Traveling for the third time in three weeks, FC Dallas head to San Jose for a very important Western Conference showdown on Saturday. FC Dallas has a 3-1-2 record for 11 points, just behind the Los Angeles Galaxy who are in first place in the West with a 4-1-0 mark for 12 points. Chasing the top two teams are the San Jose Earthquakes who are off to a 2-1-3 start for nine points. The match begins at 9 p.m. CT and will be televised on Fox Sports Net Southwest. It will also be on English Radio at KFCD 990 AM and on Spanish Radio at KZMP 1540 AM.
Following Saturday's match, the team will then return home for a Wednesday match on May 18 vs. Colorado before heading back out for four straight on the road. The three straight road matches tie an all-time team high and the four straight will be the new club-record for consecutive matches on the road.
On the scoring end, FC Dallas has been led by four players. Four goalscorers have combined for 11 goals through the team's first six matches. Eddie Johnson (four goals), Carlos Ruiz (three goals), Ronnie O'Brien (two goals) and Richard Mulrooney (two goals) have displayed their talented scoring touches this season. The team has three wins and three different players have scored the game-winner with Johnson, Mulrooney and Ruiz tallying one a piece. The 4-3-3 system the squad is playing right now has given Ruiz plenty of chances up top, as well as Johnson and O'Brien the freedom to roam the field at either the left or right outside forward position. With Simo Valakari and Carey Talley holding the midfield, Mulrooney has had the opportunity to join the attack more then ever before in his career. He has two goals in six matches with FC Dallas after scoring just four goals in 163 games with San Jose.
For Mulrooney, Saturday's match marks his return to San Jose to play his former team where he spent the previous six seasons (1999-2004). Mulrooney was a major piece in the team's two MLS Cup championships in 2001 and 2003. He is also San Jose's all-time leader in assists (44), games played (163), games started (155), minutes played (14,204) and game-winning assists (14).
Not only will Mulrooney be making an appearance against his team last year, but San Jose midfielder Brad Davis will play against Dallas for the first time since being traded for Mulrooney on Jan. 14. Davis leads the league in assists with six in just six games. He played in 55 games with Dallas from 2003-2004 and collected eight goals and seven assists. The Mulrooney-Davis trade also included Dallas receiving Arturo Alvarez and the sixth overall pick (Drew Moor), while San Jose obtained an allocation and the fourth overall selection (Danny O'Rourke).
