High-octane offenses meet in Frisco
FC Dallas, Crew clash for second time in three weeks
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PIZZA HUT PARK, Frisco, Texas
Aug. 30, 2008 | 8 p.m. CT (Ch. 52; ONN)
WEEK # 23 | GAME # 151
FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew meet for the second time in three weeks, this time at Pizza Hut Park. Two weeks ago, FC Dallas took a first-half lead at Crew Stadium, only to see the Crew come back with two second-half goals in five minutes for a 2-1 win. FCD still sits in an automatic playoff position, third in the Western Conference, but they are just two points ahead of a three-way tie for fourth. The Crew are tied with the New England Revolution for not only the Eastern Conference lead, but also the Supporters' Shield.
REFEREE: Ramon Hernandez. SAR (bench): Anthony Vasoli; JAR (opposite): Greg Boles; 4th: Jair Marrufo
MLS Career: 16 games; FC/gm: 30.2; Y/gm: 4.6; R: 4; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: FC DALLAS - OUT: DF Duilio Davino (L toe), MF Victor Sikora (R knee), DF David Wagenfuhr (concussion); PROBABLE: MF Marcelo Saragosa (R groin) ... COLUMBUS CREW - OUT: DF Ezra Hendrickson (R quad strain); MF Cory Elenio (L quad strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: DAL: Pablo Ricchetti (through Aug. 31) ... CLB: Danny O'Rourke (caution accumulation; through Aug. 31)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: Drew Moor, Pablo Ricchetti, Andre Rocha
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CLB: Frankie Hejduk, Andy Iro, Adam Moffat, Guillermo Barros Schelotto ... DAL: Jeff Cunningham, Pablo Ricchetti
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (33 meetings): FC Dallas 14 wins (1 shootout), 48 goals ... Crew 13 wins (1 shootout), 45 goals ... Ties 6
AT DALLAS (15 meetings): FC Dallas 10 wins (1 shootout), 27 goals ... Crew 4 wins (1 shootout), 15 goals ... Ties 1
• This is the second of two meetings between the teams this season, the only one set for Pizza Hut Park, with both games coming with just a week apart.
• Last year, FC Dallas won both meetings, claiming a 3-2 victory on Aug. 11 at Pizza Hut Park, then a 3-1 victory on Black & Gold Boulevard on Oct. 6.
• The previous season, the Crew had won both matchups, winning 2-1 in Frisco, then 3-1 in Columbus. Then the year before that, the teams split their two-game season set, each winning on home turf, though FCD took a victory in a U.S. Open Cup third round match in Columbus.
• Coaches record: Sigi Schmid vs. DAL: P24 W10 L7 D7 ... Schellas Hyndman v CLB: P1 W0 L0 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
8/16: CLB 2, DAL 1 (Carroll 62; Evans 65 - Cunningham 35)
• The Crew came back from a first-half deficit with two goals in four minutes in the second half for a 2-1 win at Crew Stadium in the first meeting on Aug. 16.
• The visitors who moved ahead in the 35th minute on a landmark goal. Adrian Serioux went on a mazy dribbling run down the right flank before cutting a square pass into the goalmouth, where Jeff Cunningham came in to apply the final touch, his first goal with FC Dallas since joining the club from Toronto.
• It was the 100th league goal of Cunningham's career, making him the fourth player in league history to hit the century mark. Ironically, the goal was his first ever scored against Columbus, the club for which he played his first seven seasons in the league.
• But after the break, the Crew took control, scoring two goals in four minutes, both through the artistry of Guillermo Barros Schelotto. First, Alejandro Moreno floated in a cross from the left and Schelotto was able to nod it down for Brian Carroll, who steamed in to lash home his first goal in more than two years (62).
• Then in the 65th minute, Schelotto swung in a sharp free kick from the left corner and found Brad Evans cutting at the near post, and his glancing header found the back of the net just in front of FCD 'keeper Dario Sala.
• Here's Hyndman's team (4-1-3-2): Dario Sala - Adrian Serioux, Drew Moor, Aaron Pitchkolan, Blake Wagner - Pablo Ricchetti - Andre Rocha (Bruno Guarda 69), Eric Avila (Marcelo Saragosa 63), Victor Sikora (Dominic Oduro 81) - Jeff Cunningham, Kenny Cooper. Substitutes Not Used: Ray Burse, Michael Dello-Russo, Abe Thompson, Chase Wileman
• Here's Schmid's team (4-4-1-1): William Hesmer - Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O'Rourke, Gino Padula (Jed Zayner 81) - Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Brad Evans (Stefani Miglioranzi 87), Pat Noonan (Robbie Rogers 58) - Guillermo Barros Schelotto - Alejandro Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Jason Garey, Andy Gruenebaum, Andy Iro, Duncan Oughton
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas rebounded from their first loss in five games, though the Kansas City Wizards scored a dramatic late equalizer to claim a share of a 1-1 draw Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. FC Dallas still sits in third place in the Western Conference with 26 points from 21 matches, a point behind Real Salt Lake and six points off the top spot.
LAST MATCH
• The Wizards returned home with just one win in their last five games, while FC Dallas had seen a five-game unbeaten run come to an end the weekend before.
• Andre Rocha gave FC Dallas a dream start with a remarkable strike. Collecting a pass all of 30 yards from goal on the right, he laced a ripping blast that dipped and knuckled on its way to goal, before finally sailing into the upper left-hand corner for his first MLS goal.
• It took to the dying seconds, but the Wizards finally pulled level in the second minute of stoppage time. Just before going to ground, Jack Jewsbury poked the ball forward to Josh Wolff in the right side of the area. He stroked a square pass into the goalmouth where Jimmy Conrad crashed in to side-foot the ball high into the goal for his team-leading fifth goal on the season and a share of the points.
• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made one change to the team that lost 2-1 to the Columbus Crew the week before. Dax McCarty returned from Olympic duty came into central midfield, in place of Eric Avila.
• Here's Hyndman's team (4-4-2): Dario Sala - Adrian Serioux, Drew Moor, Aaron Pitchkolan, Blake Wagner - Andre Rocha (Bruno Guarda 66), Dax McCarty, Pablo Ricchetti, Victor Sikora (Eric Avila 50) - Kenny Cooper, Jeff Cunningham (Michael Dello-Russo 73). Substitutes Not Used: Ray Burse, Dominic Oduro, Abe Thompson, Jamie Watson
TEAM NEWS
• It was the second week in a row FC Dallas had failed to hold onto a lead. The week prior, for the first time since Hyndman took over, the Hoops carried a lead into halftime only for the Crew to come back in the second half for the victory.
• "Obviously when you give up a goal in extended time you feel like something got away. But it's also nice that we got a point on the road, and we played 30-plus minutes with a man down," said Hyndman. "I'm glad to get a point."
• With the other results in the conference, FC Dallas lost no ground - in fact, they picked up ground with Houston and Real Salt Lake both losing. No Western Conference clubs won over the weekend.
• "We held until about the last two minutes of the game. Before we started tonight, if we leave with a point, maybe we're satisfied with it," said defender Drew Moor: "But, obviously, I think the course of the game changed that, and I think we're leaving here a little disappointed."
• The Wizards held a commanding 21-9 edge in attempts at goal, and Dario Sala made five saves in the Dallas goal.
• "I thought this was one of the better games I've seen him play since I took over the team. He was strong in the air, and he communicated well with his teammates. The hardest thing for a goalie is to deal with all the crosses and the number of bodies in the box, and I thought he did a great job with that," Hyndman said.
• For Andre Rocha, it was his first goal since coming to FC Dallas. He has six assists on the season, none since June 15.
• "It was probably one of the prettier goals you will see all year," Hyndman said. "He has, probably, the best shot on the team. He's more of a defending midfielder, so he doesn't get into the attack as much as we would like him to."
COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew won for the third time in four games, rolling to a 3-0 victory against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night at Crew Stadium. The Crew now have 37 points from 21 matches and moved back into a tie atop the East with the New England Revolution, two points ahead of the Chicago Fire.
LAST MATCH
• The Crew had briefly been atop both the Eastern Conference and MLS overall table after their win the week before against FC Dallas at home, while Real Salt Lake had also seen their run atop the Western Conference come to an end the week before in a loss at Houston.
• The Crew put the game away with a dominating performance in the first half, scoring twice in the opening 25 minutes. First, on minutes, from a free kick to the left of the area, Guillermo Barros Schelotto swung in the restart and Chad Marshall rose up to head home at the back post, his third goal on the year.
• Then 10 minutes later, Eddie Gaven tried to work free in the area and was taken down by RSL defender Nat Borchers. Schelotto finished the resulting penalty with aplomb for his fifth goal of the campaign, fourth from the penalty spot.
• Schelotto was involved once again as the Crew put the game away 10 minutes after the second-half restart. He set Gaven free with a long ball down the right flank, and Gaven's cross found Brad Evans completely unmarked to head home from inside the area for his fourth goal.
• Crew head coach Sigi Schmid made one change to the team that came back for a 2-1 win against FC Dallas the previous weekend. Robbie Rogers returned from Olympic duty, coming into the midfield in place of Pat Noonan.
• Here's Schmid's team (4-4-1-1): William Hesmer - Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O'Rourke, Gino Padula - Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Brad Evans (Stefani Miglioranzi 83), Robbie Rogers - Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Pat Noonan 63) - Alejandro Moreno (Jason Garey 90). Substitutes Not Used: Andy Gruenebaum, Andy Iro, Duncan Oughton, Jed Zayner
TEAM NEWS
• The Crew did not allow an attempt at goal until the 71st minute, and Will Hesmer made just two saves on the night.
• "After the 3-0 lead, I took Guillermo out because he took a knock on his ankle," Schmid said. "He always wants to play 90 minutes but I felt there was an opportunity for another whack they way they were playing and then we dropped off a little too much. We defended too much, we gave them too much space. We made Hesmer earn the shutout."
• The Crew's second consecutive win -- and largest margin since a 3-0 win at Kansas City on June 14 -- moved them into a first-place tie with New England in the Eastern Conference and the MLS overall table. It also gave the Crew 37 points on the season, matching their output for all of last year.
• "Last year wasn't a great year so it wasn't too great of a thing but to be better already than we were last year is a good thing," defender Chad Marshall said. "Hopefully, we can keep getting points and clinch that playoff spot."
• Still, the Crew are aware that they have not yet clinched a playoff spot. "The East is so competitive. You can't relax," Schmid said. "The only thing that might be unfortunate in this season is you're going to have possibly a third-place team from the West or a second-place team from the West get into the playoffs with a lower point total than someone that finishes fifth or sixth in the East. That's going to be a bitter pill to swallow."
• With the return of Emmanuel Ekpo, who became the first active MLS player to win an Olympic medal when Nigeria took the silver at the Beijing Games, the Crew will have a full squad available for the FC Dallas match. Having the entire group will cause Schmid some selection questions; against RSL, Pat Noonan was relegated to a second-half substitute appearance with the return of U.S. Olympian Robbie Rogers.
• "I've got gray hairs. I'll probably get more gray hairs," said Schmid. "You always have different things happen. (Defender) Danny O'Rourke is out next week (caution points) so you've got to make a change there. There's World Cup qualifiers coming up, people are going to miss some."
• Still, there could be a big hit to the squad the following week. Starters Frankie Hejduk (U.S.) and Alejandro Moreno (Venezuela); reserve Duncan Oughton (New Zealand) and developmental player Ricardo Pierre-Louis (Haiti) could miss the home game vs. New England to World Cup qualifiers the same day.
• "There's plenty of playing time there. The players will make the decision as far as training and sometimes the opponent will make that decision for us," Schmid said. "Certainly, the competition is good. Everybody knows they're capable of playing and having a team with options to come in makes you better."
