MONTREAL – Cristian Colman just couldn't catch a break in his quest for his first MLS goal. But when it finally came against the Montreal Impact on Saturday, his second one soon followed to secure a 2-1 win for FC Dallas at Stade Saputo.
After coming oh-so-close to scoring in the first half, Colman got his first two MLS goals in the second half to lead Dallas to a come-from-behind win.
Colman scored his first goal in the 52nd minute to tie the match at 1-1, slotting home a Maxi Urruti cross at the right post.
"It was very important for me and for the team," Colman said via translator after Saturday’s match. “And the truth is I have been trying hard in game after game after game, and the goal was not coming, so this was really important for me."
After finally scoring in his 14th MLS game, the 23-year-old Young Designated Player added a second goal to his account 10 minutes later to give Dallas a 2-1 lead in the 62nd.
"It's important for Cristian to score, we have been waiting for this moment," Dallas coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. "As a kid, he worked hard. He has been trying to adapt to the league, trying to adapt to the culture of the group, and all what he has done is just kept working. And today the game rewarded him and I'm very happy for him."
Colman thought he had notched his first goal in the first-half when his shot appeared to completely cross the goal line before it was headed out by Montreal's Daniel Lovitz. Referee Robert Sibiga did not rule it a goal, however, and Montreal raced down the field and took the lead scarcely a minute later.
"I'm happy with the two goals, of course I would be happier with three goals, but that's what it is," Colman said. "I'm going to keep working and working and working the whole week so I can continue to produce."
Dallas midfielder Roland Lamah said he and his teammates weren't overly frustrated about the call, one that might have been reversed if Video Review – which will be implemented in MLS beginning August 5 – had been available.
"No, I think the referee recognized his mistake," Lamah said. "But that's football, he can't see everything. So we kept pushing and pushing, we knew we could score because we created a lot of opportunities, so I'm happy for the three points."
And Lamah and the rest of Colman's teammates are happy that their young striker didn't have to wait long to put his latest missed opportunity behind him for good.
"Yes, it's really important for him because we know he's a good goal scorer," Lamah said. "We brought him to FC Dallas because we know his capabilities, so he just needed a bit of time and I think his two goals today will do him a lot of good and he will help us for the rest of the season."
