Kenny Cooper Transferred to TSV 1860 Munich

FC Dallas today announced that forward Kenny Cooper has been transferred to TSV 1860 Munich of the 2. Bundesliga.

Cooper leaves the team after three and half years with his hometown club. Some of Cooper's highlights while with FC Dallas include being the second leading goal scorer in club history with 40 goals, starting 86 of the 90 games in which he appeared, MLS All-Star, MLS Best XI, Comeback Player of the year and Team MVP. And most recently while with the U.S. Men's National Team for the Gold Cup Tournament, Cooper was one of only four U.S. players to be named to the All-Tournament team.

Note: FCD TV caught up with Kenny when he came into today to say bye to the guys, check back for the video later.

Preview: FC Dallas vs. Kansas City Wizards

The Kansas City Wizards (5-6-6, 21 pts) visit Pizza Hut Park this Saturday for the first time this season to face FC Dallas (4-9-5, 17 pts). The game is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. (live on KFWD-52 and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes).

You may want to come out early and enjoy the pre-game happy hour featuring $1 draft beers and $3 margaritas starting at 5 p.m.

FCD TV recently caught up with Head Coach Schellas Hyndman and forward Kenny Cooper to get their thoughts on the upcoming game against Kansas City and Kenny's experience at Gold Cup.


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All-Star Game Tonight

Watch the MLS All-Stars take on Everton FC in tonight’s All – Star game at Salt Lake’s Rio Tinto Stadium (live on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m.). Join fellow fans at Trinity Hall and enter for your chance to win a FC Dallas team signed adidas match ball or a team signed FCD jersey. Read more about the game here.

Welcome Back Kenny

With Saturday’s crucial game against the Kansas City Wizards looming ahead, the overcast skies were threatening to disrupt the team’s practice schedule yet again; however, the rain held off and the team was able to put in a full two hour practice.

The team welcomed Kenny Cooper back into the fold after the forward had been away from the team almost a month while helping the U.S. national team to second place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

After warming up, the team was split up into three groups of seven players. Two groups of players moved all across the field with each one delivering a cross and then receiving a cross the next turn. The remaining group worked on one-touch skills on the side before rotating to the other drill. The rest of practice was dedicated to game situations in a full 11 v. 11 scrimmage.

Back Outside

Thanks to the recent rains, the team was treated to some cooler temperatures for practice today. The team minus the trialists who left yesterday and Kenny Cooper who has the day off after returning from the Gold Cup late last night, went through a 30 minute warmup before going into a 9 v 9 possession drill. The rest of practice was dedicated to 11 v 11 situations in which the team simulated their tactics when up and down a goal with five minutes remaining.

Peri Marosevic returned to full training for the first time since he injured his hip flexor earlier this month while George John was absent with a left hamstring injury he picked up against Real Salt Lake.

Indoors for the Day

Throughout the summer, Texas has felt the effects of the extreme drought that is currently taking place, so the storms we have received today were more than a welcome sight. The downside though is that the lightning in the area kept the team from venturing out to the practice field this morning. Not a big deal, as today was scheduled as a recovery day anyway.

The team instead worked in three separate groups on various exercises spread out between the locker room, gym and an auxiliary locker room, with the groups rotating from station to station. A new face joined the team for training this morning -- 2009 2nd Round Draft pick Brian Shriver. It was Shriver's first time in with the team since being drafted in January, due to a knee injury that had held him out.

FCD will continue to practice every morning this week at 9:30 a.m. ahead of Saturday's home game against the Kansas City Wizards. The game will be broadcast live on KFWD-52 and on 1540 AM ESPN Deportes Radio.

FCD 2, Real Salt Lake 4

It was a tale of two halves tonight. FC Dallas (4-9-5, 17 pts) was the better team through the first half and the scoreboard showed it as FCD led 2-0 at the break. However, Real Salt Lake (6-7-5, 23 pts) came out motivated in the second half and rallied to score four goals en route to handing Dallas a 4-2 defeat.

You saw it all tonight. You saw Jeff Cunningham tie former Dallas forward and current Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis for third all-time in MLS history with 108 career goals. You also saw nine total cards handed out tonight, including Kreis getting sent off the sidelines with a red card and a late red for FCD defender Drew Moor on a tough slide tackle. You had a questionable PK call go RSL's way which tied the game up a 2 apiece, and a missed Dallas PK which could have given the team the lead in the second half. A full game recap along with highlights and post-game quotes will be posted on FCDallas.com shortly.

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman on the game: “I thought we played some of our best soccer in the first half. The second half was obviously a different story. Our plan was to put on high pressure and get three points, which worked out pretty well up until halftime. We sat back a little bit to try and protect a lead, which is always dangerous."

Notes:
• FC Dallas (4-8-5, 17 pts.) falls to Real Salt Lake (6-7-5, 23 pts.) 4-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium. The team is now 1-6-2 on the road this season and 0-6-4 against Western Conference opponents.
• Dallas is now 9-5-1 all-time against Real Salt Lake and 3-5-1 on the road versus the Western Conference rival. The team is 0-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
• FCD, coming off a bye week, played its second straight game on the road and at altitude after facing Colorado on July 11.
• Jeff Cunningham tonight scored his 108th career regular season goal, tying former Dallas forward and current RSL head coach Jason Kreis for third on the all-time MLS list. Cunningham is also now tied with Kreis for eighth all-time in games played with 305.
• Dave van den Bergh scored his first goal of the season when he found open space on the corner of the six yard box to put away a low left-footed shot off a feed from David Ferreira (his third assist of the season).
• Cunningham provided the secondary assist, also his third of the season.
• Atiba Harris made his FC Dallas debut tonight, starting in the right midfield position after being acquired last week in a trade with Chivas USA.
• Colombian Jair Benitez also made his FC Dallas and MLS debut tonight in the left back position after signing with the club on Wednesday.
• Drew Moor received a red card in second half stoppage time forcing him to miss the team’s next match.
• Dallas was without its leading scorer, Kenny Cooper, for the third straight game while the 24-year-old is away with the U.S. Men's National Team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Cooper scored a second half overtime goal to secure a 2-0 semifinal victory over Honduras at Soldier's Field in Chicago Thursday night. With the result, the USMNT advance to the Gold Cup Final on July 26 against Mexico at Giants Stadium.
• Three FCD players have now started all 18 regular season games: David Ferreira, Moor and van den Bergh. Ferreira is the only player to have played every minute of the season thus far.
• Goalkeeper Dario Sala tonight made his first appearance on the 18 man day-of-game roster since the April 25 game at Chivas USA. Sala had sat out the previous 11 matches due to a left knee injury.
• Two Dallas players missed the game with injuries: forward Peri Marosevic (right hip) and Alvaro Sanchez (right ankle).
• FC Dallas returns home for a two-game home-stand beginning with the August 1 contest versus the Kansas City Wizards (7:30 p.m. CT, live on KFWD-52) and then an in-state battle versus the Houston Dynamo on Thursday, August 6 (7:30 p.m. CT, live on FSN-SW).

Aug. 6 - Kickoff / TV Change

Two changes to report for the August 6 home game against the Houston Dynamo. The kickoff time has been moved to 7:30 p.m. CT (previously 7 p.m.) and the game will now be televised live by FSN-SW (previously ESPN2). The TV broadcast will be a unique joint effort by FCD and the Dynamo, with Bobby Rhine providing color commentary and Houston's Glenn Davis providing play-by-play. The Aug. 6 match marks the third and final regular season meeting between the two clubs this year.

Tonight's Game vs. Real Salt Lake

FC Dallas (4-8-5 17 pts) is currently in Sandy, Utah getting ready for their matchup against Western Conference rival Real Salt Lake (5-7-5 20 pts). Both teams are coming off a loss as FC Dallas fell 1-0 at Colorado nearly two weeks ago, while Real Salt Lake lost 3-1 at Columbus last Saturday.

With the United States' advancement to Sunday's Gold Cup Final, both sides will be without key players. FC Dallas will be missing the services of striker Kenny Cooper, who has tallied twice in the last two games for the United States. RSL Midfielder Kyle Beckerman is also enjoying a strong tournament with the national team and will be unavailable.

The game kicks off at 9 p.m. CT (live on KFWD-52 and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes radio) at Rio Tinto Stadium. Want to watch with fellow FCD fans? Head on over to Trinity Hall at Mockingbird Station for tonight's away game watching party.

Cooper Scores Again for USMNT

Kenny Cooper provided his scoring touch for the U.S. Men's National Team for the second straight game last night with his 90th minute goal against Honduras. Kenny's goal ensured the U.S. a 2-0 victory and trip to Sunday's Gold Cup Final against Mexico, and came only five days after his game-winning penalty kick against Panama. Cooper has now scored four times in only eight USMNT appearances.

In addition, former FCD defender Clarence Goodson (the team's 2007 Defender of the Year) also scored last night for the U.S., a header just before the halftime whistle.

FC Dallas Youth Attend Chelsea FC Skills Clinic

This morning 140 FC Dallas Academy boys and girls players had the incredible opportunity to participate in a skills clinic taught by Chelsea FC coaches. The clinic ran from 11 a.m. to noon at SMU’s Westcott Field, with the FCD Youth players ranging from 7-10 years of age.

The clinic was presented by Right to Play, Chelsea’s non-profit organization, and Grassroots Soccer, a program created by Survivor winner and former pro soccer player, Ethan Zohn. Zohn, currently battling cancer, began Grassroots Soccer to fight against AIDS and HIV among African youth.

FC Dallas Community Development Manager Bobby Rhine and SMU Director of Sponsorships Steve Jolley, both former players themselves, were integral in helping put together this morning’s event.

Cooper in Action with USMNT Tonight

Kenny Cooper and the United States Men's National Team faces a familiar foe in Honduras tonight at Chicago's Soldier Field in the semifinal round of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup (6 p.m. CT live on FSC / TeleFutura). Five days earlier, it was Cooper's overtime penalty kick that gave the United States a 2-1 victory over Panama, sending the team to the semifinal round.

This will be the third time this summer that the United States has been pitted against Honduras. Earlier in the Gold Cup on July 8, the United States defeated Honduras 2-0 in Washington, DC thanks to goals from Santino Quaranta and Brian Ching. The first meeting this summer was in World Cup Qualifying play on June 6th when the United States was forced to rally from behind to win 2-1 at Soldier Field.

Preview: FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake

FCD (4-8-5, 17 pts) held their final practice this morning before they make their trip to Real Salt Lake (5-7-5, 20 pts) this afternoon. Friday’s game (9:00 p.m. CT, live on KFWD-52) is the first regular season game for the team in almost two weeks thanks to their first bye weekend of the season while Salt Lake is coming off a loss to the Columbus Crew 3 – 1. FCD TV caught up with head coach Schellas Hyndman and defender Drew Moor to get their thoughts on the upcoming road contest and how the bye weekend will help them. For a more in-depth look at the match up, read the online preview and download the official game guide.


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Jair Benitez Signed

Less than a week after acquiring Atiba Harris via trade, FC Dallas made another move today -- signing Colombian defender Jair Benitez. Benitez has been training with the team since Monday and will officially be added to the roster as soon as his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) is received. To make room for Benitez on the 24-man roster, FCD waived Michael Dello-Russo.

Benitez has a wealth of experience, having played 344 games and scoring 19 goals, mostly in Colombia's Primera Division. The 30-year-old most recently played for Independiente Medellin (on loan for 2009-2010 season from Deportivo Cali), where he has appeared in 17 regular season and Copa Libertadores games this year.

Schellas Hyndman on the signing: “Jair Benitez is going to be a very good addition for FC Dallas. He brings tremendous experience and athleticism to the left fullback position, one of the areas on our team that we had identified for improvement. In addition to being a good defender, Jair is a pure left-sided player that can get up and down the line, overlap and send in crosses.”

Two Days Out

Two days out from this Friday’s road game against Real Salt Lake (9 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52), the team went through a practice this morning which lasted a little over an hour and a half.

The team used the first 30 minutes to warm-up and break out into four groups for an 8 v 8 possession drill on a shortened field. The main part of this morning’s session was a full-field 11 v 11 scrimmage with ‘keepers Ray Burse and Dario Sala in opposite goals. The scrimmage lasted for about an hour before the team called it a day.

On the sidelines during today’s practice, Peri Marosevic participated in some light fitness as part of his recovery from injury. Alvaro “Tom” Sanchez, who is also recovering from injury, was not in today due to illness. Tomorrow morning’s practice will be the team’s last before taking off for Salt Lake in the afternoon.

Tuesday's Quick Hits

This morning, FC Dallas continued to prepare for Friday's road contest against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. The team, along with six players on trial, endured a full two hour session that consisted of the following exercises....After a warm-up and stretch, the squad was split into three teams of eight for a possession drill, before moving into a full-field 11 v 11 scrimmage, which lasted about 30 minutes. To end today's session, most of the team played a 7 v 7 game, while others worked on finishing with assistant coach Marco Ferruzzi.

Quick Hits:

• Atiba Harris will wear number 16 (he wore 20 at Chivas USA, which belongs to Brek Shea here at FCD).
• Anthony Wallace and Josh Lambo did not participate in today's practice. Both departed for Argentina this morning to join the U.S. U-20 national team for training camp. The U.S. will continue preparing for September's U-20 World Cup with matches against Uruguay on July 27 and Australia on July 29 as part of Argentina's Copa Cuidad de Rosario. Wallace and Lambo are expected to return to Dallas on July 30.
• In other news, George John recently traded in his signature pony tail for a more clean cut look (see pic below). The rookie defender told us that he was just ready for a change after one and a half years with the pony tail. He actually made the change before heading back to his hometown of Seattle over the extended weekend with the idea of surprising his family and friends. Turns out it was quite the surprise, as even his own mother didn't recognize him at the airport.

Video: Welcome Atiba

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New Faces

FC Dallas today welcomed its newest player, Atiba Harris, who comes to FCD from Chivas USA via trade. At 9:30 a.m., Harris and his new teammates stepped out onto the field for this morning's practice, which lasted until 11:30. After doing some small-sided work on a shortened field for roughly the first hour, the team opened it up with a full field 11 v 11 scrimmage during the middle portion, before closing with 15 minutes of fitness. Atiba wasn't the only new face in for today's session.

The following five trialists worked with the team today and will be in at least through the week...Jeremy Houbeaut (Defender, France - Troyes AC), Jessie Londas (Defender, France - AJ Auxerre), Jair Benitez (Defender, Colombia - Medellin), Ibrahim Toure (GK), Roger Sampah (Midfielder, Tyler Junior College). In addition Stephen McCarthy a UNC midfielder from Dallas, participated in today's session along with SMU forward Joe Cooper (Kenny's brother). Two more players will be added for Tuesday's practice...Santiago Fernandez (Forward, Mexico - Puebla) and Brian Shriver, FCD's 2nd Round pick in this year's SuperDraft.

Weekend Rewind

With the team off for the last four days, we here at the FCD Blog also took some time off to catch up on some much-needed rest. Here's a quick recap of everything that happened while we were out...

• This one had its own dedicated post on Friday, but in case you missed it, FCD swapped players with Chivas USA. Dallas sent Marcelo Saragosa out west for midfielder / forward Atiba Harris. Harris is expected to join FCD in training this morning.
• Also last Friday, the FCD Juniors U-16s fell to Washington Premier FC 4-3 in the DA Finals Week fifth place match.
• Kenny Cooper propelled the USMNT to the Gold Cup semifinals with a PK in the 105th minute (first overtime). USA will now face Honduras this Thursday at Soldier Field in Chicago.
• Several trialists are expected to join FCD in training today. Make sure to check back later for the full scoop...

FC Dallas Trades for Atiba Harris

FCD has acquired midfielder / forward Atiba Harris from Chivas USA in exchange for midfielder Marcelo Saragosa. The St. Kitts and Nevis international will join FC Dallas for training on Monday, July 20 and will be available for selection for the team’s upcoming game at Real Salt Lake on July 24 (9 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52).

Photo: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

The Off Weekend...

For the first time since the start of the regular season, FC Dallas will enjoy its first extended time off this weekend as the team has a bye in MLS play. Beginning today, FCD will have the next four days off before returning to the practice field on Monday, July 20. After 22 games thus far (preseason, MLS games, U.S. Open Cup play-in, friendlies) this gives the guys an opportunity to get some much needed rest, both physically and mentally. Before the team was released for the weekend, the FCD Blog staff caught up with several players to see how they plan on spending their four days off...



Dave van den Bergh
“I’m going to Port Aransas. It’s on the Gulf Coast. I’m going to spend four days with my family down there on the beach. My in-laws have a condo on the beach and they are already there. I’m joining them Thursday morning.”

Ray Burse
“My brother, my little cousin, and my fiancée are coming to town and we are going to have a ‘staycation’. It seems to be the thing to do with the current economy. I am going to hang out with my brother. He is going to USC in the fall, so this is the last chance to really hang out before he is too cool.”

Drew Moor
“My family and I are going to visit extended family in Monticello, Indiana which is just north of Indianapolis. There has been a lake house on my dad’s side of the family out there for 50-60 years now. It’s a small town and a little dirty, muddy lake, but we have a good time. I am leaving Thursday and coming back Sunday. I am going to take advantage of the off weekend, have some down time, and come back mentally ready to go for the rest of the week.”

Steve Purdy
“My friend is getting married this weekend in San Jose, California and it worked out perfectly that I have the weekend off. I am a groomsman so that is pretty exciting. On Friday, we are going to do a small ceremony with the dress rehearsal and all that, and the next day there is a big party. If I have some free time it would be great to hit up the beach; it’s been a while.”

Bruno Guarda
“I am going to rest up for Real Salt Lake coming up. My brother from Brazil is coming into town. We are going to go to the aquarium. I might take him to Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags and watch my movie “Bruno” and see how that goes. I heard it’s crazy.”

Eric Avila
“I am landing in Orange County and going to hang out with my friend and watch his (soccer) game. Then, I’ll go to Santa Barbara for two days and go back home and hang out with the family. I’ll definitely hit the beach, In-N-Out Burger, the movies, and that’s about it.”

Josh Lambo
“I am going down to San Antonio with some friends. I have never been there, and one of my friends has some family down there, so we are going to chill for the weekend. I heard it’s beautiful, so we are going to check it out and go with the flow.”

Kyle Davies
“I am going home for the weekend, back to California to see my family, my parents, my brothers, and my sister. Just taking it easy and having a relaxing weekend.”

Peri Marosevic
“I am going back home to Chicago to visit family, friends, and just hang out.”

Blake Wagner
“I’m just hanging out here in Dallas. I’ll take a few days off to rest my body and everything. I’ll just be wingin’ it.”

Dax McCarty
“I might go down to Austin to visit some friends down there and spend a couple nights. It’ll be my first time in Austin. I plan to relax, hang out, and get a little taste of the town; see what it’s all about.”

Jeff Cunningham
“I’m going down to South Beach, Florida to see my mother. She’ll get to spend some time with her granddaughter; get to know her a little bit. I’m going to work on my tan a few days. Mentally, I’m going to get away from the game a little bit and come back refreshed, rested, and looking forward to a better second half of the season.

George John
“I’m going home to Seattle to hang out with my family and just enjoy the nice cool weather out there. I’ll probably get out on Lake Washington on a boat. I’ll also enjoy my mom’s home-cooking.”

Marcelo Saragosa
“I’m going to San Antonio to spend some time with my family. We’ll go to Sea World. I don’t know much about San Antonio, but some of the guys said it was a lot of fun there, so I’m going to go check it out.”

Brek Shea
“I’m going to Virginia Beach; my half-brother has family there. I’m going to go to the beach a lot and surf, catch some fish and crabs, and do some skim boarding.”

FCD 2, CSD Comunicaciones 0

FC Dallas shut out Guatemala's CSD Comunicaciones 2-0 tonight behind goals from Daniel Torres and Eric Avila. The friendly was played at Pizza Hut Park, and this is the second victory over an international opponent in as many months after the team defeated CS Herediano (Costa Rica) by the same score on June 10. Check out the full recap at FCDallas.com. FC Dallas will now enjoy four days off without practice before returning to training on Monday. The team's next competitive action isn't until July 24, a road match against Real Salt Lake.

Photo: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

FCD Juniors Close Out Group Play with Draw

The FC Dallas Juniors U-16 team closed out group play at Finals Week with a 2-2 draw against Chicago Magic AS Monaco tonight at the Home Depot Center. It was a wild one, with Chicago converting a PK in just the first minute before adding another in the 36th. FCD's Bryan Leyva would get one back a minute later, before Daniel Garcia evened the score just a minute after that. Although out of contention for the championship, FCD will have one last game on Friday before returning home.

Ruben Luna Named Player of the Year!

After being named to the national U.S. Soccer Development Academy Starting XI team on Monday, FC Dallas Juniors U-16 forward Ruben Luna has now been named national U-15/16 DA Player of the Year! Luna scored 38 goals in 27 games to lead the entire Development Academy league this season, the Juniors program's first year of competition. His goal total accounted for 48 percent of the U-16 team's scoring, helping the squad post an 18-3-7 mark and a trip to Finals Week, currently out at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The FCD Juniors U-16 will wrap up group play in the tournament tonight against the Chicago Magic AS Monaco at 9 p.m. CT.

Congratulations Oscar!

Oscar Pareja has been named U-17/18 Development Academy Coach of the Year, U.S. Soccer announced today. Pareja led the FC Dallas Juniors U-18 team to a 15-5-8 regular season record and a second-place finish in the Central Conference standings this season, the Juniors team's first year of competition. In addition, Pareja also coaches the FCD Juniors U-16 team (with Chris Hayden), which posted an 18-3-7 regular season record and a Finals Week appearance. The announcement comes a day after Juniors U-16 forward Ruben Luna was named to the Development Academy Starting XI Team. Last week, Pareja, Luna, Bryan Leyva and London Woodberry also received All-Conference honors in their respective age groups.

Short Practice / Friendly Tomorrow Night at PHP

This morning FC Dallas participated in their final practice ahead of tomorrow night's international friendly versus CSD Comunicaciones at Pizza Hut Park (7:30 p.m. CT live webstream on FCDallas.com). The short session consisted of some possession exercises before ending with some work on set pieces and finishing. After practice ended Brek Shea, Eric Avila, Dax McCarty, Andre Rocha, and David Ferreira stayed out for a bit to play a lighthearted game....One player would punt the ball straight up in the air (at least 100+ feet) and the nearest player to receive would try to bring it down with a soft touch with just their foot. This game is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Try it at home!

FCD Juniors top Red Bulls at Finals Week

In their second game out at Development Academy Finals Week, the FC Dallas Juniors U-16 team blanked the New York Red Bulls 3-0 last night at The Home Depot Center. Midfielder Bryan Leyva notched the first two goals of the night in the 24th and 28th minutes. Forward Ruben Luna showed why he was named to the national Development Academy Starting XI team with a goal of his own just after the start of the second half to put the game out of reach.

Unfortunately, the Derby County Wolves, who defeated FCD 3-1 in the opening match, also won yesterday to ensure advancement to Friday's championship game. Dallas closes out group play on Wednesday against the Chicago Magic AS Monaco at 9 p.m. CT, and will be fighting for a chance to play in the 3rd place match on Friday.

Congrats to Ruben Luna...

FCD Juniors forward Ruben Luna has been named to the national U-15/16 Development Academy Starting XI team, following a season in which he scored 38 goals in 27 games to lead the entire academy league. The Juniors are currently in Carson, Calif. for the Development Academy Finals week, where they will face the New York Red Bulls today at 5 p.m CT in their second game of group play.

Start to a Short Week

One day after returning from Denver, the team was back out on the practice field at 9:30 this morning. While the team has its first bye week in terms of MLS play, FCD is preparing for a Wednesday night friendly at home vs. CSD Comunicaciones, a Guatemalan club that has won 22 domestic titles. Following Wednesday's game, the team will enjoy four days of rest before resuming practice on Monday, July 20.

Today, the starters from the Colorado game went through a recovery workout before ending with a light-hearted game of soccer tennis. The rest of the squad, including guest players from SMU, Joe Cooper and Leone Cruz, went through a regular training session.

Of note: Michael Dello-Russo, who suffered a mild concussion in the Midland game, was back out on the field for practice after sitting out the latter part of last week. George John, who suffered a mild concussion in Saturday's game at Colorado, participated in today's warm-up and jogged around the field for a bit before heading inside about halfway through the session. After Saturday's game, he received stitches for the cut above his right eye that occurred in the 48th min collision with Conor Casey.

Juniors Fall in First Game of Finals Week

The FC Dallas Juniors U-16 team fell to the Derby County Wolves (Michigan) on Saturday night in their opening game of Development Academy Finals Week at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Scoreless at halftime, the Derby County Wolves went up 2-0 early in the second half with goals in the 62nd and 67th minutes. FCD's Bryan Leyva pulled one back in the 78th, but Derby County got a third goal four minutes later to put the match away. The Juniors will play the New York Red Bulls today at 5 p.m. CT. You can track the Juniors results and group standings throughout Finals Week at ussoccer.com.

FCD 0, Colorado Rapids 1

Heartbreaker. Things clearly didn't go FCD's way tonight, but the team managed to thwart Colorado's numerous opportunities in the first half and keep it scoreless at halftime. Dallas seemed to get on the right track in the second half, creating some close scoring chances of their own but couldn't convert. The team suffered a setback in the 68th minute when defender George John had to leave the match, looking a bit woozy after a collision with Conor Casey 20 minutes earlier (he would step off the field to have his head wrapped following the knock). Eleven minutes later Colorado scored the only goal it would need to send Dallas home empty-handed. We'll give it to Kosuke Komura on a well-taken finish, but what do you think, was he offside on that run to receive the ball? Check FCDallas.com for a full recap, match highlights and post-game quotes.

Game Notes:
• FC Dallas (4-8-5, 17 pts.) falls 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids (6-4-6, 24 pts.) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The team is now 1-5-2 on the road this season.
• The loss snaps FCD’s three-game unbeaten run (2-0-1).
• Dallas is now 23-17-8 all-time versus the Rapids and 7-12-5 in Colorado. Additionally, the team is 1-2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids home since 2007.
• It was FCD’s second game at Colorado in just over two weeks, after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at DSG Park on June 24. One game remains in the 2009 regular season series between the clubs, an October 17 meeting at Pizza Hut Park.
• George John got the start in central defense. It was the first start for the rookie since the May 16 game versus Seattle, when John left the match after only 28 minutes with a right hamstring injury. He would go on to miss the next five games because of the injury.
• John would leave tonight’s game in the 68th minute, twenty minutes after stepping off the field to have his head wrapped following a collision with the Rapids’ Conor Casey.
• Blake Wagner was a halftime substitution for Kyle Davies at left back. It was the second straight game in which Wagner entered the match to start the second half.
• This was the fourth time that Dallas has been shut out this season, and the first such occurrence since a 1-0 defeat at Houston on May 9, a span of eight games.
• Dallas was without its leading scorer, Kenny Cooper, for the second straight game while the 24-year-old is away with the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Cooper started at forward and logged 63 minutes tonight in the United States’ 2-2 draw with Haiti in Foxborough, Mass. With the result, the USMNT wins Group B and will move on to the quarterfinals on July 18 in Philadelphia.
• Three FCD players have now started all 17 regular season games: Dave van den Bergh, David Ferreira and Drew Moor. Ferreira and Moor have played every minute of the season thus far.
• Five Dallas players missed the game with injuries: goalkeeper Dario Sala (left knee), forward Peri Marosevic (right hamstring), and midfielders Alvaro Sanchez (right ankle), Marcelo Saragosa (right hip) and Michael Dello-Russo (concussion).
• FC Dallas will have nearly two weeks off before its next regular season match, a July 24 contest against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium (9 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52). However, the team will face Guatemalan club CSD Comunicaciones in an international friendly at Pizza Hut Park on July 15 at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Cooper Gets the Start for USMNT

We were hoping that Kenny Cooper would start tonight for the USMNT vs. Haiti, and our wish was granted. Three nights after playing the final eight minutes against Honduras in DC, Cooper tonight got the start at forward in the team's final game of group play at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The appearance marks Kenny's sixth international cap. The U.S. is already through to the quarterfinals, but can clinch the top spot in Group B with either a win or tie tonight against Haiti.

Back to Denver Again

FCD's final practice before departing for Denver lasted just about an hour this morning on the adidas Field. After grabbing lunch inside the players's lounge the team boarded a bus to DFW airport to catch their afternoon flight. Saturday's game (8:30 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52) is the second road match against the Colorado Rapids in just over two weeks, after the team held on for a 1-1 draw at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on June 24. FCD (4-7-5, 17 pts) is coming off a 2-1 home victory over the NY Red Bulls, while the Rapids lost by the same score at home to the Chicago Fire. See what Schellas Hyndman, Drew Moor and Jeff Cunnigham have to say about Saturday's game below. For more insight on the matchup, read the full online preview and/or download the official game guide. Looking for a place to watch the game? Join other FC Dallas fans for the away game watching party at Trinity Hall in Dallas.


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Juniors off to Cali for Finals Week

The FC Dallas Juniors U-16 team boarded a 6 a.m. flight this morning to California, where they'll compete in the Development Academy Finals Week through July 17 at The Home Depot Center. They'll take the day to get adjusted to their surroundings before kicking off with their first match on Saturday, against the Derby County Wolves (Michigan) at 9 p.m. CT. They'll play two more games (July 13, 15) and hope to finish first in their group for the right to face the other group winner in the championship match on July 17. The Juniors' group schedule is outlined below (all games played on HDC Field 1). Visit USSoccer.com for the complete tournament schedule and to track standings / results.

FC Dallas Juniors U-16 Finals Week Group Schedule:
July 11 – FCD vs. Derby County Wolves (9 p.m. CT)
July 13 – FCD vs. New York Red Bulls (5 p.m. CT)
July 15 – FCD vs. Chicago Magic AS Monaco (9 p.m. CT)

The U-16s clinched their berth in Finals Week by cruising through their group with a perfect 3-0 record in the playoffs, held June 26-29 in Greensboro, NC. The U-16 team's playoff performance was a continuation of their dominant play throughout the regular season, where they finished as the top team in the Central Conference Texas Division with an 11-0-3 record (18-3-7 overall).

Awards for FCD Juniors

Congratulations to FCD Juniors players London Woodberry (U-18), and Ruben Luna and Bryan Leyva (U-16), who have been named to the U.S. Soccer Central Conference Starting XI teams in their respective age groups. In addition, Juniors U-18 head coach Oscar Pareja was named the Central Conference Coach of the year. All awards were voted upon by Development Academy clubs and national staff coaches. The Development Academy national Starting XI and Academy Players and Coaches of the Year will be announced next week.

Day Between Travels

On the day after returning from Midland and the day before heading out to Denver for Saturday's game against the Rapids, the team went through an hour-long practice session on the adidas Field. It was a split session this morning, with the guys that played the majority of Tuesday night's friendly partaking in a recovery workout before ending with a game of soccer tennis.

The rest of the team did some 6 v 6 work (with goalkeepers) on a shortened field. Sticking around after practice to work on crosses and volleys on GK Josh Lambo were Dave van den Bergh, Blake Wagner, David Ferreira, and Jeff Cunningham. Michael Dello-Russo did not train today after picking up a mild concussion from a collision in Tuesday night's game. He's expected to be out for a few more days until symptoms subside. Joining the team in training today was Leone Cruz, senior defender at SMU out of Round Rock, TX. Cruz will be continue as an additional practice player for at least the next week.

Juniors Fall to DC United in SUM Cup Final

After an impressive run in the SUM U-17 Cup tournament, the FCD Juniors fell to DC United 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 tie through regulation and two scoreless overtime periods in this morning's final. DC United would go up early with a 15th minute goal from Luis Cartagera and would take a 1-0 lead into halftime. The Juniors finally pulled level in the 78th minute courtesy of a goal from Jonathan Top, pushing the game to two 10-minute overtime periods, before eventually going to penalties, where DC would eventually edge Dallas 5-4.

Finishing as the runner-up does have its perks though, as the FCD Juniors have clinched a spot in the Super Group of the 2010 Dallas Cup. Congrats on a job well done boys! The Juniors can now turn their focus to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Finals Week from July 10-17 in Carson, California. Dallas is one of eight teams in the U-16 bracket (two groups of four) heading to Carson, where the two group winners will face off for the national championship.

Note: Thanks to the Colorado Rapids Media Relations department for the photo.

USMNT Continues Gold Cup vs. Honduras

After a decisive 4-0 shutout over Grenada on Saturday, the U.S. Men's National Team continues CONCACAF Gold Cup group play tonight against Honduras at RFK Stadium (8 p.m. CT live on Fox Soccer Channel). FCD forward Kenny Cooper is with the USMNT, but was an unused substiute in the match against Grenada. There's no question that Honduras is a stronger side than the previous opponent, so what do you think? Can the U.S. put together a second straight victory? Will we get to see Cooper on the field tonight? Feel free to discuss here...

UPDATE: Kenny was a late substitute in the game, entering the match for Brian Ching in the 82nd minute. He was aggressive immediately upon stepping on the field, coming close on a couple of scoring chances. With the U.S. atop Group B with six points going into the third game, might we see Bob Bradley mix up the starting lineup for the upcoming match against Haiti?

Friendly: FCD 2, WTU Sockers 0

Anthony Wallace and Andre Rocha each scored in the second half to give FC Dallas a 2-0 victory over the West Texas United Sockers (PDL) in tonight's friendly in Midland, Texas. The game marked the first-ever appearance by an MLS club in the area known as the Permian Basin, and drew fans from not only West Texas, but also New Mexico and the DFW area. Immediately following the game, the team participated in an organized autograph session open to all fans in attendance before heading back to the hotel to grab dinner. FCD will catch a return flight to DFW airport late Wednesday morning.

FCD Juniors Advance to SUM U-17 Cup Final

The FCD Juniors U-16 team has advanced to the SUM U-17 Cup final after posting a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake in its final preliminary round game. The team would fall in penalties, but the team finished with seven points from three games, tied with DC United for tops in the tournament. FCD and DC United will face off in the SUM U-17 Cup final tomorrow at Noon CT at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce, Colorado. The winner of tomorrow's game will earn a trip to Spain to participate in the 2010 Trofeo Quixote, the world U-17 youth soccer championships. The SUM Cup runner-up will get a berth in the Super Group of next year's Dallas Cup.

Game Tonight in Midland

We're at DFW airport waiting to catch a flight to Midland, TX for tonight's friendly versus the West Texas United Sockers (PDL). After landing in Midland around 3 p.m. everyone will get settled in their rooms before gathering together for the team meal, scheduled for 4 p.m. We'll get to the stadium at 6:30 tonight, one hour ahead of the 7:30 kick-off. There's no TV, radio, or webcast for this one, but you can follow the action through Twitter updates at Twitter.com/fcdallasweb. Below are the 15 players that are traveling for tonight's game. The remaining players will participate in a Wednesday morning training session with GK coach Drew Keeshan.

Traveling Roster:
Josh Lambo, George John, Bruno Guarda, Michael Dello-Russo, Steve Purdy, Andre Rocha, Brek Shea, Eric Avila, Blake Wagner, Daniel Torres, Anthony Wallace, Drew Moor, Dax McCarty, Kyle Davies, Bryant Rueckner (League Pool GK).

Cunningham Named Player of the Week

Jeff Cunningham has been named MLS Player of the Week after his explosive two-goal performance in the 2-1 victory over the NY Red Bulls on the 4th of July. They were career goals 106 and 107 for Cunningham, who has now pulled within one of former Dallas forward Jason Kreis, the league's third all-time leading scorer. This is Cunningham's 10th Player of the Week award, surpassing Landon Donovan, Cobi Jones and Ante Razov for most in MLS history.

Jeff's second of the night, a left-footed volley, has been nominated as a Goal of the Week candidate. Visit here to watch the goal again and cast your vote for Cunningham! GOTW voting closes on Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT.

Photo: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

In Observance

Due to the 4th of July game, the FC Dallas office is observing the Independence Day holiday today, and is therefore closed. It's a busy week for the team, and they'll practice as usual this morning on the adidas Field. On Tuesday, the team will board a plane to Midland in the afternoon and will then play a friendly against the PDL's West Texas United Sockers that night at 7:30 p.m. When the team returns to Frisco on Wednesday, it'll be a quick turnaround to begin prepping for Saturday's regular season game at Colorado (8:30 p.m. live on KFWD-52).

Juniors Notes:

• The FCD Juniors team participating in the SUM U-17 Cup picked up another win on Sunday night, defeating the Kansas City Wizards 6-2.
• Dallas goals were scored by Ruben Luna (3), Darin Kruzich (2) and Marco Carrizales.
• The team has the day off today and will resume play on Tuesday vs. Real Salt Lake.
• FCD has six points from two games. The two teams with the highest points totals will face off in the final on Wednesday.

Voting Reminders:

• Today is the last chance for fans to cast their All-Star votes. Make sure to visit FCDallas.com to choose the FCD players you'd like to see represented in this year's exhibition (July 29 vs. Everton FC at Rio Tinto Stadium).
• In case you missed it, Kenny Cooper is up for an ESPY award -- Best MLS Player. The voting closes on July 11, so click here to cast your vote for Kenny.

FCD 2, New York Red Bulls 1

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Before the post-game fireworks show took place tonight, FC Dallas provided some fireworks of their own by posting a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls at Pizza Hut Park. Thirty-two-year-old forward Jeff Cunningham gave the team a spark in the 15th minute when he intercepted an errant pass by New York's Luke Sassano, cut around a defender and calmly slotted one past the 'keeper. Cunningham would strike again two minutes later, volleying home a Dave van den Bergh cross after eluding the defense with a run to the far post. New York's Juan Pablo Angel would get one back in the 43rd minute after tapping in a cross from Danleigh Borman, but it was not enough as the team was unable to get the equalizer in the second half. A full recap, match highlights and post-game quotes are available at FCDallas.com.

Game Notes:
• FC Dallas (4-7-5, 17 pts.) tonight defeated the New York Red Bulls (2-13-4, 10 pts.) 2-1 in a Fourth of July game played at Pizza Hut Park. Dallas is now 3-3-3 at home this season.
• Dallas has now won back-to-back home games and is unbeaten in seven of its last eight matches.
• FCD improves to 16-15-2 all-time against New York and 8-7-1 in games played in Dallas. The team holds a 3-1-1 record over the Red Bulls at Pizza Hut Park.
• Jeff Cunningham struck twice in the first half with goals in the 15th and 17th minutes. It was the second-fastest pair of goals scored by a Dallas player, behind Kenny Cooper’s two within one minute of each other on July 27, 2008 against the LA Galaxy.
• The tallies were the 106th and 107th regular season goals of Cunningham’s career, pulling within one of former Dallas forward Jason Kreis, who is third all-time in MLS history with 108 goals.
• It was the second multi-goal game by a Dallas player this year, following Cooper’s two-goal performance against Toronto FC on April 19.
• Dallas is now 4-4-2 all-time in games played on the Fourth of July (all at home). The team has played on Independence Day every year since 2006, posting a 2-1-1 mark at Pizza Hut Park.
• This was the second time that Dallas and New York have met on the Fourth of July. Dallas previously defeated New York 2-0 at the Cotton Bowl in 2002.
• Dave van den Bergh, normally a left-sided midfielder, started on the right side tonight. Nineteen-year-old Brek Shea got the start at left midfield.
• George John entered the match as a substitute in the 84th minute. It was John’s first action since suffering a right hamstring injury versus Seattle on May 16. The rookie defender had missed the previous six games.
• This was the first of two regular season games against New York this season. The series finale will be played at Giants Stadium on August 23.
• Kenny Cooper missed the match while away with the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Therefore, Cooper’s MLS record of 47 consecutive starts by a forward has come to an end. The 24-year-old was an unused substitute in the United States’ 4-0 win over Grenada tonight in Seattle.
• Three FCD players have now started all 16 regular season games: Van den Bergh, David Ferreira and Drew Moor. Ferreira and Moor have played every minute of the season so far.
• Six Dallas players missed the game with injuries: goalkeeper Dario Sala (left knee), midfielders Alvaro Sanchez (right ankle) and Marcelo Saragosa (right hip), and defenders Steve Purdy (right knee), Daniel Torres (right hamstring) and forward Peri Marosevic (right hamstring).
• Dallas will travel to Midland on Tuesday, July 7 for a friendly against PDL club West Texas United Sockers. The team resumes MLS play on Saturday, July 11 in a road match versus the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (8:30 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52).
• Following tonight’s game, fans at Pizza Hut Park were treated to a fireworks show and a live music performance from local band Lone Star Attitude.

Juniors Open SUM U-17 Cup With Win

The FC Dallas Juniors today opened up play in the SUM U-17 Cup with a 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy, with Ruben Luna scoring both goals for FCD. The team will face the Kansas City Wizards on Sunday night. The team will have Monday off before resuming tournament play on Tuesday morning against Real Salt Lake. The SUM U-17 Cup tournament is played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce, Colorado.

It's Friday

The day before the 4th of July fixture with the New York Red Bulls, FC Dallas went through a brief practice on the stadium field from 10-11 a.m. The majority of the session was spent in an 11 v 11 walk-through. Before heading inside, many of the players spent some time taking shots on goalkeeper Josh Lambo, while others knocked long balls across the field to one another.

After practice, Dave van den Bergh left the facility with a writer named Stan Bos, who is visiting from the Netherlands to interview Dave. This afternoon, Dave will be taking Stan to some different spots in Dallas that might be recognizable to those back in the Netherlands, such as Dealey Plaza and Southfork Ranch. The feature story will appear in Dutch magazine Aktueel Primo next month.

Preview: FC Dallas vs. New York Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls (2-12-4, 10 pts) visit Pizza Hut Park this weekend for a 4th of July match-up against FCD (3-7-5, 14 pts), kicking off at 8 p.m. Immediately following the game, the crowd will be treated to a fireworks show (approx. 10 p.m.) and live concert from local band Lone Star Attitude (10:30 p.m.).

If you're planning to come out to the Independence Day game and celebration, you might want to think about arriving early for the pre-game happy hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m., featuring $1 draft beers and $3 margaritas.

Check out the video below to hear comments from head coach Schellas Hyndman and midfielder Dave van den Bergh on hosting New York on Saturday. For a more in-depth look at the match-up, read the online preview and download the official game guide.


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Two Days Out

Being two days out from this weekend's game, the team ran through a 20-minute video session this morning before stepping out to the practice field just before 10 a.m. For the initial 15 minutes, players paired up to practice one-touch passes to their partner. This led straight into a 9 v 9 possession drill, before getting to the main part of the session: a full-field scrimmage.

Sticking around to engage in a competitive shoot-around on goalkeeper Josh Lambo after practice was Jeff Cunningham, Blake Wagner and Joe Cooper (Kenny's younger brother), who is back to participate in some practice sessions after doing so about about a month ago. On another part of the field, defenders Drew Moor, George John, and Daniel Torres passed the ball around and worked on volleys. The team will hold its final practice before the 4th of July game vs. New York on Friday morning at 9:30a.m.

Mid-week Update

Wednesday's practice ran from 9:30 until 11 a.m. and mostly featured scrimmmaging on a shortened field with keepers and full-sized goals. On the opposite end of the field, Daniel Torres and Steve Purdy continued their rehab, combining conditioning exercises with some work on the ball. Alvaro "Tom" Sanchez participated in light fitness work for about the first half of practice before heading inside. Marcelo Saragosa ran laps around the adidas Field before finishing with fitness on the sidelines.