No experience necessary for Dallas in draw with SKC

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FC Dallas defender Atiba Harris goes in for the tackle against Sporting Kansas City forward Gerso Fernandes (photo credit: Graham Green)

Fielding a lineup brimming with unproven products and reserves, FC Dallas bunkered in and apologized to no one in their 0-0 draw with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Ks.

With a mid-week CONCACAF Champions League semifinal looming, Dallas coach Oscar Pareja made seven changes to the selection he used in last week’s win at LA Galaxy. Among the new faces was 17-year-old Paxton Pomykal, who became the youngest player in club history to make his MLS debut.

In addition to Pomykal, who donned the same no. 19 worn by the late Bobby Rhine, 2017 first-round pick Jacori Hayes also made his MLS debut while Carlos Cermeno earned his first start in league action.

With all the changes, Dallas, which hadn’t won in Kansas City since 2011, predictably parked the bus, and did so with great effect. Sporting KC won the bulk of possession (68.4 percent) and outshot their foes by more than a 2:1 ratio, but could only muster tantalizing chances.

The first of those chances came inside of five minutes when Benny Feilhaber launched a dangerous free kick deep in Dallas’ end that Jimmy Medrana collected and fired well over Jesse Gonzalez’s goal.

As sharp as Sporting KC may have looked, it was Dallas that came the closest to scoring. In the 29th minute, Tesho Akindele received a pass from Hayes and raced down the right with Cristian Colman making the corresponding run in the central channel. Akindele crossed it for Colman, whose shot smacked off the right post.

Jacori Hayes (left) was one of a number of young players that FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja called upon on Saturday to get a result against Jimmy Medranda and Sporting Kansas City (photo credit: Graham Green)

Sporting KC found more opportunities to break through. In the 32nd minute, Dom Dwyer sent an overhead pass central before Matt Hedges’ weak header fell to Gerso, who tested Gonzalez with a point blank effort.

Three minutes later, Feilhaber chipped it ahead for Dwyer, who snuck behind the Dallas defensive line, with an open look at goal. But the Sporting KC striker slipped in his follow through and his gentle effort fell right to Gonzalez.

At halftime, Dallas’ emerging star midfielder Kellyn Acosta came in for Hayes to add more experience to the mix in the hopes of getting the result. It was a move that bolstered Dallas’ shape, and helped limit the hosts during the second half.

Sporting KC claimed one last chance to get their first goal of the season in the 77th minute after Cermeno was called for a handball 10 yards in front of his box. With the cheers of the raucous Kansas City crowd reverberating through the stadium, Dwyer lined up his shot, but drilled it right into the Dallas wall.

When it was all said and done, Dallas, which recorded a whopping 34 clearances, improved their record to 1-0-1 (4 points) while Sporting KC claimed their second draw of the young season to give them a 0-0-2 mark.

Dallas returns to action on Wednesday for its CONCACAF Champions League Leg 1 semifinal vs. Pachuca before hosting the New England Revolution on Saturday. Sporting KC will remain at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday to face the San Jose Earthquakes.

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