Sounders’ offense slumbers against Dallas

SEATTLE – FC Dallas came into Wednesday’s game in Seattle having earned four straight shutouts.

Sounders FC hadn’t been held without a goal since Week 1.

Something had to give at Qwest Field, and unfortunately for a home crowd of 36,026, it was Seattle’s offense. The return of a once-familiar bugaboo of poor finishing spoiled the finale of a three-game homestand, allowing FC Dallas to escape with a 1-0 win.

The loss was the second for Seattle (4-4-5) in its past 11 games, snapping a three-game unbeaten streak.

Trailing in the second half, the Sounders attacked frantically and earned several chances to tie the score, perhaps the best of which came in the 64th minute, but Mike Fucito’s 20-yard shot was just tipped over the crossbar by Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

Two minutes later, Fucito snapped a header on goal, but Hartman pushed it off the post.

In the 79th minute, Sounders FC’s appeals for a penalty kick were ignored after midfielder Erik Friberg was knocked down in the penalty box. The cries for a PK came again three minutes later when Fucito was bumped to the ground, but that also went unpunished by referee Baldomero Toledo.

With several late corner kicks and crosses it seemed Seattle might score again in the waning moments for a second-straight game, but it wasn’t to be.

Dallas (6-3-3) scored the lone goal in the 18th minute when midfielder Brek Shea raced down the middle of the field unmarked. He took a perfect pass from Andrew Jacobson, split the Sounders FC defense and finished calmly past goalkeeper Kasey Keller for his team-leading fourth goal.