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February 19, 2010
DALLAS WORKS PAST UCF 4-0
Luna highlights with two goals, one assist
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Atiba Harris put Dallas on the scoreboard first in a 4-0 win over Central Florida in Orlando, Friday night.
Photo by Michael Stephens |
FC Dallas tripped the University of Central Florida 4-0 for a fast start to its preseason trip to Orlando, Florida. Goals went to Atiba Harris, rookie draftee Eric Alexander and two goals by FCD Juniors player Ruben Luna.
FCD arrived in Orlando late Wednesday afternoon and is training twice a day. The team will play Florida International University in another scrimmage before playing the New England Revolution Feb. 23 in a scrimmage at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (Field 1) at 10 a.m... This game was finalized after Dallas left for the Florida training period.
Then Dallas will play in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, a four-team tournament. FCD faces Toronto FC (Feb.25) at 8:30 p.m. Pre-ceding that game at 6 p.m. the Dynamo plays the New York Red Bulls. Two days later, the losing teams meet in a 6 p.m. match and the winning teams tangle for the championship at 8:30 p.m...
Friday, in the scrimmage against UCF, Dallas manufactured plenty of chances to score, but fired blanks early on. Harris did score in the sixth minute, converting a cross from Brek Shea, but that was recalled on an offsides call. David Ferreira teamed up with defender George John just five minutes later, but John’s header was wide. Soon enough, Eric Avila opened up space in the box on a nice run, but Ferreira only found the goalie after taking Avila’s pass.
Finally, FCD scored just two minutes before time in the first half after a free kick by Avila started a pin-ball effect that resulted in a goal. Avila’s kick found John, who returned the ball to Avila, who sent it right back. John then sent it to Harris, who finally found net at the back post.
FCD youth then took center stage in the second half. Dallas expanded the 1-0 halftime lead quickly enough, scoring again just six minutes into the second stanza when rookie Alexander fired a shot, then picked up his own rebound to notch a goal and put the Red Stripes up 2-0.
Luna, from the U18 FC Dallas Juniors, then put his stamp on the game in the second half in a big way. He already had assisted on Harris’ goal six minutes after the intermission. Luna drew a foul in the 56th minute, but Daniel Hernandez's hard free kick was parried out by the ‘keeper and his second shot off the rebound hit the outside of the net.
Luna got on the scoreboard four minutes later when he lobbed a pass from Harris to the back post to make it 3-0 in favor of Dallas.
Dallas showed they could score opportunistically, adding a fourth goal in the 82nd minute after a Bryan Leyva interception in the back. He sent the ball to Luna, who muscled by his defender and scored again on a shot right past the post.
FCD Scoring:
Atiba Harris (George John) 43
Eric Alexander (Ruben Luna) 49
Ruben Luna (Atiba Harris) 59
Ruben Luna 82
FCD Lineup:
Dario Sala (Josh Lambo 46), Zach Loyd (Edson Edward 58), Ugo Ihemelu (Kyle Davies 62), George John (Steve Purdy 62), Anthony Wallace (Jair Benitez 63), Eric Avila (Ruben Luna 46), Bruno Guarda (Bryan Leyva 58), Daniel Hernandez (Misho Fahim 68), David Ferreira (Eric Alexander 28), Brek Shea (Dane Saintus 63), Atiba Harris (Duke Hashimoto 60)
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