second-worst record in MLS. But that reality did not keep Colorado from putting its best foot forward and battling Dallas throughout.
Colorado took the lead in the 25th minute when Rafael Navarro was in the right place at the right time to pounce on a free kick from Cole Bassett that clanged off the crossbar and calmly directed the rebound past Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes.
After both teams had shots on goal in the 35th minute from Dallas’ Marco Farfan and the Rapids’ Calvin Harris, the Toros produced the equalizer in the 37th minute.
Alan Velasco curled a free kick over the wall and into the upper-left corner of the net over Colorado keeper Marko Ilic to tie the match. The free kick was granted after Bassett fouled Paxton Pomykal five yards outside the box.
Navarro had a good chance to push the Rapids back to the front in the 64th minute but was turned away by Paes in the bottom-right corner. Then, in the 72nd minute, Colorado’s Kevin Cabral beat Paes after a scrum in the front of the net but had his shot cleared off the line by Farfan to keep the match knotted.
Dallas quickly countered, with Jesus Ferreira ripping a shot off the left post just a minute later.
–Field Level Media
