Dallas, TX
Jesús Ferreira, FC Dallas advance in Leagues Cup with win over Necaxa
FRISCO – The last time FC Dallas played Necaxa, it was handed a painful reminder of the progress still ahead of the club just three years into its existence, losing 4-1 in the CONCACAF Cup Winner’s Cup.
That was 1998. Fast-forward 25 years, and the clubs faced off again, this time in for a spot in the Leagues Cup knockout rounds. Unlike the 1998 matchup, FC Dallas beat Necaxa 3-0, securing its spot in the Leagues Cup Round of 32.
Not only was FCD looking to avenge that loss from 25 years ago, it needed to win to keep its Leagues Cup hopes alive. It fell in penalties to Charlotte FC in its first game, but moved past that performance to secure the win against Necaxa.
“This game is so funny. We were so upset and disappointed coming in here,” FC Dallas midfielder Sebastian Lletget said. “You have to forget all about what happened against Charlotte and move forward against Necaxa, and we put on a performance like that and I’m really proud of this team.”
FCD gained an advantage early on, as Necaxa was forced to play with 10 players after just 11 minutes. In a moment of transition, Jáder Obrian played a through ball to Bernard Kamungo who slipped behind the Necaxa defense before a hard slide tackle from Alán Montes sent him to the ground.
Montes was shown a red card, and the man advantage allowed FC Dallas to control the pace of the game. It took just 13 minutes for FCD to take full advantage of the extra man, as Lletget scored following a deflected pass from Kamungo.
Kamungo was FCD’s most dangerous player and created chaos down the right side. The goal came as a result of him taking on his marker, drawing an extra defender whose intervention placed the ball in front of Lletget in the box.
“We have to reward ourselves because we work so hard to get in those positions in the box,” Lletget said.
He was most effective getting in behind, timing his runs well and using his speed to beat defenders one-on-one. Despite not scoring, he was a major reason for FCD’s 10 shots in the game.
Not only did the win secure FC Dallas a spot in the knockout rounds, but the team was finally able to see its offensive adjustments pay off. Though FCD has created more chances in recent matches, it has lacked the finishing touch in front of goal, and the focus to hold onto a lead late in the game.
That was the story of FCD’s loss to Charlotte FC in its Leagues Cup opener. Following that game, head coach Nico Estévez said they “changed the way they want to attack,” and that was on display against Charlotte despite the loss.
The attacking game plan was more aggressive, and focused on creating overloads and taking advantage of space out wide. That resulted in two near-identical goals in Friday’s game, and worked again against Necaxa, resulting in FCD’s largest win of the season.
“I’m glad that the things that we’ve been working on are helping us to score goals. That is the most important thing,” Estévez said.
The first two goals both came from moves on the wings creating confusion in the middle for the Necaxa backline. Lletget’s run came due to Kamungo occupying two defenders on the first goal, and Ansah’s goal came after an overload on the right side allowed him to become wide open at the far post for Lletget’s cross.
For the final goal, FCD showed the finishing touch it had been missing as its star, Jesús Ferreira, confidently slid his shot past the goalkeeper after he intercepted a poor pass in Necaxa’s half.
It wasn’t easy for FC Dallas all night, though, as Necaxa nearly turned the game upside down early in the second half. After a momentary burst out of the locker room, FCD let the game get sloppy around the 50th minute, resulting in multiple dangerous chances from Necaxa.
Necaxa was most dangerous off crosses, and created favorable matchups in the box to set up headers at goal. It came closest to flipping the game in the 53rd minute, when Andrés Colorado beat his man to the near post, and drilled his header into the ground towards the bottom corner. A heroic save from Maarten Paes kept the ball out of the net, as he was able to fully extend to his left, getting a fingertip on the ball to push it past the post.
Paes wasn’t tested much throughout the game, but him making that save kept FCD in the game at the time. It can be difficult for a goalkeeper in a sudden moment like that, but Paes credited the save to his preparation and concentration.
“It’s just a matter of concentration,” Paes said. “My goalkeeper trainer always says never take mental breaks because you never know when it’s gonna come.”
That moment seemed to flip the switch for FC Dallas, as it went on to score two more goals and regain control of the game.
The win also seemed to be a way for the team to turn the page as its key players continue to return and contribute. Lletget scored in consecutive games, Ferreira scored for the first time since returning from international duty and Paul Arriola made his first appearance off the bench since May 13.
“When everybody’s doing their job in this team, we can do some special stuff,” Lletget said.
FCD now waits on the result of Necaxa vs. Charlotte FC to determine whether or not it wins the group. Either way, the win officially secures FCD a spot in the Round of 32.
speed to beat defenders one-on-one. Despite not scoring, he was a major reason for FCD’s 10 shots in the game.
On Twitter: @peter_rauterkus
Dallas, TX
Sources: Giants’ DeVito expected out vs. Dallas
New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito is expected to be out for Thursday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys because of his forearm injury and Drew Lock is expected to start in his place, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jordan Raanan.
DeVito is listed as questionable for the Thanksgiving Day game, but a source told ESPN on Wednesday that DeVito was considered a long shot to play.
He did not travel with the team to Dallas on Wednesday as he was undergoing further evaluation, the Giants said. The team, however, said it expected him to travel to Dallas later Wednesday.
DeVito took several big hits in Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was making his first start of the season after the Giants released former starter Daniel Jones late last week.
The Giants turn to Lock after bypassing him following the benching of Jones for DeVito. Lock spent the first 10 weeks as the backup, with DeVito as the third string/emergency quarterback.
Lock has a short week and no real practices to get ready for the matchup of NFC East rivals. He also will be playing behind an offensive line without its starting tackles. Andrew Thomas (foot) is on injured reserve and Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) was ruled out Wednesday.
Dallas, TX
Colorado visits Dallas after shootout victory
Associated Press
Colorado Avalanche (13-10, in the Central Division) vs. Dallas Stars (13-8, in the Central Division)
Dallas; Friday, 9 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Stars -140, Avalanche +116; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche after the Avalanche took down the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in a shootout.
Dallas is 13-8 overall and 4-2-0 against the Central Division. The Stars have a 4-2-0 record in games they score at least one power-play goal.
Colorado is 13-10 overall and 2-3-0 against the Central Division. The Avalanche have a 2-5-0 record in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.
The teams meet Friday for the first time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Duchene has 12 goals and 14 assists for the Stars. Mason Marchment has five goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.
Cale Makar has eight goals and 22 assists for the Avalanche. Mikko Rantanen has eight goals and seven assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Stars: 6-4-0, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.1 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
Avalanche: 7-3-0, averaging three goals, 4.8 assists, 2.6 penalties and 5.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
INJURIES: Stars: None listed.
Avalanche: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Dallas, TX
Kidd breaks the silence, gives first update on Luka Doncic’s sudden wrist injury
The Dallas Mavericks’ bad injury and availability luck this season continued into Wednesday evening, as Dallas will be without Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson, Dante Exum, and Luka Doncic against the New York Knicks tonight.
While no one expected Doncic and Exum to play as they are both out with wrist injuries, both Thompson and Gafford had a chance at playing. Thompson will be out for the second straight game with left foot plantar fascia, and Gafford is out with an illness.
This illness has been no joke for Dallas, as both Quentin Grimes and Dereck Lively II were listed on the injury report, but both are available against the Knicks.
The Mavs have found a way to win two of the three games that Doncic has missed due to this sprained wrist that he unexpectedly suffered against the New Orleans Pelicans last Tuesday, and Mavs head coach Jason Kidd gave the first update on Doncic’s status when it comes to the wrist injury on Wednesday night.
“He looks good,” Kidd said at his pregame media availability. “Everything that has come back that he looks good and is getting closer to coming back.”
Kidd then continued to talk about how Doncic has been going through “individual workouts,” and everything that he has “heard or seen is trending in the right direction.” He went through a pregame workout at the American Airlines Center with his wrist taped despite being out, and this is a good sign.
It’s typical for Kidd and the Mavericks to limit what they tell the media when it comes to players’ injuries, but the fact that Doncic is going through workouts and responding well is a good sign. Doncic has not been able to catch a break this season, as he has dealt with a calf contusion, knee contusion, and this wrist sprain over the last two months, and this week-plus off should help get him back to being 100 percent.
He didn’t even seem to be 100 percent with his knee when he injured his wrist against New Orleans, and him getting this time of rest could be huge for him in returning to playing at an MVP level. This wrist injury happened so suddenly against the Pelicans, and even Doncic didn’t know the exact moment it happened. He said that the pain started early on in the game, and it got worse as the game went on. Doncic dubbed his wrist injury as “nothing serious” in his postgame press conference from last Tuesday night, but his availability lately says otherwise.
This season for Dallas, Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from downtown, and while his numbers are down, Kidd remains confident in his superstar. Kidd emphasized that Doncic is still “human” last week when asked about his slow start to the season, and even though Dallas is finding ways to win without him, his return is going to help take this team to another level.
His teammates miss having him on the floor with them, and the Mavs are a completely different team when Doncic is fully healthy and cooking with gas. It has been a while since Mavs fans saw Doncic fully healthy considering the downpour of injuries that slowed him down during the playoffs, and he and Kyrie Irving will have the chance to help push this team back to the top of the Western Conference once he returns from this wrist injury.
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