In the second installment of the Texas Derby between the iconic Dallas Sidekicks and the newest league team, the Mesquite Outlaws, the new team once again beat the old, this time by a very convincing score and at the Sidekicks’ home field. Possibly in response to recent results, the Outlaws scored three goals in the opening period to take control of the match, then used defensive shape to hold the Sidekicks at bay despite an impassioned response from the hosts and win the match, 7-2.
Both clubs played the Kansas City Comets in their last match before Thursday’s game. Mesquite had hosted the Comets on the 21st and had seen a late lead slip away as the visitors took the win, 5-4.
Kansas City had then had to play the Sidekicks on the 22nd where Dallas got a solid 5-2 victory. From the way the game started, the Outlaws seemed determined to give a better showing whereas Dallas appeared confident that they had gotten their first win of the season.
VcMor Eligwe started the scoring at exactly one minute played, stealing a pass from a Sidekicks defender, taking it at the Dallas goal and beating goalkeeper Juan Gamboa.
Jamie Lovegrove scored the second goal of the game from a set piece at 5:38 after a foul deep in the Sidekicks’ end. The Outlaws’ captain hit the shot from a sharp angle into the back post for the tally.
Eligwe would score again at 9:54 of the first as JJ Oteze set up the forward to once again beat Gamboa one v one.
Dallas came out strong in the second period, creating a lot of chances but just not finding the finisher, in large part because Mesquite took advantage of the score to keep a defensive shape and counter.
The tactic kept the score a 3-0 until Anthony Powell scored to give Mesquite some insurance at 11:27 of the second period. The forward had received the ball near midfield and took it into the Dallas defensive zone before unleashing a shot that found the back post.
In the third period, a physical game got chippy and Rio Ramirez was shown a blue card for tripping when the ball was not in play. The Sidekicks took advantage via Arthur Ivo as the SMU product scored from a sharp angle through traffic just past four minutes into the third.
A few minutes later, Ricardinho was called for a hard foul on Eligwe who was on a breakaway, and the Brazilian was shown a blue card. It took Mesquite 21 seconds to make Dallas pay as Mitchell Cardenas took a shot just inside the Dallas defensive zone, curling a shot into the upper corner of the net.
The Outlaws would score twice more through Eligwe and Brenden Lee before Freddy Moojen would score the Sidekicks’ second goal of the match 12:16 into the fourth period. Mesquite had been called for a foul close to their penalty area and Ricardinho had found Moojen in the Outlaws’ goalmouth on the ensuing free-kick.
Both teams now face top teams in the MASL as Dallas hosts the Monterrey Flash on December 28 while the Outlaws travel to Milwaukee to play on December 31 against the reigning league champions.
