The Official FC Dallas Blog

FCD at Colorado Rapids

2009-07-11T20:11:00.010-05:00

Watch live on KFWD-52 (8:30 p.m. CT kickoff)
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We're scoreless at the break here at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Colorado has had the majority of the chances, firing off five shots compared to FCD's one. But Dallas has done a good job of recovering defensively to thwart those opportunities, and Ray Burse came up with a big save about halfway through the first period, diving to his right to stop a Jacob Peterson strike. The team is wearing their blue and white striped shirts, and fans watching the game back home may be wondering why they're wearing red shorts with the road jerseys instead of the usual white. Well, the home side Colorado is wearing white shorts and therefore the league asked Dallas to make the change for this game. If you're keeping a tally, it's the first time the team has paired the road blue jerseys with the home red shorts.

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Dick's Sporting Goods Park. It feels like we were just here....oh wait, we were two weeks ago. That game ended in a 1-1 tie, and you can be sure that FCD will be looking to make the necessary adjustments to leave Colorado and head into the bye week with three points this time. About 20 minutes from kickoff At DSG Park, it's a comfortable 74 degrees. Tonight's starting lineups are below. For Dallas, it's basically the same as last week, except George John gets the nod in central defense, pushing Kyle Davies out to left back. And with Kenny Cooper out with the USMNT again, Cunningham will again start up top as the lone striker.

FCD: Ray Burse, Drew Moor, Pablo Ricchetti, George John, Kyle Davies, Dax McCarty, Dave van den Bergh, David Ferreira, Andre Rocha, Brek Shea, Jeff Cunningham.

Subs: Josh Lambo, Anthony Wallace, Blake Wagner, Daniel Torres, Steve Purdy, Bruno Guarda, Eric Avila.

COL: Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Ugo Ihemelu, Scott Palguta, Jordan Harvey, Terry Cooke, Pablo Mastroeni, Mehdi Ballouchy, Nick LaBrocca, Jacob Peterson, Conor Casey.

Subs Not Used: Preston Burpo, Pat Noonan, Ty Harden, Rob Valentino, Greg Dalby, Ross Schunk.

Cooper Gets the Start for USMNT

2009-07-11T19:39:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-10T14:10:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-10T12:28:00.009-05:00

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

2009-07-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

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

2009-07-09T12:18:00.005-05:00

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

2009-07-08T15:04:00.007-05:00

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

2009-07-08T14:13:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-07T19:10:00.011-05:00

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

2009-07-07T18:11:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-07T13:09:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-06T14:21:00.012-05:00

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

2009-07-06T07:21:00.005-05:00

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

2009-07-04T18:28:00.011-05:00

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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

2009-07-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-03T11:53:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-02T12:40:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-01T14:35:00.002-05:00

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.

Prepping for the 4th

2009-06-30T14:02:00.003-05:00

FC Dallas went through a 90-minute practice session in preparation for this weekend's 4th of July match against the visiting New York Red Bulls (8 p.m. CT). As a warm-up, the field players weaved through cones and over small hurdles while the goalkeepers practiced reflex saves and footwork.

The team then spent some time in a crossing / finishing drill before ending with a 9 v 9 scrimmage with Ray Burse in one goal, and Dario Sala and Josh Lambo taking turns in the other. For about 15 minutes following training, Blake Wagner and Jeff Cunningham practiced finishing crosses from Michael Dello-Russo.

Misc. Notes:

Adam Hinshelwood, a 25-year-old English trialist, has joined the team for training and will be in for the remainder of the week. He has been with Brighton (England's League One) since 2000 and can play center back and right back.
Alvaro "Tom" Sanchez jogged outside for the first time since suffering a right ankle injury against San Jose on June 7.
Daniel Torres, Steve Purdy, and Marcelo Saragosa worked on running, volleying, and doing agility drills to recover from injuries suffered. The team will meet again on the practice field Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

Vote for Ferreira and Burse

2009-06-30T10:11:00.011-05:00

David Ferreira's clever lob over Colorado keeper Matt Pickens last Wednesday has earned an MLS Goal of the Week nomination. Visit here to see a replay of the goal and vote for David! The voting closes on Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT -- let's make sure the award goes to an FCD player for the second straight week!

On the opposite end of the field, goalkeeper Ray Burse has been nominated for Save of the Week after diving to his left to stop a driven shot from Colorado's Nick LaBrocca in the same game. It's the second week in a row that Burse has been nominated for the award. You can check out a replay of the save and vote for Ray here. Voting for Save of the Week closes at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday.

Photos: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

FCD Juniors U-16 Headed to Finals Week

2009-06-29T21:22:00.004-05:00

From June 26-29, 64 teams (32 U-16 / 32 U-18) battled it out in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs with a trip to the national finals at stake. After posting a perfect 3-0 record in the playoffs, the FC Dallas Juniors U-16 squad will be one of only 16 teams (8 in each age group) to head to Carson, CA for Finals Week from July 10-17.

The U-16s today defeated South Charlotte 4-1 with scoring from Ruben Luna (2), Bryan Leyva and Daniel Garcia, to punch their ticket to California. In the finals, each age group will be split into two brackets of four, with the winners of each bracket facing off in the championship game. Read more about Finals Week here.

The U-18s closed out their playoff run this morning with a 2-2 draw with Derby County Wolves. Dallas goals were scored by Bradlee Baladez and Jose Perez. While the U-18s did not make the finals, we'd like to congratulate the boys on a great first season in the national academy league!

Quick Practice

2009-06-29T11:16:00.004-05:00

After the weekend off, the guys returned to practice this morning but during warm ups the skies opened up and it started pouring. Due to lightning, the team went inside to continue their individual workouts in the gym. The team will be back at practice tomorrow at 9:30 a.m on the adidas field. The rest of the week's schedule is posted on the right.

Juniors Playoff Update

2009-06-27T21:08:00.003-05:00

On day two of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs, the FCD Juniors U-16s picked up their second win, defeating Andromeda 2-0, with scoring from Jacob Gerondale and Jonathan Top. The team will have Sunday off before playing their final game on Monday against South Charlotte, where a win would assure the team of advancing to the finals.

Unfortunately, the U-18s fell to the Santa Cruz County Breakers 5-2. Dallas goals came from Bradlee Baladez and London Woodberry. At 0-1-1 in the tournament, the U-18 team cannot advance, even with a win in their final game. Like the U-16s, they'll have Sunday off and will then face the Derby County Wolves Monday morning.

With a day off on Sunday, you can bet the Juniors teams will be watching the U.S. vs. Brazil Confederations Cup Final (1 p.m. CT live on ESPN and Univision) somewhere in Greensboro, NC. Here in Dallas, we've heard that many FCD fans will be heading to Trinity Hall to catch the big game. The Irish pub is not only a great place catch FC Dallas in action when the team is on the road, but it's also the place in town to watch the USMNT. Where will you be watching?

Juniors Start Playoffs With Good Results

2009-06-26T16:48:00.003-05:00

The FCD Juniors teams kicked off day one of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs with positive results earlier today. The U-16s defeated Birmingham United 3-1 behind goals from Bryan Leyva, Ruben Luna and an own goal from their opponent. The U-18s and the Dallas Texans played to a scoreless draw.

On Saturday afternoon, the U-16s will square off against Andromeda, who fell today to South Charlotte by the score of 4-1. The U-18s will also be in action on Saturday, facing the Santa Cruz County Breakers in the morning. Santa Cruz lost to Derby County Wolves today, also by the score of 4-1. Track the U-16s results here, and follow the U-18s here.