Dallas stays hot at home, downs Cincinnati

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:20 am

FC Dallas continued their dominant form at home with a 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

The victory sends Dallas (12-10-7, 43 points) further above the playoff line in the crowded Western Conference postseason race. The team's playoff push has been aided by one of the league's best home records, as Dallas is now 9-1-5 on its own pitch.

Dallas has now scored 16 goals over its last five games, as the lineup shift of Jesus Ferreira from striker to midfield has unlocked the team's offensive potential.

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Ferreira's playmaking was again on display Saturday. In the 12th minute, Ferreira and Zdenek Ondrasek engaged in a passing play at the edge of the box before sending the ball to Ryan Hollingshead, who fired in his sixth goal of the season.

Hollingshead scored just five times in 109 games for Dallas from 2014-18, but the defender has already topped that total in 29 matches this season.

Ferreira recorded an assist in the 49th minute for his pass to Michael Barrios in the box, as Barrios converted the chance for his fourth goal of the season.

Just two minutes later, Barrios was the one making an impressive pass, with a cross that found Ondrasek for a header at the far corner. Ondrasek's first shot was stopped, but the forward knocked in his own rebound.

Ryan Hollingshead was on target as FC Dallas won 3-1 over FC Cincinnati on Saturday.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The red-hot Ondrasek has now scored four goals this season, all of which have come in Dallas' last three games.

Emmanuel Ledesma's penalty kick goal put Cincinnati (5-20-3, 18 points) on the board in the 64th minute. Any hopes of a miracle comeback were erased in the 74th minute, however, after Cincinnati was reduced to 10 men when Kekuta Manneh was ejected on a straight red card.

Cincinnati is winless (0-7-1) in its last eight games. It has now allowed 67 goals and is on pace to break Orlando City's league record for most goals allowed (74) in a single season, set in 2018.

Dallas midfielder Bryan Acosta received a yellow card and will miss his team's next game (Sept. 14 at Chicago) due to caution accumulation.