Vela's late PK earns LAFC draw with FC Dallas

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:22 am

Carlos Vela scored on a late penalty kick as LAFC rallied for a 1-1 tie with FC Dallas on Sunday night in Frisco, Texas.

Vela, the MLS leader with 14 goals, redeemed himself in the 80th minute after missing a penalty kick late in the first half.

Ryan Hollingshead scored for Dallas (5-5-3, 18 points), which played nearly the entire second half with 10 men after Matt Hedges was issued a red card in the 49th minute for denying an obvious scoring opportunity to Vela.

Dallas snapped a three-game losing streak, which included a 2-0 defeat Thursday at Los Angeles. League-leading LAFC (9-1-4, 31 points) extended its unbeaten run to six consecutive matches.

Hollingshead scored in the 29th minute off a cross from Dominique Badji, who was listed as questionable for the match with a hip pointer.

Badji got behind the Los Angeles defense and sprinted down the left wing with the ball on a two-on-four break with Hollingshead. Badji's pass found Hollingshead in the middle of the field about 15 yards out and his sharp one-timer beat goalkeeper Tyler Miller to the lower right side of the net.

Carlos Vela
Carlos Vela
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Vela, who scored the winner in Thursday's opener of the home-and-home series, had a chance to tie the score late in the first half after being taken down in the penalty area by Dallas defender Bressan in the 42nd minute. Vela's low, left-footed penalty kick was saved by Jose Luis Gonzalez just inside the left post.

Gonzalez made five saves in helping Dallas get a point for the tie.

Bressan was also whistled for the second penalty kick, this time for a handball.

Vela slowly trotted to the spot and put a shot toward the lower right corner of the net that Gonzalez was able to get a hand on but not enough to keep it out of the back of the net.