Le Toux, Union come back to tie in Adu's debut

BOX SCORE

CHESTER, Pa.Sebastien Le Toux may be having an offensive season to forget, but when it comes to penalty kicks in 2011, the Frenchman is as clutch as it comes.

Trailing Western-Conference powerhouse FC Dallas for most of the contest, Le Toux buried a pair of spot kicks in the 34th and 86th minute to salvage the 2-2 tie in Freddy Adus Union debut on Saturday night at PPL Park.

With no run-of-play goals this season, the pair of PKs were Le Touxs second and third of the year and sixth in as many tries with the Union. He led the Union with 14 goals in 2010.

Im very happy about it and its nice for me and my confidence, Le Toux said. I need to keep it up for my teammates. Im sure theres more to come.

The draw was the teams third consecutive, as they have fallen winless in their last four tries. Still trying to find their way out of a rut, the Union push their record to 8-5-10 but remain three points behind the Columbus Crew for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Although his team hasnt found a win since July 17, Danny Califf believes the one point against the potent 12-7-6 Dallas team was an important one.

Its a credit to everyone, said Califf, whose squad next faces the first-place Crew on Saturday at Columbus Crew Stadium. We fought really hard and if you look back at those plays that resulted in penalty kicks, there wont be a lot of argument on the fouls that were called. The result felt good, but we also feel like we deserved it.

Carrying the ball with purpose into the Dallas box in the 84th minute, Gabriel Farfan hesitated for a moment before looking up for his next move. That split second delay allowed defender Jackson to catch up and tangle up with Farfan, who fell and earned the penalty kick. Taking it for the second time, Le Toux lined up and with an effortless delivery, placed a perfect shot to the left of Kevin Hartman to tie the game at two, where it would end.

We had good combinations going, I ran an overlap and Roger Torres gave me a good ball, Farfan said. I got in front of the defender and he took me down.

It was a good feeling. I was just hoping we converted the PK. Im not happy with the tie but you have to take what you can get.

Helping the Unions offense find an injection of creativity was Adu, who was acquired on Friday on a free transfer from Portuguese club Benfica. The 22-year-old midfielder looked sharp in his debut, setting up multiple offensive chances, while taking three of the teams 10 set pieces. He earned the start and played 62 minutes, even earning a yellow card in the 27th minute, before being replaced by striker Danny Mwanga.

Personally, I have to get involved more, Adu said. I think that will come with time. We all have to get on the same page together and once we do that, well be very difficult to beat.

Coach Peter Nowak, after explained that fitness was the reason Adu didnt go the full 90 minutes, was happy with his new stars debut.

I think he understood the concept of the 60 minutes he played, Nowak said. Hes going to get more dangerous. We have to figure out the tactical part, we have to see where he fits in our system. For the first time, it was good to have him on the field.

The home side was forced to play catch up for nearly the entire second half as Dallas grabbed the 2-1 lead thanks to lackluster defending, a perfect pass and Brek Shea.

On a fast break just over the midfield line, Maicon Santos strung a picturesque lead pass through defender Gabriel Farfan and onto the foot of speedster Marvin Chavez, who gained the box and ripped a line drive that was almost fully cut down by Faryd Mondragon. The remaining steam forced the ball off the right post and back into the crease, however, beating the Union defense to the rebound. Shea buried it, silencing the 18,811 PPL Park crowd. It was Sheas team-leading 10th goal of the season.

The same uncharacteristic defensive woes that had the Union trailing at the break, began early in the game.

Typically the most steady and potent force on the Unions back line, Carlos Valdes made crucial mistake deep in the defensive zone and paid for it on the scoreboard. With a ball moving toward Mondragon and the Dallas forwards converging, Valdes attempted to hastily clear the waist-high bouncer but could managed a right-footed chip. The turnover landed at the feet of striker Santos, who easily deposited the gift in the back of the net to give his team the 1-0 lead in just the 16th minute.

They were individual mistakes and weve been fortunate enough, for the most part, to have avoided those this year, Califf said. But it happens. Throughout the season you get stretches where you do well as a group but one or two mistakes end up in the back of the net. That certainly happened tonight.

Nowak didnt disagree.

We need to do better defensively, Nowak said. Thats what weve done well from the beginning. Tonight, It was two goals we should not have given up in the first place.

Yet, despite the early deficit, the Union, as they typically do, continued to push and found success in that pressure, forcing six first-half corner kicks. However, off the run of play, the Unions efforts paid off as Le toux locked the game at one with a penalty kick in the 34th minute, when he slipped a low shot to the left side past Kevin Hartman. The play was set up just a minute prior, when midfielder Justin Mapp, who was sprung on a breakaway by Le Toux, was taken down from behind in the Dallas box by Ugo Ihemelu.

We knew it would be a battle coming in and that we would have to match their intensity, Califf said. It was a good test of character for us tonight.

E-mail Ryan Bright at ryanbright13@gmail.com