Hoops, United have unfinished business
Playoff hopefuls meet again after playing to draw Sept. 13
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PIZZA HUT PARK, Frisco, Texas
Sept. 28, 2008 | 2 p.m. CT (TeleFutura; Ch. 52)
WEEK # 27 | GAME # 182
FC Dallas and D.C. United meet for the second time in three weeks in a crucial interconference match Sunday afternoon at Pizza Hut Park. FC Dallas entered the week on the outside looking in at the MLS Cup Playoffs picture, yet just a point out of third place and the final automatic playoff spot. After a four-game winless run, United are still hanging onto the final wild card spot - yet just by two points ahead of the Kansas City Wizards. The teams met Sept. 13 at RFK Stadium, FC Dallas coming back with a late goal to claim a share of a 2-2 draw.
REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): Chris Strickland; JAR (opposite): Michael Salyers; 4th: Edvin Jurisevic MLS Career: 78 games; FC/gm: 29.6; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 21; pens: 27
INJURY REPORT: FC DALLAS - OUT: DF Brek Shea (R knee), MF David Wagenfuhr (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: MF Victor Sikora (R knee) ... D.C. UNITED - OUT: MF Domenic Mediate (concussion); MF Jeff Carroll (broken metatarsal); MF Ben Olsen (ankle surgery); MF Marcelo Gallardo (adductor strain); PROBABLE: MF Joe Vide (hamstring strain); FW Jaime Moreno (knee)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: DC: Marc Burch (through Sept. 28)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: Andre Rocha ... DC: Devon McTavish, Clyde Simms
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DAL: Jeff Cunningham, Pablo Ricchetti ... DC: Fred, Rod Dyachenko, Marcelo Gallardo, Jaime Moreno, Santino Quaranta
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (31 meetings): FC Dallas 14 wins (4 shootout), 54 goals ... United 12 wins (0 shootout), 60 goals ... Ties 5
AT DALLAS (17 meetings): FC Dallas 10 wins (2 shootout), 31 goals ... United 6 wins (0 shootout), 24 goals ... Ties 1
• This is the second of two meetings between the teams this season, both coming in a three-week span, the only game set for Pizza Hut Park.
• D.C. United have not lost to FC Dallas in the last six league meetings between the teams. The last FC Dallas win came May 28, 2005, a 2-0 win at RFK Stadium. United have won three of the six encounters since, with three draws.
• That win was just one of four all-time in the nation's capital for Dallas - though just two have come with the final whistle. The last previous FCD victory came Sept. 19, 2002, in a golden-goal overtime winner; the first two Dallas wins on East Capitol Street both came via the shootout (May 10, 1997; June 7, 1998).
• D.C. United has never lost to FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park, winning all three league meetings there, including the last two by shutout. The last Dallas home win in the series came July 24, 2004, at the Cotton Bowl.
• FC Dallas is one of just two teams that D.C. United has a losing record against all-time. The other is the San Jose Earthquakes (now 10-12-4 all-time).
• Coaches record: Schellas Hyndman vs. DC: P1 W0 L0 D1 ... Tom Soehn v DAL: P3 W1 L0 D2
THIS SEASON (MLS):
9/13: DC 2, DAL 2 (Moreno 26; Quaranta 69 - Cooper 9; Rocha 79)
• D.C. United came back from an early deficit to take a second-half lead, but saw FC Dallas score a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw two weeks ago at RFK Stadium.
• The visitors took the lead after just nine minutes. A long ball forward deflected off a United defender, finding Kenny Cooper on the edge of the box. With his back to goal, he spun his defender and hammered a wicked blast that flew high into the goal for his 14th goal on the season, ending a four-game goalless skein.
• United pulled level in the 26th minute. South African forward Thabiso Khumalo, signed just the day before, flighted in a soft cross from the right and Jaime Moreno rose up to head home for his 10th goal of the season and the 122nd of his remarkable MLS career.
• The home side then pulled level in the 69th minute. Ivan Guerrero played in a cross from the left flank that sailed over the goalmouth and found Santino Quaranta, who gleefully thumped home a half-volley inside the near post for his fifth goal of the year.
• But the Hoops hit for the equalizer just 10 minutes later. Eric Avila got to the byeline on the left and pulled back a rolling cross toward the penalty spot, where Andre Rocha stepped forward to stroke home his second goal on the season.
• Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Louis Crayton - Bryan Namoff, Marc Burch, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Martinez - Quavas Kirk (Fred 46), Clyde Simms, Ivan Guerrero (Rod Dyachenko 72) - Santino Quaranta - Thabiso Khumalo (Luciano Emilio 68), Jaime Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Ryan Cordeiro, Francis Doe, Craig Thompson, Zach Wells
• Here's Hyndman's team (4-3-1-2): Dario Sala - Adrian Serioux (Michael Dello-Russo 36), Aaron Pitchkolan, Pablo Ricchetti, Blake Wagner - Andre Rocha, Marcelo Saragosa, Dax McCarty (Eric Avila 72) - Bruno Guarda - Kenny Cooper (Dominic Oduro 56), Jeff Cunningham. Substitutes Not Used: Ray Burse, Andrew Daniels, Anthony Wallace, Jamie Watson
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas became the first team to put four goals past the Chicago Fire all season, getting a pair from Jeff Cunningham for a 4-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park. FC Dallas now has 30 points from 25 matches, sitting alone in fifth place in the Western Conference, just a point behind the third-place tie between the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake, and just a point ahead of sixth-place San Jose and Los Angeles.
LAST MATCH
• The Fire came into the game still sporting the best defense in the league, despite a 2-0 loss at Colorado the week before. FC Dallas were trying to put the end to a five-game winless run.
• It took the visiting Hoops just two minutes to draw first blood. Andre Rocha swung in a free kick from the right flank, and after a couple of odd deflections in the goalmouth scrum, Cunningham slid in to touch it home on the line just ahead of Jon Busch's vain grab.
• FCD then busted the game open with two goals in the final three minutes before the halftime break. Another set piece led to the second, as Rocha again put in a free kick from the right flank, and Aaron Pitchkolan calmly sidefooted home from close range for his first goal since 2005.
• Then freed on the left flank on the counter, Cunningham served a cross to the far post where Bruno Guarda slipped in unmarked to knock home an acrobatic volley for his first MLS goal.
• Cunningham made it 4-0 in the 61st minute, racing past Lider Marmol to latch onto a long ball and poking a shot past Busch from the edge of the area, his fourth goal in six games since coming to FC Dallas and the 103rd of his league career. The Fire pulled a goal back in stoppage time, Brian McBride heading home a Justin Mapp cross.
• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made one change to the team that played to a 2-2 draw with D.C. United the previous Saturday. With Drew Moor back from suspension, Pablo Ricchetti moved forward into the midfield and Dax McCarty went to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Hyndman's team (4-3-1-2): Dario Sala - Adrian Serioux, Drew Moor, Aaron Pitchkolan, Blake Wagner - Andre Rocha, Pablo Ricchetti, Marcelo Saragosa (Michael Dello-Russo 78) - Bruno Guarda (Eric Avila 75) - Jeff Cunningham, Kenny Cooper (Dominic Oduro 70). Substitutes Not Used: Ray Burse, Duilio Davino, Dax McCarty, Bobby Rhine
• "I thought we did a lot of things well and attacked their back four with speed, which is what we worked on this week so overall I am happy with our play," Hyndman said. "That first goal was important to put the Fire on their heels and affect the goalkeeper's mentality, and for us it builds confidence."
TEAM NEWS
• After conceding eight goals over their five-game winless run, the Hoops were seconds away from a first clean sheet since Aug. 3 when McBride scored the late consolation goal. Still, Hyndman was pleased with his team's defensive effort.
• "We worked a lot on our defensive shape -- when to force people in the center and when to force them out wide. I thought we were able to win a lot of second balls that way and I thought our defenders played well," Hyndman said.
• After the United match, three of the final four matches for FCD are against the Western Conference directly in competition for playoff spots - vs. San Jose then away to Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles.
• "We felt like this was a must-win game. We didn't want to put pressure on ourselves by talking about it, but we came out well and hopefully we can build on this," Cunningham said.
• A week after Kenny Cooper scored for the first time since the arrival of Jeff Cunningham, Cunningham jumped back on the scoresheet with his two goals.
• "I think you're starting to see a little bit better understanding between the two and a little bit more acceptance of their roles," Hyndman said. "What we had hoped from the beginning was to have two legitimate players who could score. Jeff has been successful for us putting balls in the back of the net. He's also been successful for us in unbalancing the opposition."
• Cunningham has scored four goals and also has a pair of assists for his new side. The veteran striker now has netted 103 goals in his MLS career.
• "You also have to remember what a great assist he gave to Bruno (Guarda on the second goal). Here's a striker who goes out wide on a counterattack and serves a brilliant ball to the far post and we get a goal," Hyndman said. "So, I've been very pleased with his performance and I'm looking for better and better things from him."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United saw their winless run reach four games in league play as the Los Angeles Galaxy got another hat trick from Landon Donovan in a wild 5-2 win Saturday night at The Home Depot Center. United have 33 points from 25 matches, still sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the New York Red Bulls yet just a point ahead of the Kansas City Wizards for the final wild card spot.
LAST MATCH
• The Galaxy were still in the throes of a 12-game winless streak and looking for a first win with Bruce Arena in charge. United hadn't won in three league games.
• Yet it was the visitors who got off to a dream start. Just two minutes in, Ivan Guerrero put in a corner from the right and it fell right to Devon McTavish, who touched it past a defender and knocked home from close range.
• But the Galaxy exploded with three goals in a 15-minute sequence, spurred by Donovan's first two of the night. First, racing onto a through ball from Chris Klein that split the United defense, Donovan beat the advancing Louis Crayton with a neat flick of the outside of his right foot (23). Then in the 35th minute, Donovan lined up from 22 yards out and lashed a low line drive that settled inside the left post.
• The Galaxy made it 3-1 three minutes later when Eddie Lewis gathered the ball after a wild scramble and fired at goal. Crayton made the save, but the rebound fell to Alan Gordon, who stuffed it home for his fifth goal.
• Three minutes after the restart United got a goal back. Latching onto a long ball played over the top, Thabiso Khumalo cut to his right and put it home past Josh Wicks for his first MLS goal. But then the game changed -- Marc Burch sent off for a foul on David Beckham along the touchline in the 63rd minute.
• The Galaxy took advantage nine minutes from the end as Donovan corralled a loose ball and floated a soft chip to the right post where Peter Vagenas came in to softly side-foot a volley into the back of the net. Donovan then finished off the rout and his second hat trick of the season, again sent in alone on Crayton from a long ball by Klein, coolly slotting home for his league-leading 19th goal on the campaign.
• United head coach Tom Soehn made two changes to the team that played to the 2-2 home league draw with FC Dallas the weekend before. Fred came into the team on the right of midfield for Quavas Kirk and Luciano Emilio came in up top for Jaime Moreno.
• Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Louis Crayton - Bryan Namoff, Marc Burch, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Martinez (Ryan Cordeiro 79) - Fred, Clyde Simms, Ivan Guerrero - Santino Quaranta (Rod Dyachenko 83) - Thabiso Khumalo, Luciano Emilio (Francis Doe 87). Substitutes Not Used: Quavas Kirk, Craig Thompson, Zach Wells, Mike Zaher
• "I'm not sure if the early goal caused that but we turned over the ball in some really bad spots," Soehn said. "Guys like Landon, you can't afford to leave them unmarked. We turned it over and he got rewarded for putting himself in good spots. We found ourselves chasing the game."
TEAM NEWS
• It was the first time in almost exactly two years since United had allowed five goals - since they were defeated by the Galaxy 5-2 at RFK Stadium on Aug. 26, 2006, behind two goals from Landon Donovan.
• "They had a lot of life. Landon and Beckham obviously add so much to the team. They caught us in spots in counter attacks. And Landon did a good job of finding the holes and we didn't account for them. They did pretty well and they exposed some of our weaknesses."
• United have now given up nine goals in their last three games, and 13 goals in their last five in all competitions. United are winless in those five matches.
• "We just kind of got caught in two mindsets, trying to press them at times. And no one was really on the same page," Devon McTavish said. "Defenders got caught sitting too far back. Some other players got caught trying to press. There are certain times to press and certain times to sit back. And it's situations when you're on the road and your up one nothing, you just got to sit back and get 10 guys, 11 guys behind the ball and defend. I don't think we did that very well."
• United face three of their final five games away from RFK Stadium, where they have taken just seven of a possible 36 points, the third-worst road record in the season this season.
• "I think when we get one goal up on the road we should have everyone settled. Make them beat us, and not us beating ourselves by spreading out and letting them break through," Marc Burch said. "You know, Landon is a great player, he's fast. We missed some of the long balls. Marking up those guys up top is hard because they're fast, with Landon running through the midfield. But you know, I think in the second half we were playing well."
• On Wednesday, United lost for the second time in two matches in the CONCACAF Champions League, falling 2-0 to CD Marathon of Honduras in San Pedro Sula. Milton Nuñez fired home from outside the area in the 67th minute, then Erick Norales flicked home a freekick with a header in the 83rd, to give the "Green Monster" their second win in as many Group A matches.
• "We had a plan to make sure our mentality was to not give up too many chances and I thought the first half we hung on pretty strong," Soehn said. "We had to make some substitutions and, to their [Marathon's] credit, they're a good counterattack team and they have some guys with pace who can hurt you and they created a few quality chances."
• Santino Quaranta was a late scratch and unavailable, while Jaime Moreno was not able to make the trip, still hampered by a swollen knee that kept him out of the Galaxy match.
• "Well, missing two guys like that obviously it takes a lot away from our possession game, which we've been accustomed to playing. When you have two guys like that on the field it makes players like Ivan [Guerrero] and Fred and Luciano [Emilio] so much more effective. So, it's a big loss for us, but that's the reality of sports and we have to deal with what we have," Soehn said.
• Here's Soehn's team: Louis Crayton; Craig Thompson, Bryan Namoff, Marc Burch, Gonzalo Martinez; Fred, Clyde Simms (Ryan Cordeiro 70 / Quavas Kirk 73), Ivan Guerrero, Boyzzz Khumalo; Rod Dyachenko (Gonzalo Peralta 61), Luciano Emilio.
