Superliga - Chivas over LA while FC Dallas and Pachuca tie

FC Dallas 1  Pachuca 1

Both FC Dallas and CF Pachuca came into Saturday night's SuperLiga match at Pizza Hut Park looking to set things right after both sides experienced disappointing results in their opening matches. But in the end, the sides finished in a 1-1 draw as they traded goals over the final quarter-hour, FCD getting a 75th-minute goal from Carlos Ruiz while the Tuzos scored the equalizer from a penalty kick by Christian Gimenez in the 87th.

Both teams came into the game feeling they had to win to advance to the next phase, and almost from the opening whistle, the host side launched an offensive. After a long throw-in by Adrian Serioux, FCD center back Clarence Goodson got his head on the ball to the right of the Pachuca goal but Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero got a hand on his effort at the far post to deny his bid.  The visitors proved especially dangerous in the 37th minute. Pachuca defender Marvin Cabrera sent a ball toward the right post and it deflected off Serioux and into the arms of Sala. Just seconds later, Pachuca got another chance when Carlos Rodriguez found some space on the left side. However, his shot was off just a bit and hit the left post.

FCD then closed out the first half with a flurry. In the 42nd, Ruiz took a direct free kick from about 20 yards out that would have put the Hoops ahead had Calero not come over to the left post at the last moment to make a diving save and send it over the endline for a corner.  Then in first-half stoppage time, midfielder Juan Toja found Goodson near the left post. The FCD center back headed the ball into the goal but his jubilation was short-lived as he looked over to his right and saw the linesman's flag up for offside.

After the halftime break, Pachuca had all the momentum and pinned the Hoops into their own end. But while Damian Alvarez, Rafael Marquez Lugo and Luis Gabriel Rey all had good looks at goal, none of them greatly troubled Dario Sala in the FCD goal.  FCD's first serious opportunity of the second half came in the 55th when Arturo Alvarez made a great run up the left flank and then cut the ball back inside. The Hoops midfielder then found Ruiz, who shot from near the arc, but Calero was there for a great stop in the heart of the box.

One minute later, Goodson was booked after delivering an elbow to the back of Lugo's head. The Tuzos took the ensuing free kick from about 22 yards out but Gimenez's attempt was deflected and then cleared away from danger.  The Hoops gave Pachuca another great chance in the 62nd when Bobby Rhine was shown yellow after a hard tackle on Alvarez. Gimenez took the free kick that was some 22 yards from goal and sent in a great ball around the wall that bent toward the far post, but Sala was there for a diving save.

FCD head coach Steve Morrow made his first change of the evening when in the 71st minute he brought on speedy Dominic Oduro for Ricardinho, a move designed to add some pace to the FCD front line. His first chance came in the 74th when Alvarez found him on a great cross into the middle of the box but Oduro's header went wide left.  FC Dallas then pulled ahead with 15 minutes to go. Rhine pushed up the right flank and hit a cross into the middle of the box. Oduro missed the cross, which Calero got a hand to, but Ruiz was waiting in the middle of the six and punched the rebound into the back of the net to give the Hoops a 1-0 advantage.

But the Hoops nearly surrendered the lead when, in the 76th minute, Lugo found some room near the right post. Fortunately for the FCD faithful, any aspirations he had of drawing the match level were dashed when his shot went wide left.  Then, in the 87th, Serioux was whistled by referee Samir Osman for a hard tackle on Alvarez inside the FCD box and the Tuzos were awarded a penalty kick. Gimenez stepped up to the spot and with Sala going left, banged it the other way to draw the match level.

The equalizer set up a wild final few minutes, with tremendous chances at both ends for the game-winner. In the 89th minute, Oduro got in behind a high Pachuca back line and ran onto a ball over top to head in one-on-one with Calero. But the second-year striker opted to send a ball toward the far post looking to find Ruiz instead of taking a shot, and missed the connection.  Just after the regulation 90 minutes rolled over, Pachuca's Andres Chitiva, who came on in the 69th minute, skipped around a couple of defenders and had a great look at the FCD net, but his effort from the middle of the box was saved by a perfectly positioned Sala. From the ensuing corner the ball fell at Chitiva's feet near the right post, but his shot was deflected into Sala's arms.

About three minutes later, Oduro once again got free behind the defense and again came in alone on Calero. But this time, with Ruiz yelling for the ball at the far post, Oduro toe-poked it toward goal and Calero was able to react quickly and deflect it wide left.  With the final whistle just moments later, both teams were left sharing a disappointing draw, after each had great chances to find a winner. FC Dallas now have two points heading in their SuperLiga finale against the LA Galaxy Tuesday (7 p.m. CT), while Pachuca have just one point and are in desperate straits if they are to advance to the semifinals, needing a victory against CD Guadalajara in their Group A finale, also on Tuesday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. (8 p.m. MT).

Chivas  2  LA Galaxy 1

Francisco Rodriguez and Omar Bravo each scored for Chivas de Guadalajara, as the Mexican side walked away with a 2-1 win Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the top spot in Group A in SuperLiga.  Los Angeles failed to generate any consistent possession or attack throughout the contest and was punished for it, conceding both goals in the second half. Landon Donovan scored a late consolation goal for the Galaxy, but it was too late to affect the final outcome of the match.  The opening half was a clear case of dominating possession for Chivas, without doing anything with it. The Mexican side showed their first signal of intent with a shot on goal in just the second minute, and created every scoring opportunity of the first half.

In the seventh minute Gonzalo Pineda decided to test Galaxy 'keeper Joe Cannon with a long range shot. From about 30 yards out Pineda shot from straightaway, but hit his shot right up the middle, allowing Cannon to make an easy save.  Chivas continued to dominate possession, limiting the Galaxy to very few opportunities to get forward. Despite owning the ball, service from the flanks let down Chivas every time they got forward, as cross after cross floated long and out of play.

At the half-hour mark, Chivas finally got a bit more direct with their attack as Sergio Santana went running free on the left flank. Santana dribbled into the area, cut inside of Troy Roberts and got off a shot. Roberts managed to recover in time though and stuck a boot in to deflect the attempt high and wide of the target.  Minutes later, Chivas wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead. Edgar Mejia shot from inside the area, only to see his shot saved by Cannon. The rebound bounced right to Omar Arellano, who had a gaping net in front of him. Arellano fumbled his first touch though, and missed the wide open goal.

Chivas remained the only team doing anything offensively, and again had a great chance go by the wayside in the 35th minute. Ramon Morales stepped over a free kick from 25 yards, and hit a curling effort over the wall pegged for the top corner. Only a diving save from Cannon kept the score level.  With his side struggling, Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop made an uncharacteristic first-half substitution, bringing Pete Vagenas on for Alan Gordon. The move did little to change the Galaxy's fortunes over the closing moments of the half though, as Los Angeles entered the locker room with just one shot to their credit to Chivas' 11.

Los Angeles finally recorded their first shot on goal in the 51st minute. Donovan managed a left-footed effort from distance, but caused Chivas 'keeper Luis Ernesto Michel little trouble, as he scooped the ball up for an easy save.  The Chivas possession finally was rewarded in the 60th minute, as they opened the scoring from a corner kick. A short corner was played to Omar Esparza, who sent the ball into the area. Rodriguez rose up to meet the cross and knocked a header into the bottom corner.

The goal lit a bit of a fire under the Galaxy, and in the 65th minute, Los Angeles came close to equalizing. Ante Jazic laid a ball off to Vagenas, who shot from the top of the penalty area. Vagenas' shot was targeted for the lower corner, but Michel made a diving save to keep it out of the back of the net.  Los Angeles missed out on another chance to equalize in the 76th minute. Jazic crossed the ball into the area and Carlos Pavon rose up and won a free header from point-blank range, but missed high over the crossbar.  Chivas delivered the dagger blow in the 82nd minute. Morales crossed the ball in from the left flank for second-half sub Omar Bravo. The Mexican international ran onto the cross and tapped it home from close range to put the game all but out of reach for Los Angeles.

The Galaxy was given a glimmer of hope in the 89th minute when Donovan was the recipient of a poor back pass. A Chivas defender tried to chest the ball back to the 'keeper, but left it well short. Donovan beat Michel to the ball and flicked it up over his head and into the back of the net to cut the deficit in half.  But the Galaxy could never threaten for the equalizer, and as a result, fall a point behind Chivas into second place in Group A with the loss. The Galaxy close out group play against FC Dallas, who drew with Pachuca earlier in the night. Los Angeles will need at least a draw at Pizza Hut Park to have any chance of advancing to the semifinals.