Valentin Castellanos scored a golazo less than a minute after the opening kickoff, but FC Dallas fought back from that very early deficit to dig out a 1-1 home draw vs. New York City FC on Sunday at Toyota Stadium.
Zdenek Ondrasek lashed home the equalizer in fine style in the 66th minute, though it was Paxton Pomykal who made the decisive play, racing forward to dispossess Alex Ring at the top of NYCFC's penalty box to catch the visitors in a moment of slackness as they began to build out of the back.
Pomykal was also a key element in FCD regaining a foothold in the run of play; he entered as an early substitute for Brandon Servania after the latter collided with Anton Tinnerholm in the first half. It was Tinnerholm's delivery that set up Castellanos for the opener, the Argentine's 11th strike of the season.
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Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Clinging to one of the Western Conference's final playoff slots, FCD really could've used a home victory, though they showed resilience in matching the level of the in-form Cityzens. Both clubs will hope Sunday's scorers continue to provide such contributions in the season's final days.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Pomykal's awareness and energy made all the difference on Dallas' leveler.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: It appeared that he was not fit for an extended runout due to an abdominal injury, but Paxton Pomykal shook off that issue and changed the game for his team in a moment of great need.
Up Next
- DAL: Sunday, September 29 at Colorado Rapids (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US, on DAZN in Canada)
- NYC: Wednesday, September 25 vs. Atlanta United (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US, TSN5 in Canada)
