RECAP: Generation Adidas Cup day three results

The final games of Generation Adidas Cup Central Region qualifying took place on a chilly and wet day at Houston Sports Park. FC Dallas claimed the top spot in the region, capping off an undefeated qualifying campaign with a 5-3 victory over Columbus Crew SC.

Toronto FC 1, Houston Dynamo 1 (4-3 PKs)

Toronto FC secured a spot in the Generation Adidas Cup Finals later this year with a penalty kick victory over the Houston Dynamo. Toronto converted their four penalty kicks and saved Houston’s final two attempts to secure the second spot in the region. 

Toronto got on the board minutes before halftime after midfielder Luca Petrasso’s cross deflected off a defender inside the box for an own goal. Houston scored the equalizer in the 78th minute when Heriberto Soto sprinted past a defender to collect a throw in and beat the goalkeeper at the near post.

Sporting Kansas City 1, Chicago Fire 0

Sporting Kansas City edged out the Chicago Fire with a 25-yard strike from Sean Karani in the 27th minute. The midfielder spun around a defender to evade a challenge and his strike outside the box beat the goalkeeper at the near post for Toronto’s 16th goal of the round, the second most in the region.

Kansas City was down to 9 players in the final ten minutes after two players were sent off for a reckless challenge in the 76th minute and unsporting behavior two minutes later. Despite the advantage, Chicago could not capitalize and their best opportunity to score the equalizer came late in the second half when Andrew Akindele’s header was saved at the near post. 

FC Dallas 5, Columbus Crew SC 3

Columbus Crew SC and FC Dallas traded goals for much of the first half as both teams combined for five goals in the first 45 minutes. Columbus got on the board first after Colin Biros’ cross found Keegan Hughes outside the box. The midfielder’s header beat the FC Dallas goalkeeper at the far post in the 15th minute. Dallas scored the equalizer two minutes later as Adrian Morales capitalized on a long bounce that caught goalkeeper Alec Srodawa by surprise. The forward’s first touch allowed him to get around the keeper for an empty net finish. Crew SC responded in the 28th minute as Biros charged to the end line and found Derick Broche unmarked in the six-yard box. FC Dallas responded two mites later after Morales scored his second goal of the game off a header that was mishandled inside the box. Jesus Ferreira scored the final goal of the first half in the 33rd minute after a one-two combination created space inside the box for a one-on-one opportunity that he put away at the near post.

Dallas pulled away in the second half with goals from Edwin Cerillo and Ferreira. Dallas was awarded a free kick outside the 18-yard box and Cerillo’s free kick found a crack under the wall to beat Srodawa at the near post. The final goal of the game came in the 80th minute after Kellan Landefeld’s shot from the edge of the box snuck in the top corner of the near post. With the victory, FC Dallas will advance to the Generation Adidas Cup Finals in April.

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Central Region