MIDLAND, TX--For the second consecutive season, the West Texas United Sockers have made history, becoming once again the only club in the Premier Development League to defeat a Major League Soccer franchise, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory over FC Dallas on Tuesday at Grande Communications Stadium.
Sockers’ forward Lukas Garcia scored, unassisted, from 20 yards out as regulation time expired in the second half to clinch the win, sending the crowd of more than 2,500 into a frenzy and capping a thoroughly entertaining contest. The West Texas United Sockers are the first PDL franchise in history to defeat an MLS squad in consecutive seasons.
West Texas United’s Wally Valdivia scored on a one-timer from Dominic Furness just four minutes into the match. That play established the attacking offensive temp which the Club had been seeking and made the crowd an immediate factor in the match. After the goal, FC Dallas played much more aggessively in the offensive zone, firing eight shots at Sockers’ goalkeeper Leif Craddock in the first half.
Craddock was called for a foul in the goal box during the 30th minute; Ruben Luna scored on the ensuing penalty kick for FC Dallas, evening the score. Just before halftime, FC Dallas forward Andrew Wiedeman nailed a wide-open shot off the goalpost from ten yards out, maintaining the 1-1 tie.
At halftime, FC Dallas switched goalkeepers, replacing starter Chris Seitz with Carsten Christensen. Craddock was replaced by Jaime Ibarra-Perez in the 69th minute. One stipulation of the match to which both sides agreed was that each club could make up to nine substitutions, rather than the seven permitted under PDL rules.
The Sockers and FC Dallas exchanged goals in the 59th and 66th minutes (Joe Munoz from Monty Urias and Wiedeman from Ravid Gazal, respectively), and it looked as if the match was destined to end in a draw before Garcia split three FC Dallas defenders and sent a high, arcing shot just past the fingertips of a leaping Christensen and less than three inches under the crossbar.
A key factor in the win was the Sockers’ impermeable defense, which allowed FC Dallas just two shots and one corner kick in the second half.
"It was nice to be able to have the defensive players, and all of the players for that matter, gain some confidence heading into a crucial four-game homestand starting Friday night," Sockers assistant general manager Jeff Von Holle said. "Our defense was really tested by FC Dallas’ speed, which should prepare us for the explosive offenses we will see from Rio Grande Valley and Laredo this weekend."
This match marked the third consecutive year that West Texas United has brought professional soccer to the Permian Basin. In 2010, the teams played two exhibition matches; FC Dallas won both—3-0 in Dallas and 2-0 in Midland. Last season, The Sockers won a similarly-entertaining match, also using a late goal to secure a 2-1 victory.
"To bring the FC Dallas brand here is huge for our franchise and community," Von Holle said. "To be able to compete with a team of that caliber shows our fans the quality of soccer this team is capable of."
NOTES: FC Dallas allowed more than two goals for just the third time this season...the Sockers did not record a corner kick during the match...West Texas United defender Farid Sapien received a yellow card in the 74th minute for a reckless tackle, the only card give during the match...Emerson Hyndman--the 14-year-old grandson of head coach Schellas Hyndman--entered the game for FC Dallas in the 86th minute...the Sockers return to PDL play this weekend with two matches at home (June 24 vs. Rio Grande Valley and June 25 vs. Laredo).
