Dallas Sidekicks’ Easy Victory
By Curry Goff
Flying high after clinching their third home playoff game in as many years, the Dallas Sidekicks made easy work of the Brownsville Barracudas on Sunday afternoon with a resounding 11-3 home win.
In front of a rowdy crowd at the Allen Event Center, the Sidekicks never looked like losing this one. The first quarter was dominated by the Kicks, with Brownsville being forced to sit back and defend. When they did get possession of the ball, the Barracudas lacked necessary composure in the attacking half. They were content to aimlessly shoot from near impossible angles and found themselves blanked after the first period.
Dallas benefitted from their opponents’ lack of possession and capitalized with a goal from Ricardinho midway through the first. Out of nothing, the Brazilian rifled a shot into the upper left ninety from outside of the area. The goalkeeper could do nothing but watch as the Sidekicks took a 1-0 lead into the second quarter.
The second, I must say, started off a bit discouragingly. The Kicks became overly aggressive in attack, leaving themselves vulnerable to counter-attack after counter-attack from the Barracudas. Inevitably, the away side slipped one past the otherwise unstoppable Milo in the Sidekicks goal and leveled the score.
The equalizer seemed to be the kick in the pants that the Sidekicks needed. The rest of the first half set the tone for what was to be a relatively easy final 40 minutes of the match. Behind a second quarter brace from Nestor Hernandez and a cheeky chip from Megson, the Kicks found themselves 4-1 up going into the second half.
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If there were any doubt as to who would come out on top in this one, the third quarter put to bed any lingering hopes of a Brownsville comeback. A barrage of four goals in the third created a gap that proved too big for the bottom of the table Barracudas to overcome.
One goal in particular, scored by Fabinho, showed the difference in class between the two teams. On a breakaway, the forward found himself streaking down the left with little room to work. It was one of those plays where you’re screaming, “Center it! Center it!” Then, just when you think he should pass it, Fabinho does a ball rollover and slots coolly into the right side of the net. I was left astonished, laughing at the ingenious play from the Brazilian.
The fourth quarter started with a flurry of goals, three from the Kicks and one from the Barracudas. It seemed every time I looked down to take notes on a goal, I would miss one in the process. The Sidekicks, I swear, seemed to score the exact same goal three times in a row. Make a run down the side, draw the defense, and slot it over to the other wing where a Kicks player is left to tap into an empty net. They made it look easier and easier each time.
The Barracudas added a goal in the dying seconds to salvage something from the game, but the result was long in the bag. The 11-3 win sees Dallas riding a 6-game winning streak heading into their last game of the season against Monterrey next Saturday at the Allen Event Center. Although the game essentially means nothing in the standings, the top two teams in the conference will be vying for bragging rights heading into the playoffs.
If the Kicks can get a result from next weekend’s game, their confidence levels will be through the roof when Oxford City FC rolls into town March 1st for the playoffs. It’s hard to bet against this team right now, considering the fine run of form they are on. It’s a good time to be a Sidekicks fan, folks. The bandwagon hasn’t pulled out of the station yet!