Powered by three second-half scores, Chivas USA (1-1-0) defeated FC Dallas (1-1-0), 3-1, Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center to give Head Coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola “Chelis” his first career MLS victory in the Rebaño Angelino´s first Western Conference battle of the 2013 campaign. Forward Juan Agudelo scored the first goal to equalize the match and Oswaldo Minda and Giovani Casillas added scores to help the Red-and-White pull away with three unanswered goals. David Ferreira scored FCD’s lone goal to give his club the lead early in the second half.
- In the 10th minute Agudelo sent a short cross from inside the left side of the box into the short area to a cutting Tristan Bowen, whose left-footed attempt was wide left of the post. In the 32nd minute, Bowen received a pass from midfielder Edgar “Chore” Mejia, turned and threaded a pass to Laurent Courtois who made his run on the left seam and got behind the FCD defense. As Courtois worked the ball up the left seam the play was broken up from behind. Four minutes later, Courtois stole a pass on the left seam and went on a fast break toward the near post, but his strike from about 20 yards out toward the far post was tipped away by FCD goalkeeper Raul Fernandez, and the sides went into half time locked in a tight scoreless tie.
- FCD went up 1-0 in the 57th when Ferreira worked the ball inside the left side of the box and around the last Chivas defender to score his first goal of the season on a Fabian Castillo assist.
- Chivas USA equalized in the 68th minute when Peruvian left back Walter Vilchez served a long ball over the top to Agudelo, who made his run outside the penalty arc. Agudelo brought the ball down, and with two defenders swarming near him, crossed the ball over to his left inside the box and unleashed a strike for his first goal of the season. The assist was Vilchez’s first on the year.
- In the 76th minute, Minda – making his season debut – forced a turnover deep in FCD territory and was left inside the box in a one-on-one against Fernandez. Minda took his time, squared up and powered the ball in, beating Fernandez to his left to give the Rojiblancos the 2-1 lead unassisted.
- As the match entered stoppage time, FCD was awarded a corner kick, which Chivas USA cleared out and converted into a three-on-one breakaway counter. Eric Avila – who came on as a sub in the 57th minute – led the attack down the center of the field. With Fernandez in front of him, Avila laid the ball off to Mejia on his left inside the box, who then crossed a pass over to the right of the box to an unmarked Casillas, who recorded his first career MLS score and put the exclamation point on the 3-1 result. Both Mejia and Avila were credited with their first assists of the season on the sequence.
