Video: Eric Avila in South Africa

MLSnet.com has posted a daily blog video featuring FC Dallas midfielder Eric Avila describing Day 2 of the Generation adidas trip in South Africa. The GA team played their first game against the Orlando Pirates and got a 2-0 victory. Check out the video here.

WeAreNotSpectators.com

Some of you may have noticed a new design on FCDallas.com this week, it's part of the launch of a new site, WeAreNotSpectators.com. A site that celebrates you, the soccer fan, and gives you a chance to win two FC Dallas 2010 season tickets in the supporter's section (value $340). Registration ends Dec. 31 and the winner will be announced Jan. 4.

WeAreNotSpectators.com highlights how soccer fans display their passion for “The Beautiful Game.” As much a part of the game as the players themselves, soccer fans and their colorful brand of chanting, banner-waving, drum-banging support combine for an atmosphere unlike any other experience in sports. Check it out today!

Brek skips South Africa trip with swelling in knee

FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea is resting while teammates Eric Avila, Bruno Guarda, Peri Marosevic and Josh Lambo tour South Africa with Generation adidas. Shea experienced some swelling in his knee that will require rest and a little rehab. Meanwhile, his teammates helped Generation adidas to a win in their first game on the trip with Guarda tallying an assist on Patrick Nyarko's second-half goal in a 2-0 victory over the Orlando Pirates.

Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving, we at FC Dallas would like to take the time to say how thankful we are for every member of the FC Dallas family... supporters, players, coaches, staff... we appreciate each and every one of you. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we asked a few players to share what they are most thankful for in their lives...

I am thankful for all of my family, especially my two daughters, Candice and Caydence. I am thankful for being healthy enough to still be playing soccer, and definitely thankful for finally being back at home, playing for F.C. Dallas!
- Daniel Hernandez

I am thankful for having a beautiful family and great friends.
- Bruno Guarda

I am thankful I made it back safe to Seattle and am home with friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving!
- George John

I'm thankful for the life that I have been blessed with... for all the people that have helped me get to where I am now and helped shape me into the person I am today.
- Ugo Ihemelu

I am thankful for my family of origin and my family of choice.
- Josh Lambo

I just left Seattle for the Player's Union meetings, and on my way home to Louisville, Ken., to be with family.
- Ray Burse

I am thankful for all my family and friends, as well as everyone in the FC Dallas organization who help us players do what we love. I am also thankful for all the great fans who support FC Dallas. Happy Thanksgiving!
- Dax McCarty

I am thankful for the opportunity to spend my first Thanksgiving at home in six years!!! Even though times are tough in this economy, it's nice to see people still giving and being thankful.
- Heath Pearce

We hope you're enjoying this holiday season and would love to hear some of the things you are thankful for.

Protected List

It took longer than expected to get the full protected list for Wednesday's Expansion draft but here is FC Dallas' list:

Defenders - Jair Benitez, Kyle Davies, Ugo Ihemelu, George John and Heath Pearce
Midfielders - Marvin Chavez, David Ferreira, Atiba Harris, Daniel Hernandez and Dax McCarty
Forward - Jeff Cunningham

Generation adidas and Home Grown players are also protected.

Click here for the official press release.

Expansion Draft Rules

Real Salt Lake captured the 2009 MLS Cup last night in penalty kicks over the LA Galaxy securing the first major championship for the organization.

The teams now turn their focus to the 2010 season with the Philadelphia Union SC joining as the League’s 16th team. This week the Union will sign their first players through the MLS Expansion draft.

By 2 pm CT today, all current MLS teams must submit a list of the 11 players they are protecting. There will be 10 rounds of the draft while the Union may only select one player from each team which means five teams will not lose a player. Before submitting their protected list, teams have a three hour window to make trades. The window will close today at noon ET, and will open again after the Expansion Draft, which is set for the afternoon of Wed., Nov. 25.

A couple notes to keep in mind: Generation adidas and Home Grown players cannot be made available. For us, that means that Eric Avila, Josh Lambo, Bruno Guarda, Brek Shea, Peri Marosevic and Bryan Leyva are automatically protected. The league has graduated Anthony Wallace so he no longer counts as a Generation adidas player.

Also, teams may make available a number of international players equal to their total number of international players minus 3. FCD currently has six internationals - which means we can not expose more than three internationals. The internationals are: Jair Benitez, Marvin Chavez, David Ferreira, Bruno Guarda, Andre Rocha and Daniel Torres.

So, with 5 Ga's and one Home Grown player automatically protected, we have 20 players that can be exposed from our 26-man roster. Eleven must be protected, which means nine will have to be exposed. Click here for our current roster. We'll be back with our list later today.

The Goals of 2009

FC Dallas scored 50 goals in 30 regualar season games this season, 17 of which were attributed to the 2009 MLS Budweiser Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham. Here are all of the goal scorers from this season:

• Jeff Cunningham (17)
• David Ferreira (8)
• Kenny Cooper (7)
• Dax McCarty (3)
• Drew Moor (3)
• Dave van den Bergh (3)
• Atiba Harris (2)
• Andre Rocha (2)
• Eric Avila (1)
• Ugo Ihemelu (1)
• George John (1)

Below is a video highlighting all 50 regular season goals, enjoy!

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U.S. 1, Denmark 3

The U.S. plays their final fixture of 2009 today versus Denmark at 1:30 p.m. CT, the broadcast will start on ESPN Classic and move to ESPN2 after the FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Greece and Ukraine.

Three FC Dallas players, Jeff Cunningham, Dax McCarty and Heath Pearce are all part of the 22-man roster that traveled to Denmark for the international friendly.

(UPDATE) - Jeff Cunningham scored his first international goal in today's 3-1 loss to Denmark. U.S.' only goal came in the 26th minute off a mistake by the Denmark goalkeeper, Cunningham took the opportunity and hit a low left-footed shot inside the post. Dax McCarty earned his second cap with the Nats when he entered the match in the 80th minute for Jozy Altidore. Congratulations to Jeff!

Commerical Shoot

FC Dallas players Jair Benitez, Dario Sala, Daniel Hernandez and Marvin Chavez all participated in a commercial shoot last week for First Choice Power. The power company is conducting a reality show in which families will get paired up with a FC Dallas player to see which family can reduce their energy consumption the most. By the way, Hernandez was an excellent cue card holder.

Look for the commerical and reality show soon on Univision TV.

Jeff Cunningham named Best XI

MLS Commissioner Don Garber today announced the 2009 Best XI including FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham. This is Cunningham's third nomination for the award with the previous honors coming in 2002 and 2006. The Best XI recognizes the top 11 players at each position on the field and is voted by the media, MLS players and MLS coaches and general managers.

Cunningham is also up for Volkswagon MLS MVP along with LA's Landon Donovan and New England's Shalrie Joseph which will be announced Thursday live on ESPNews.

Soccer Weekend

This past weekend was chock full of soccer games from the MLS playoffs to World Cup qualifying and including the U.S. versus Slovakia friendly. Congratulations to Dax McCarty for playing in his first full U.S. Men's national team game and Jeff Cunningham getting his first playing time with the Nats since Sept. 7, 2005. The U.S. ended up falling 1-0 but will have a friendly versus Denmark on Wednesday, Nov. 18 (live at 1:30 p.m. CT on the ESPN networks).

Three teams qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa over the weekend including Cameroon, Nigeria and the surprising New Zealand.

And in the MLS Cup playoff race, the LA Galaxy booked their ticket to the final in Seattle after beating the Houston Dynamo 2-0 in overtime. The game was delayed twice due to the Home Depot Center stadium lights cutting off. Real Salt Lake pulled the upset in Chicago when they won in penalties over the home team the Chicago Fire. This is Salt Lake's first trip to the finals. MLS Cup kicks off in Seattle on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. CT on EPSN.

What soccer games did you watch this past weekend?

Dario's Save is Top 10

Thanks to all the fans who voted for Dario Sala's save from the FC Dallas game versus San Jose. Dario's save is now one of the final top 10 nominees for Degree Men Save of the Year. You can watch the save again and make sure to vote here.

FC Dallas re-signs Dax McCarty

The first off-season transaction has happened and it involved re-signing midfielder Dax McCarty yesterday. McCarty started 27 of the 28 games he played in this season and scored three goals and provided six assists, a single-season career high in both categories. McCarty is currently in Bratislava preparing for the U.S. Men's national team match versus Slovakia on Nov. 14 (live at 9 a.m. CT on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision).

Remembering Freddy...

Dear Freddy Garcia Jr.,

My heart was deeply saddened by the news of your passing. I know I would not be the only one to say that. You never knew a stranger and you considered everyone to be a friend, and that was contagious. You should know that there was a feeling that existed in our locker room about you. We were jealous of you. You would always work hard, and smiled every step along the way. We loved to see how you treated others around you regardless of the kind of day you were having. You were a part of the team as much as the leading goal scorer or the top goalkeeper. Your love of the game of soccer and your pure enjoyment of teammate camaraderie was an inspiration. I know what kind of teammate you were. I can only imagine what kind of son, or relative you were as well. I hope you knew how we felt about you as a part of FC Dallas. You will be missed by everyone who ever met you.

God bless,
Bobby Rhine

NOTE: Freddy Garcia Jr., passed away last week at the age of 24. A beloved member of the local soccer community, Freddy trained with FC Dallas during the 2004 and 2005 seasons and competed in several reserve games.

FC Dallas Players Lend a Hand

FC Dallas players helped load over 30,000 pounds of chicken for local food agencies this afternoon in partnership with Lift Up America, Tyson Foods and the North Texas Food Bank. This is the third year the entire FC Dallas team has participated in this event which provides food to the community's less fortunate.

For more information on Lift Up America, click HERE.

Three FC Dallas players named to U.S. 22-man roster

U.S. Soccer announced today three FC Dallas players, Jeff Cunningham, Dax McCarty and Heath Pearce were named to the U.S. 22-man roster for the upcoming November friendlies versus Slovakia (Nov. 14) and Denmark (Nov. 18). This is Cunningham's first call up since 2005 and McCarty's first to the full national team. Pearce will earn his 29th cap for the U.S. Dallas has the most players of any other MLS team heading to Slovakia. Pearce left over the weekend while Cunningham and McCarty will join the team in the next 2 days as they train in Bratislava.

The Nov. 14 friendly versus Slovakia will air live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision at 9 a.m. CT and the Nov. 18 match versus Denmark will air live on the ESPN networks at 1:30 p.m. CT.

Are you excited to see three FC Dallas players called up?

Leyva starts for Mexico

FC Dallas' Bryan Leyva started and played 86 minutes for Mexico in today's U-17 World Cup loss to Korea Republic in a penalty shoot-out. The loss in the Round of 16 eliminates the El Tri from the tournament after previously winning the 2005 title. Leyva started in two games during the tournament in Nigeria and is expected back in Dallas next week after being with the Mexican side for the past month.

Vote for FC Dallas!

Voting begins today for the AT&T Goal of the Year and the Degree Men Save of the Year, nominees come from 40 candidates including all Goal of the Week and Save of the Week winners from the regular season. There are a few FC Dallas players included on the list - Jeff Cunningham, Dario Sala, Ray Burse, David Ferreira, Eric Avila and George John. The top 10 in each category will be detemined on Nov. 10 so make sure to vote!

AT&T Goal of the Year - http://web.mlsnet.com/sights/goal_of_the_year/

Degree Men Save of the Year - http://web.mlsnet.com/sights/save_of_the_year/

Cunningham named MLS MVP award finalist

Jeff Cunningham has been named a finalist for the Volkswagen MLS MVP award as voted by players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. Cunningham is up against LA Galaxy's Landon Donovan and New England's Shalrie Joseph. The winner will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 19 live on ESPN News. Good luck Jeff!

Have a Happy Halloween!

Today was the annual Halloween lunch in the front office where the staff dressed up in costume and submited a department pumpkin for prizes. The Baylor and U.S. Youth Soccer staff came over to judge the event.

The winning pumpkin (above) was created by the FC Dallas youth staff.

A couple of notable costumes from this year's contest were the Snuggie, the Cat in the Hat with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and Mrs. Pacman with 4 ghosts chasing her.

Have a safe Halloween weekend...

Indoors Today

Today's third off-season practice of the week was held indoors across the street at Fieldhouse USA due to all the inclement weather lately. Seriously what is up with all the rain, it feels more like Seattle than Texas?

The guys split into 3 teams of 6 and scrimmaged on the indoor soccer field at the facility. Dario Sala decided to play as a field player leaving equipment manager Marcus Owens in goal. It was actually amusing seeing Marcus put on as many layers as he could to prevent the ball from stinging him too hard. In the other goal was Josh Lambo since Ray Burse picked up a knock in yesterday's practice and took the day off. A couple of other players missing training due to illness were Dax McCarty, Dave van den Bergh and Marvin Chavez. George John was also out due to the left ankle sprain he picked up in the game versus Seattle. The team will have tomorrow and the weekend off and will return next week.

The MLS Cup playoffs kick off tonight in Seattle when the Houston Dynamo face the Sounders on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. CT. Any predictions? Do you think Seattle can go all the way in their first year in the league or will Houston derail their dream season?

FC Dallas and MJPC host soccer clinic tomorrow

FC Dallas will partner with the Michael Johnson Performance Center to host a soccer clinic at their Craig Ranch facility in McKinney on Wednesday, Oct. 28 (7 - 8:30 p.m.). Participants will learn the benefits and importance of performance training for soccer athletes directly from the MJPC staff and FC Dallas players.

The clinic is free and children 14 years and older can reserve their space by calling the MJPC at (469) 424-6572. FC Dallas players Brek Shea, Peri Marosevic, Anthony Wallace, Blake Wagner, Eric Avila and Josh Lambo will be in attendance.

Vote Dario for Save of the Week

Dario Sala has been nominated for MLS Save of the Week for the huge save he made in the 28th minute of the FC Dallas versus Seattle Sounders FC game last Saturday when Seattle's Freddie Ljungberg took the free kick and crossed the ball to an on-rushing Fredy Montero who was in front of the goal box. Sala made the crucial save when FC Dallas was up 1-0 and kept the shutout for the first half.

See the save again and vote here!

Leyva starts for Mexico in U-17 World Cup

This past Saturday, FC Dallas' newest addition Bryan Leyva started and played the full 90 minutes for Mexico in the 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria. Mexico will play their second group match tomorrow against a tough Brazil team and will finish out group play on Friday versus Japan.

Get all the info on the U-17 World Cup tournament here.

Jeff Cunningham wins the Budweiser Golden Boot

A tough loss for FC Dallas in Seattle on Saturday but a bright spot this season has been Jeff Cunningham scoring 16 goals in the last 15 games. With 17 goals total on the season, Cunningham won his second career Budweiser Golden Boot yesterday. Congratulations to Jeff for an incredible season!

Read the full press release here.

FC Dallas 1, Seattle Sounders FC 2

(UPDATED) What a heartbreaking loss in Seattle tonight for FC Dallas after going up 1-0 in the first half when Atiba Harris hit a low and hard shot to the far post beating Seattle's goalkeeper Kasey Keller. It was a chippy game all night with both teams committing fouls in the double digits but Seattle would get the best of FC Dallas tonight scoring two unanswered goals in the second half. Dallas' MLS season came to an end tonight despite a great recent run. Check FCDallas.com for a full recap.

Playoff Race Update 2

So we've been waiting for the league to give us official confirmation on FC Dallas' different playoff scenarios since we think numbers hurt our head and they should know better than us, right?

Well below is a breakdown of the different possibilities, it gets a little hairy with four teams tied with 39 points but we hope this helps you when you are watching the matches this weekend.
To clarify, below when it says goal differential, it means the teams are tied on the first tiebreaker head-to-head.

If COL wins they will secure the seventh playoff spot -

• If DAL, NE, TOR win: DAL will secure the eighth and final spot
• If DAL, DC, TOR win: we will have to wait and see since this will depend on goal differential (currently DAL +4; DC -1; TOR -4)
• If DAL, NE win: we will have to wait and see also since this is based on goal differential also (currently DAL +4; NE -5)
• If DAL, TOR win: DAL will secure the eighth and final spot

If COL loses (with two teams tied with 39 points winning)

• If DAL, NE, TOR win: DAL will secure seventh place and TOR eighth place
• If DAL, DC, TOR win: we will have to wait on goal differential
• If DAL, DC win: DC will secure seventh place and DAL eighth place
• If DAL, NE win: based on goal differential
• If DAL, TOR win: DAL will secure seventh place and TOR eighth place

If RSL wins and no teams with 39 points win:

• If RSL wins AND DAL, NE, TOR tie: DAL will secure seventh place and RSL eighth place
• If RSL wins AND DAL, NE tie: we will have to wait and see on goal differential between DAL and RSL (currently RSL +5, DAL -5); if DAL loses on goal differential, they will secure the eighth spot.
• If RSL wins AND DAL, TOR tie: DAL will secure seventh place and TOR eighth place

Clear as mud, huh?

Basically if FC Dallas is the only team who wins on Saturday out of the four who currently have 39 points, we will qualify. And if FC Dallas wins and Colorado wins, we just hope that D.C. United and New England also do not win since it will lessen our chances. And finally if Real Salt Lake wins and FC Dallas ties Seattle, we hope that D.C. United does not also tie.

Now our head hurts...

Preview: FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders FC

FC Dallas head to the Northwest today for an important game against the Seattle Sounders FC with playoff implications. The Chicago Fire secured their spot in the playoffs last night with the win over Chivas USA, leaving two playoff spots left going into this weekend's matches. Seattle has already clinched their playoff spot and will be fighting to move up in the standings and for the home crowd at Qwest Field. The game kicks off tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on KFWD-52 and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes.

FCD TV caught up with Head Coach Schellas Hyndman and defender George John, who grew up right outside of Seattle, to get their thoughts on the upcoming game and the tandem team of John and Ugo Ihemelu.


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John wins Goal of the Week!

Rookie defender George John has been the named the winner of this week's MLS Goal of the Week award. Thanks to all the fans who voted for John's first MLS career goal! A header off a Dave van den Bergh free kick proved to be good enough for this week's award. It's the fourth consecutive week a FC Dallas player has won this award, Cunningham claiming the last three weeks.

Congratulations George John!

FC Dallas Watching Party and Open House Saturday

FC Dallas will conclude the 2009 MLS regular season this Saturday, Oct. 24 against Seattle Sounders FC, who have already clinched a MLS Cup playoff spot. Needing all three points, Dallas hope to seal their post-season fate in Seattle on Saturday night.

FC Dallas will be hosting a watching party for the game at Pizza Hut Park when it kicks off at 9:30 p.m. CT but the day will be full of activities at the Park starting at 4 p.m. Once gates open, fans can select and secure the seat they want to sit in for the 2010 season. Below is a complete timeline of events:

Saturday, Oct. 24 at Pizza Hut Park
4 - 6 p.m. - The U-16 Juniors team will play Texas Rush SC on Field 8. The U-16 team is currently tied for first with Texas SC in the Texas division of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy League after five games.

5:30 p.m. - Gates open.

6 - 8 p.m. - The U-18 Juniors team will play Texas Rush SC on the main stadium field. The U-18 team currently leads the Texas division of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy League after 5 games.

9:30 p.m. - FC Dallas vs. Seattle Sounders FC game will be shown in the Stadium club and on the big screens in the stadium.

2009 MLS Cup Playoff Race Update

It's been a tight race for the MLS Cup playoffs and FC Dallas is included in the mix. If you haven't checked out the playoff standings lately, below is the current picture including the fixtures from this past weekend. You can also check out the playoffs standing page here on mlsnet.com.

As of today, the teams in bold would be in the playoffs:
Western Conference:
1. x - LA (45) *
2. x - Houston (45) #
3. x - Chivas (45)
4. x - Seattle (44)
5. Colorado (40) ^
6. Dallas (39)
7. RSL (37)
8. San Jose (30)

Eastern Conference:
1. y - Columbus (49)
2. Chicago (42)
3. Toronto (39) >
4. N. England (39)
5. D.C. (39) [1]
6. Kansas City (32)
7. New York (18)

y – Clinched home field for Conference Championship
x – Clinched playoff berth

> Toronto holds four-way tie-breaker over N. England, DC and Dallas (points per game).

* LA holds three-way tie-breaker over Houston & Chivas (points per game).
Houston holds tie-breaker over Chivas (head-to-head).

^ Colorado becomes the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference bracket.

A couple of games to watch this weekend to see how it all ends up are listed below:

Saturday, Oct. 24 matches:

• Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls (6:30 p.m. CT, on DirectKick)
• D.C. United at Kansas City Wizards (7:30 p.m. CT, on DirectKick)
• Colorado Rapids at Real Salt Lake (8 p.m. CT, on Fox Soccer Channel)
• FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders (9:30 p.m. CT, live on KFWD-52 and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes)

Jimmy Benedek inducted into the Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame

Before last Saturday's FC Dallas game, the late Jimmy Benedek was inducted to this year's Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame. Benedek was the first head coach of men's soccer at SMU and a former Dallas Tornado player. Benedek's son accepted the award on behalf of his father from the Hunt family and Texans Credit Union.

The Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame is a stretch of soccer history at Pizza Hut Park that spans approximately 1,400 linear feet and includes commemorative markers with plaques recognizing members of the soccer community and key events that have been instrumental in helping build the sport of soccer in Texas.

Read the full press release here.

Vote George John for Goal of the Week

FC Dallas' 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids last Saturday was a special one for the team and for defender George John in particular, rookie John scored his first MLS career goal early in the 3rd minute of the game.

The play started off a Dave van den Bergh free kick set up right outside the 18 yard box, when John got on the end of the ball and headed it past Colorado's goalkeeper Preston Burpo. It was the first of two goals for Dallas on Saturday that secured the victory in front of a home crowd and continues their hopes to secure their spot in the post-season. Check back later for the playoff race update.

See the goal again and vote here!

FC Dallas 2, Colorado Rapids 1

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(UPDATED) - FC Dallas got the victory tonight over the Colorado Rapids in front of a home crowd. Outscoring Colorado 2-1, Dallas continues their hunt for the playoffs now being tied with Toronto FC, New England Revolution and D.C. United for the final playoff spot. Both of Dallas' goals were scored by first timers and defenders, George John scored his first MLS career goal as a rookie and Ugo Ihemelu scored his first this season against his former team. Check FCDallas.com for the game recap and quotes.

FC Dallas Head Coach Schellas Hyndman on the game: "“I thought it was a really pressure game. It was a game that we went in and desperately needed to win. The focus was to play our best. We scored a nice goal early. I thought we did pretty well that first 20-25 minutes and then, they started to play well. I thought the goal they got was one of their better chances. Then, we were able to hold on. I thought it was an exciting game. We kind of made it a little bit harder for ourselves but we can’t complain too much about winning.”

Game Notes:

• With the win, FC Dallas improves to 11-12-6 (39 pts.) and currently sits in sixth place in the Western Conference, now tied with Toronto FC, New England Revolution and D.C. United for the final playoff spot.
• FC Dallas extends their winning streak to four games, a season high for the team. The last time FCD won four in a row was from July 8 to July 29, 2006 with wins over New York (2-1), Chicago (3-2), Salt Lake (1-0), Colorado (4-1).
• Dallas is now 24-17-8 all time against the Colorado Rapids and 17-5-3 at home.
• Rookie George John scored his first MLS career goal in the 3rd minute after heading home a Dave van den Bergh free kick set up right outside the 18 yard box. It was the fastest FC Dallas goal scored this season.
• van den Bergh earned his 11th assist of the season, taking sole possession of second in the league in assists.
• Defender Ugo Ihemelu scored his first FC Dallas goal and second MLS career goal tonight against his former club.
• Atiba Harris earned his fifth assist of the season on Ihemelu’s goal while Dax McCarty earned the secondary assist and his sixth of the season.
• Jeff Cunningham still remains top in the league in goals with 17 while Colorado’s Conor Casey remains in second with 16.
• Two FCD players have now started all 29 regular season games: David Ferreira and Dave van den Bergh.
• FC Dallas team awards were presented at tonight’s game to Jeff Cunningham for MVP, Dario Sala for Defender of the Year and Pablo Ricchetti for Humanitarian of the Year.
• Tonight’s attendance was 15,243.
• FC Dallas will conclude the 2009 regular season at Qwest Field when they face the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 9:30 p.m. CT (live on KFWD-52).

Congratulations Dario!

We'd like to congratulate Dario Sala and his wife Margot on the birth of their second child, a baby girl! Valentina Sala was born at 1:28 p.m. this afternoon at 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 20 1/2 inches! Both Mom and baby are doing well.

One Game: One Goal

If you haven't seen the One Game: One Goal video already, you can check it out below. This Saturday's game is all about creating a playoff atmosphere for the home team and getting three points against a strong Colorado side.

As a follow up to the post a couple of weeks ago about the ESPNDallas.com jerseys being auctioned off at a later date, well that later date has been determined and it will be tomorrow night. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off at the FC Dallas Foundation table located on the North concourse during the FC Dallas game and the winner of each jersey will have a chance to get their jersey signed by the player after the game. Proceeds from the jersey auction will benefit the Foundation.

Gates open at 6 p.m. and happy hour kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with $1 hot dogs, $1 beers and $3 margaritas. So bring friends and let's pack Pizza Hut Park for the boys!


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Preview: FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids

FC Dallas finished their final training session of the week this morning before Saturday's home game versus the Colorado Rapids (7:30 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52 and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes). It's an important game for Dallas if they want to continue to the MLS Cup playoffs, needing all three points against the Rapids. FC Dallas has made Pizza Hut Park (and the Cotton Bowl) very hard stadium(s) for opposing teams to come into only allowing four goals in the last seven home games.

FCDTV caught up with Head Coach Schellas Hyndman and defender Heath Pearce after practice to get their thoughts on the upcoming game and how important three points are for the team.


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Dario Wins Save of the Week!

Thanks to all the fans who voted for Dario Sala's save from last week's win over San Jose. This is Sala's third Save of the Week award of the season.

Sala and the rest of the team take on the Colorado Rapids this Saturday at Pizza Hut Park (7:30 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52 and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes).

FYI -
Last night Real Salt Lake took the victory in the 2-0 shutout over the New York Red Bulls, going one point ahead of FC Dallas with two games left.

And what a game for the U.S. last night tying it up in stoppage time of the second half and securing the top spot in the CONCACAF group.

What To Watch Tonight

It's a big night for soccer tonight on ESPN2 including a crucial game in Salt Lake that can help determine how FC Dallas ends up in the playoff hunt. Real Salt Lake plays host to the New York Red Bulls at a very difficult Rio Tinto Stadium, kick off is set for 9 p.m. CT live on ESPN2. Salt Lake is currently 2 points behind Dallas and with a win tonight Jason Kreis' team could move ahead of Dallas in the standings and playoff race.

Even though the U.S. team has already clinched a spot in next year's World Cup in South Africa, tonight's game will be a crucial one for opponent Costa Rica who would need a win to guarantee their spot in next year's tournament. Tonight's match at RFK stadium might include a famliar face for the U.S. side in former Dallas player Kenny Cooper. The game in the nation's capital kicks off at 7 p.m. CT on both ESPN2 and Galavision. You can also watch the game with FC Dallas & U.S. National team player Heath Pearce at Trinity Hall Irish Pub & Restaurant in Dallas tonight. Pearce will also be signing autographs from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Any predictions on scores for either game?

Practice & Notes

FC Dallas had their mid-week practice again on the main stadium field this morning, going through drills and playing 11 v 11 for the majority of the training session including work on set pieces. The team will have two days of training left before this Saturday's home game vs. Colorado.

A couple of notes:

• After training this morning, midfielder Pablo Ricchetti met with Steven Rogers, a 14-year-old FC Dallas fan who was diagnosed with Leukemia earlier this year. Ricchetti had a chance to give Rodgers a FCD training jakcet and a pair of cleats he had worn when he scored his first goal of the season on April 11 at Toronto FC. We at FC Dallas wish Stephen all the luck in his fight against cancer.


• Thanks to all the fans who voted for Cunningham for Goal of the Week, this is his third consecutive Goal of the Week award this season.

Sala up for Save of the Week

Dario Sala's diving save in last week's 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes is nominated for MLS Save of the Week. His heroic saves in the game helped Dallas get three points on the road against a determined Earthquakes team.

See the save again and vote here! Let's get Sala his third Save of the Week award this season.

Cunningham Player of the Week

Jeff Cunningham has been named MLS Player of the Week for Week 30 of the regular season. Cunningham assisted on David Ferreira’s opening goal and scored the game-winning goal, his league-leading 17th tally of the season, to propel FC Dallas to a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes last Wednesday.

This is Cunningham's fourth Player of the Week award this season and 13th of his career. Congrats Jeff!

Stadium Practice

FC Dallas usually practices in the stadium the day before a home game but all this week the team is practicing on the stadium field before this Saturday's game versus the Colorado Rapids (7:30 p.m. CT, live on KFWD-52 and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes). Saturday's game will be a crucial one for FC Dallas as they hope to make it to the MLS Cup playoffs.

A couple of notes from last weekend:

• FC Dallas remains two points behind the New England Revolution who hold the final playoff spot with 38 points. New England's 1-0 loss to the Columbus Crew and Toronto FC's 1-1 tie with the San Jose Earthquakes are keeping Dallas in playoff contention. Next big game to look for is Real Salt Lake hosting the New York Red Bulls at home this Wednesday. RSL are just two points behind FCD at the moment.


• Huge 3-2 win for the U.S. last Saturday in Honduras securing their spot in next year's World Cup in South Africa. Thanks to all the fans who made it out to the stadium club to watch the exciting game!


• FC Dallas player Bryan Leyva has officially been named to the Mexican U-17 team that will compete in this year's FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria. Mexico is in Group B which includes Brazil, Switzerland and Japan. Leyva and the rest of the Mexican squad kicks off group play on Oct. 24 versus Switzerland.

Two up for MLS Goal of the Week

Last week's win over the San Jose Earthquakes was enough to keep the FC Dallas playoff hopes alive and both of FCD's goals are nominated for MLS Goal of the Week.

David Ferreira got on the scoreboard first for Dallas when he received a one-touch ball from Jeff Cunningham and got around San Jose's goalkeeper Joe Cannon. Cunningham added his 17th goal of the season in the game when he received a short pass from Dax McCarty before easily finishing it off for the game winner.

See both goals again here and vote!

Rainy Day

FC Dallas returned to training this morning but because of all the rains last night drenching the adidas practice field, the team trained across the street at the indoor facility at Fieldhouse USA. The guys went through warm-ups before splitting into four teams and playing 6 v 6 on the indoor soccer field.

A couple of MLS match-ups to catch this weekend to see where FC Dallas stands in the playoff hunt including the important Columbus Crew at New England game. The Revolution currently hold the final playoff spot with Dallas two points behind. The game will be on Fox Soccer Channel at 6:30 p.m. CT.

And don't forget the Stadium club is the only place in the Metroplex where you can catch the English broadcast of the U.S. vs. Honduras World Cup qualifying match on Saturday for free! The doors open at 7 p.m. for the 9 p.m. kick off.

U.S. vs. Honduras Watching Party this Saturday

It's a crucial World Cup qualifying match for the U.S. National team this Saturday, Oct. 10 when they play Honduras at the very tough Estadio Olimpico in San Pedro Sula. The U.S. currently leads the group with 16 points and has two games left in the qualifying round. It's tight race with Mexico behind by only one point and Honduras with three.

Since the broadcast television rights are owned by the Honduras federation, the Stadium Club at Pizza Hut Park will be the only place in the Metroplex you can watch the English broadcast of the U.S. qualifying match. It's a free event and the doors will open at 7 p.m. for the 9 p.m. kick off. Food and beverage will be available for sale.