Red Bulls Lose Season Opener, 2-1
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Zach Loyd and Ricardo Villar scored to help FC Dallas beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on Sunday in the season opener for both teams.
Villar's goal in the 61st minute gave FC Dallas a 2-0 lead. Villar got a through ball from Blas Perez and chipped it over the head of Ryan Meara when the goalie came out of the box to try and defend the shot.
New York's Kenny Cooper scored in the 78th minute with a shot from the top right corner of the goalie's box.
The Red Bulls knocked FC Dallas out of the MLS Cup Playoffs last season with a 2-0 win in a wild-card match on the road.
Loyd scored from 10 yards away in the 11th minute, sending a shot into the left corner of the net. Perez assisted on the goal.
Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, playing in his 16th MLS season, finished with one save. Meara had four stops in his MLS debt.
The Red Bulls did not have a shot until the 44th minute when Thierry Henry almost scored on a free kick (backslash)that hit the right post. New York with 12 shots to 11 for Dallas.
FC Dallas forward David Ferreira, the 2010 MLS MVP, missed the game with an injured right ankle. Ferreira missed most of the 2011 season after breaking his left ankle in the seventh game of the season.
The game was the inaugural MLS broadcast on the NBC Network.
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