FC Dallas left PayPal Park with three valuable Major League Soccer points on Saturday night, holding off a furious late response from the San Jose Earthquakes to secure a 3-2 win in a fixture that swung from the opening minute until deep into stoppage time.
The visitors wasted no time in taking control. Patrickson Delgado fired FC Dallas ahead after just 1 minute, stunning the home crowd and immediately forcing San Jose to chase the match. The Earthquakes responded well, though, and their growing pressure was rewarded in the 18th minute when Beau Leroux found the equaliser to make it 1-1.
That level scoreline held through the interval, and San Jose had reason to feel encouraged after a strong first-half response. The Earthquakes saw plenty of the ball, finishing with 55 percent possession, and they also won the corner count 12-4, underlining how often they pushed Dallas back toward its own penalty area.
But the start of the second half belonged to the away side. Petar Musa restored the FC Dallas lead in the 49th minute, a timely goal that shifted the rhythm of the match back in the visitors’ favour. Dallas looked increasingly dangerous in transition and matched San Jose’s total shot count with 16 attempts, while also putting 9 efforts on target compared to the Earthquakes’ 7.
As the second half wore on, the contest became more stretched and more physical. Daniel Munie went into the book for San Jose in the 48th minute, while Ramiro was shown a yellow card for Dallas in the 61st. Benjamin Kikanovic was cautioned for San Jose in the 85th minute, and the late tension only intensified in stoppage time when Nolan Norris and Christian Cappis picked up bookings for FC Dallas before the final twist.
That twist initially looked like it would settle the fixture. Reid Roberts struck in the 81st minute to give FC Dallas a 3-1 cushion, and with the clock ticking beyond 90 minutes, the visitors seemed to have done enough. San Jose refused to go quietly, however, and Samuel Sarver pulled one back in the 90+3rd minute to set up a nervy ending.
The Earthquakes threw numbers forward in search of a dramatic equaliser, but Dallas held firm through an extended spell of stoppage time to see out the result. It was not a night short on attacking intent from either side, with both teams registering 16 shots, but FC Dallas proved more clinical in the decisive moments.
For San Jose, the defeat will sting given the volume of pressure they created at home and the way they rallied late. For FC Dallas, this was a resilient road performance built on efficiency, early initiative and just enough composure when the fixture threatened to slip away.
Goal scorers: Patrickson Delgado 1′ (FC Dallas), Beau Leroux 18′ (San Jose Earthquakes), Petar Musa 49′ (FC Dallas), Reid Roberts 81′ (San Jose Earthquakes), Samuel Sarver 90’+3′ (FC Dallas).
