FC Dallas opened up an early insurmountable lead on Saturday against the San Jose Earthquake, ultimately winning 4-1 in the team’s biggest victory since March 13. Jesus Ferreira scored twice, marking his first points since mid-July and keeping him tied for third overall for the Golden Boot by Audi award given to the highest scoring player in Major League Soccer at the end of the season.
The first goal by Ferreira on August 13 was also the fastest goal of the season for FC Dallas. The score came just before the three-minute mark on one of FC Dallas’ first opportunities.
After clearing the ball from the goal box, San Jose was out of position to prevent a return header from FC Dallas that fell at Alan Velasco’s feet. He made a quick pass inside to Ferreira, who was in the ideal spot to touch the ball into the net for the 1-0 lead.
“I’m happy with the result,” Ferreira said after the game. “We know that anyone who comes here and plays at our home, we have to make sure we take the win. I’m excited that the guys were ready, and we’re back on track with gaining points at home.”
The second score by FC Dallas was a long-awaited opportunity for defender Marcos Farfan, who scored his first MLS goal in his six-year career.
Midfielder Sebastian Lletget, playing in his second match for FC Dallas since being traded, set up the shot with a tight pass to Farfan, who took the one-touch shot from his left foot.
Only 20 minutes into the game, Dallas owned a 2-0 lead, the first time the team had scored as many points since a July 9 tie against Houston.
“Feels great,” Farfan said. “It has been a long time coming. I’ve been working on this to try to get my first goal. I think this season has been going well so far. I haven’t had assists; I haven’t had goals. I came here, and the team has helped me to grow as a player to accomplish things like this.”
Ferreira would score his second of the night at the 41-minute mark when Paul Arriola placed a perfect pass inside to set up a chance for Dallas’ leading scorer. Rather than take a shot, Ferreira tried to pass outside, but the ball was deflected directly back, giving Ferreira an easy chip for the 3-0 lead.
The most impressive score was the final goal earned by Velasco, who took a shot from several yards outside the penalty box. The shot was a bullet that streaked past the San Jose goalkeeper for the 4-0 lead 56-minutes into the match.
San Jose would score its only point on a beautiful, arcing shot that Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes appeared to think would go over the crossbar. Instead, the ball chipped off the bar and went into the net, but it would be too little to make a difference in the lopsided affair.
“I believe the team performed very well overall in the past few games,” said head coach Nico Estevez after the game. “The last two road games, we were not able to get a win. We had the mentality from the first whistle of the match to go for the game. We were able to score in the third minute, and we kept pressing and trying to exploit the wings.”
FC Dallas will have a short turn-around this week following Saturday’s victory. Dallas will play Philadelphia on August 17 at Toyota Stadium, then will go on the road to face Nashville on August 21.
Only eight games remain in the 2022 season, and Dallas is battling for playoff positioning in a crowded field at the top of the Western Conference. Third-place Dallas currently holds a one-point advantage over Minnesota but remains nine points behind second-place Austin FC.
