TORONTO - Dwayne De Rosario scored his first goal for Toronto FC in a 1-1 draw with Dallas FC on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.
  
Toronto head coach John Carver had his club work on improving the defence in the week leading up to Saturday's MLS match, but it didn't prove to be quite enough as Dallas midfielder Pablo Ricchetti scored the equalizer in the 88th minute.

The tie followed a 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders on April 4 in the home opener, when TFC played poorly against a better organized side. Giving up late goals that cost victories or ties also was a problem last season with TFC (1-1-2).

The defence had worked well enough until then before a crowd of 20,272, as TFC rookie goalkeeper Stefan Frei made some good stops and came within minutes of earning the first clean sheet of his MLS career, and first for Toronto this season.

Carver emphasized that improving the defence involved more than improving the play of the back four but also involved having the other players put more pressure on the ball.

Still, Dallas (0-3-1) had some chances and tested Frei who came through when needed until the end. Defender Marvell Wynne also blocked a chance for a goal in the 78th minute, but Dallas came through as captain Ricchetti scored after a corner kick by Dax McCarty.

A couple of Canadian national team players from Scarborough, Ont., who joined TFC in off-season trades, combined to give the home side a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. De Rosario, who was acquired from the Houston Dynamo, nodded home a long throw-in from Adrian Serioux, formerly of FC Dallas.

In the 34th minute TFC midfielder Amado Guevara hit the crossbar and Chad Barrett missed a glorious opportunity when he headed the rebound wide -- one of a few opportunities he wasted in the first half.

McCarty came close for Dallas in the 43rd minute when his header struck the bar.

Dallas opened the second half with a chance to tie but Andre Rocha put a shot wide in the 48th.

Frei was solid in the second half, stopping a shot from Dallas striker Kenny Cooper from 30 yards out and blocking a well-intended volley from Dave van den Bergh that Cooper set up in the 68th.

Carver promised changes in the lineup after the loss to the expansion Sounders.  Against Dallas, Frei started in goal instead of Greg Sutton and Fuad Ibrahim and Sam Cronin started in midfield with Rohan Ricketts and Pablo Vitti on the bench. De Rosario moved up to forward from midfield.

NOTES: The teams play again next Sunday at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Tex. ...Former TFC striker Jeff Cunningham was not in the starting lineup for Dallas but entered the game as a substitute late in the second half. Cunningham ran into Frei on a chance in the 80th minute and picked up a yellow card. ...Frei made four saves in the first half and Ray Burse made one. ...Danny Dichio took over from Barrett in the 69th minute.