Until the 73rd minute Tuesday night in Frisco, Tex., D.C. United had manufactured few opportunities against FC Dallas. At best, it seemed, United would claim one point at a venue where it had not won in 16 years.
Dallas, TX
Taxi Fountas’s second-half strike gives D.C. United rare win at FC Dallas
United (8-9-5) had gone 0-6-2 in its previous eight matches at Dallas (8-8-5); its most recent win had come in September 2007. With 12 games left, D.C. has surpassed last year’s MLS win total.
Fountas, the club’s leading scorer last season, broke the deadlock after collecting Mateusz Klich’s pass at the top of the penalty area. His initial shot was blocked by sliding defender Sebastien Ibeagha, but the ball caromed back to Fountas for a 17-yard one-timer that he curled into the far lower corner.
Fountas made his first start since returning from Greek national team duty; he came off the bench in the previous two matches. He was one of seven new starters Tuesday.
With his team playing for the second time in four days and facing another game Saturday, D.C. Coach Wayne Rooney decided to shuffle his lineup.
“I wanted fresh legs on the pitch,” he said. “It’s always a gamble when you make so many changes, but I felt the lads were ready to give me energy. The lads who came in all did a good job.”
Most notable was his decision to replace goalkeeper Tyler Miller with Alex Bono, whose only previous action this year had been in the U.S. Open Cup.
Rooney encourages his keepers to leave the penalty area, a risky tactic designed to extinguish threats and restart attacks. Miller had handled the responsibility well until recently, when he conceded two goals after charging out of the box and was beaten on a shot from beyond midfield.
“The decision on Tyler was the exact same as the other players,” Rooney said. “Of course, it gets highlighted a bit more because he’s a goalkeeper. … But I just felt having fresh minds on the pitch as well as fresh legs would give us the best chance of winning.”
Both teams were missing their leading scorers: While United’s Christian Benteke (eight goals) served a yellow-card suspension, Dallas’s Jesús Ferreira (10) is with the U.S. national team, for which he has posted consecutive hat tricks at the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Attacker Yamil Asad made his second start of the year, and forward Kristian Fletcher, 17, made his first of the season and the second of his career.
The first half was largely forgettable. United played with greater urgency and focus than it did Saturday, when it conceded two goals in the first half against Nashville and lost, 2-0. Creativity and execution, though, were lacking, and genuine opportunities were scarce.
Bono was tested in the 16th minute, when Bernard Kamungo warded off Donovan Pines and rushed into the box. Pines did just enough to throw Kamungo off-balance, and Bono stepped up to thwart the low bid. Otherwise, United shielded him from any threats and canceled Dallas’s transition forays.
Kamungo was at it again nine minutes after intermission, but after a display of terrific footwork in the box, he missed badly.
Seeking to reverse the momentum, Rooney made three changes in the 68th minute. Nigel Robertha returned from a three-month injury layoff, joining substitutes Klich and Andy Najar. United’s energy level improved. Klich worked well with Lewis O’Brien in midfield. Then came the goal, Fountas’s fifth of the season.
In the 89th minute, Dallas’s Jáder Obrian squandered a golden chance to tie it, missing from 16 yards. In the ninth of 11 minutes of stoppage time, Dallas substitute Tsiki Ntsabeleng hit the crossbar from 14 yards.
Here’s what else to know about United’s win:
United is expected to acquire a 2024 second-round draft pick and a conditional $50,000 in 2024 general allocation money from the New England Revolution for the rights to Ian Harkes, multiple people familiar with the trade said.
The 28-year-old midfielder from Northern Virginia, who began his pro career in Washington in 2017, is returning to MLS after 4½ seasons with Scottish club Dundee United. D.C. extended a formal offer before he left in 2019, so it retained his league rights.
Harkes made 163 appearances across all competitions in Scotland and helped the club earn promotion in 2020. It was relegated this spring.
Revolution Coach Bruce Arena coached Ian’s father, John, at the University of Virginia (1985-87) and with D.C. United (1996-98).
With a yellow card deep in stoppage time for time wasting, Klich crossed the league threshold for cautions and must sit out the next match.
On Saturday, United will host Inter Miami (5-13-2), which is winless in nine straight following a 2-2 home draw with Columbus on Tuesday. Miami has yet to formalize the signing of Lionel Messi, who is tentatively slated to make his debut July 21 against visiting Mexican side Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
Dallas, TX
New York Giants Fall to Dallas Cowboys, 27-20 on Thanksgiving
The New York Giants’ dreadful 2024 season continued with a 27-20 to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. It was the Giants’ seventh-straight loss this season and their eighth-consecutive defeat at the hands of the Cowboys, dating back to the 2020 season.
The Cowboys benefitted from two Giants turnovers, including a pick-6 by DeMarvion Overshown in the second quarter he returned 23 yards to give the Cowboys a 13-7 lead, the Cowboys at that point never relinquishing the lead.
The other came following a Giants fumble in the second half, which the Cowboys converted into another touchdown to cap a six-play scoring drive.
The game started well, as the Giants held the Cowboys to just a field goal after their first possession. The Giants offense took the field with Drew Lock under center for the injured Tommy DeVito.
Lock was under pressure practically half the game, the Cowboys hitting him 14 times and sacking him six. The Giants also had just as many penalties in this game (13) as they did first downs (17), and their defense once again couldn’t stop the run if they tried, with missed tackles–at least 10 of them in the first half alone–an ongoing problem.
Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle captured his first career 100+ yard rushing game, going for 112 yards and one touchdown against the Giants, who saw three defensive linemen–D.J. Davidson (shoulder), Rakeem Nunez-Roches (stinger) and Dexter Lawrence II (elbow)–leave the game with injuries.
Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush finished 21 of 36 for 195 yards and one touchdown, his leading receiver being tight end Luke Schoonmaker (five catches on six pass targets).
Lock and running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. scored the Giants’ two touchdowns, TRacy’s coming on a 1-yard run on the Giants’ opening drive to give them their first lead in a game since Week 6, and then Lock scoring a fourth-quarter garbage time touchdown on an 8-yard rush to make it 27-20 with 2:18 left.
The Giants got the rest of their scoring from kicker Graham Gano, who hit field goals of 46 and 47 yards.
Giants receiver Malik Nabers caught 13 pass targets for 69 yards, but he also dropped two balls. Rookie tight end Theo Johnson displayed toughness on a few of his receptions, hauling in five catches for 54 yards.
This is the Giants’ ninth time in the last 11 seasons that they’ve lost at least ten games. This loss eliminated them from playoff contention and currently slots them into the No.1 pick in April’s draft.
The Giants will have 10 days to prepare for their next matchup, a home meeting with the New Orleans Saints. They’re now the only team in the NFL to win a game at home still not this season, and they currently have the league’s longest losing streak.
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.
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