Chivas USA falls at Dallas, 1-0

A 71st-minute goal by Brek Shea proved to be the deciding blow Saturday night as host FC Dallas won its third consecutive game and increased its unbeaten streak to 11 games with a 1-0 win over Chivas USA.

Shea’s goal came after a nice cross from defender Jair Benitez, who got his second assist in three games. Also assisting was David Ferreira, who got his team-leading eighth assist by feeding the ball to Benitez.

On a night when the temperature rose to 102 degrees, both teams looked as if they were feeling the heat. Each team had only five shots and only one on goal in the opening half.

So it wasn’t a big surprise that the two 36-year-old starting goalkeepers, Zach Thornton of Chivas USA and Kevin Hartman, were center stage in this one.

Thornton snuffed out a number of free kicks and corners and in the 53rd minute made a diving save at the far post to deny a potential goal by Milton Rodriguez off a free kick from just outside the Chivas USA area.

Hartman’s first big save came in the 33rd minute when Dario Delgado tried to tuck a ball inside the left post. The goalkeeper stepped up again in the 78th, first to deny Michael Umana on a header off a corner kick and then stopping a header by Delgado.