Dallas tops Charleston with OT goal

For the second year in a row, the Charleston Battery and FC Dallas faced each other late in the U.S. Open Cup soccer tournament.

And for the second year in a row, FC Dallas escaped with an overtime victory.

Arturo Alvarez scored in the sixth minute of the first overtime period and Clarence Goodson got a goal in regulation to lead FC Dallas past Charleston, 2-1, Tuesday night in front of a crowd of 3,262 at Blackbaud Stadium.

FC Dallas will take on the winner of the Colorado Rapids-Seattle Sounders match on Sept. 4 in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

A year ago, in a back-and-forth game that saw each team score three goals, FC Dallas eventually eliminated Charleston on penalty kicks.

The Battery grabbed a 1-0 lead Tuesday on Stephen Armstrong's blast in the 17th minute. Armstrong got the ball unmarked in the middle of the field about 35 yards out from the goal. The Dallas defenders relaxed for an instant and it was all the South African needed. Armstrong took a strong dribble toward goal and blasted a shot past Dallas keeper Ray Burse for the score.

Dallas had a chance to tie the game less than two minutes later when Juan Toja dribbled past two Charleston defenders and took a shot from just inside the 18-yard box. Toja's low drive beat Charleston keeper Dusty Hudock, but the ball bounced off the right post and out of bounds to end the threat.

Dallas tied the game on Clarence Goodson's header in the 23rd minute off a corner kick. Midfielder Dax McCarty served a beautiful ball into the six-yard box that Goodson redirected past Hudock for the score.

Dallas received a blow to its lineup when Toja, the all-star midfielder, left the game at halftime with a sprained ankle. Toja and Charleston defender Chris Corcoran got tangled up just outside the 18-yard box in the 43rd minute.

FC Dallas nearly took the lead in the 81st

minute off a corner kick. After a scramble in front of the net, the ball popped out to defender Drew Moor, but Moor's half-volley sailed just wide of the net.

Dallas got the game-winner on Arturo Alvarez's goal six minutes into the first overtime period.

After a turnover at midfield, McCarty picked up the loose ball and made a strong run down the left side of the field. McCarty moved the ball to the middle of the field to Dominic Oduro, who sprayed the ball out to the right to Alvarez. The Houston native dribbled the ball back the middle of the field and hit a low, hard drive that beat Hudock for the score.

Headers

--Charleston midfielder Ian Fuller (hamstring) was unavailable for Tuesday's match.

--About a dozen fans of the Inferno fan club made the trip from Texas to watch the match.

FC DALLAS 2, CHARLESTON 1

First Half - 1. Charleston, Armstrong (unassisted) 17th. 2. FC Dallas, Goodson (McCarty) 23rd.

Second Half - none.

First Overtime - 3. FC Dallas, Alvarez. (Oduro) 96th.

Second Overtime - none.

Goalies - FC Dallas, Burse. Charleston, Hudock.

Att - 3,626 (6,000 capacity).