Dallas records MLS's first win in Mexico

By foxsports
Published

FC Dallas made history on Wednesday, removing a monkey from the back of Major League Soccer, one that has existed since the league started play in 1996.

Never before had a MLS club gone to Mexico and won, and although CONCACAF Champions League play had recently seen the league's clubs come close to a breakthrough, FC Dallas still carried MLS's 24-match winless streak into Mexico City against Pumas UNAM on Wednesday.

However, when Martin Chavez scored in the second half at the Estadio Olimpico, head coach Shellas Hyndman had engineered MLS's big breakthrough, leading last year's MLS Cup finalists to a 1-0 victory over the defending Primera Division champions, giving Major League Soccer their first victory on their rival league's turf.

Pumas, undefeated thus far in this year's Apertura, was handed only their second home loss in the history of the competition, the club's only prior home defeat coming against Cruz Azul in 2009.

Manager Guillermo Vasquez's decision to make 11 changes from the lineup that faced Santos Laguna this weekend came back to hurt him, particularly after being forced to remove Juan Carlos Cacho after the attacker picked up an early leg injury.

Vasquez's selection, which consisted of five players age 20 or younger, went up against a nearly first-choice team from Dallas, a team that included a constantly threatening attacker Brek Shea and ultimately impenetrable goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

Each team registered one shot on goal, with Pumas outshooting Dallas overall, 5-3. The visitors finished with a small possession advantage: 54-46.

Elsewhere in CONCACAF Champions League. Mac Kandji scored twice for MLS champion Colorado Rapids in their 3-2 victory over 10-man Isidro Metapan in Commerce City, Colorado.

Monterrey, winners of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, opened their defense with a 5-0 win in Costa Rica over Herediano. Dario Carreno's three first half goals between the 21st and 35th minutes were augmented by tallies from Jesus Corona and Algo de Nigris, giving the Rayados the most one-sided result of this year's Champions League.