HOOPS CLOSE OUT REGULAR SEASON WITH WIZARDS:
Major League Soccer's tenth regular season in Dallas will come to an end at Pizza Hut Park on Saturday evening as FC Dallas hosts the Kansas City Wizards. A win for Dallas would guarantee it the No. 2 seed in the West while also giving the team 50 points for just the second time in team history. The Hoops would also seal up the second spot with a draw, combined with a Los Angeles loss, tie or win by seven goals or fewer. The Wizards need a win in this game to keep the pressure on the MetroStars with who they are currently tied for the final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.
You can catch this game live on KFCD 990AM (English) with Ray Canevari or Radio AYO 1540AM (Spanish) with Carlos Alvarado and Jesus Padilla. The pregame shows will begin at 7 p.m. with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.
TRAINING SCHEDULE*:
Monday, October 10: DAY OFF
Tuesday, October 11: 9:30 a.m. @ Pizza Hut Park
Wednesday, October 12: DAY OFF
Thursday, October 13: 9:30 a.m. @ Pizza Hut Park
Friday, October 14: 9:30 a.m. @ Pizza Hut Park
Saturday, October 15: FC Dallas (13-10-8, 47 points) vs. Kansas City Wizards (11-9-11, 44 points) at 7:30 p.m. (CDT) at Pizza Hut Park
Sunday, October 16: FC Dallas Reserves (5-5-1, 16 points) vs. Kansas City Wizards Reserves (5-3-3, 18 points) at 10:00 a.m. (CDT)
* Schedule is subject to change.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
INAUGURAL WALK OF FAME ENSHRINEMENT ON SATURDAY: The inaugural class of inductees will officially be welcomed into the Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame on Saturday evening with a ceremony in the Verizon Wireless Club prior to the regular season finale between FC Dallas and the Kansas City Wizards. Gordon Jago, Bill Kinder, Carla Overbeck, Kyle Rote Jr. and Tatu will be honored for the contributions that they have made to make to the sport of soccer both here in Texas, and worldwide.
The Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame will be located just north of the Pizza Hut Park stadium and will run directly through the center of the youth soccer fields located immediately south of Technology Drive, a stretch of soccer history that spans approximately 1,400 linear feet. Various commemorative markers will be located within this area, with plaques on each recognizing members of the soccer community who have been instrumental in helping build the sport in Texas. Additionally, other markers to be installed each year will also recognize key events in Texas soccer history. This unique landmark will not only be a tribute to those who have dedicated much of their lives to the sport, but will also be a point of historic interest for all fans visiting the facility.
RHINE ROCKET UP FOR WEEKLY AWARD: FC Dallas defender/forward Bobby Rhine is one of five players nominated for the Sierra Mist MLS Goal of the Week Award. This is the second consecutive week for a FC Dallas player to be nominated for the award, with Aaron Pitchkolan strike against the Galaxy losing out to a goal from Real Salt Lake's Clint Mathis a week ago.
Rhine's goal, his second of the season, came in the 58th minute of the Hoops 2-1 win over Columbus on Wednesday night. With his team trailing 1-0, Rhine lashed a volley from the top of the box past a helpless Jonny Walker to even the score and set the scene for Ramon Nunez's stoppage time winner.
Speaking about his goal after the game, Rhine said, "I was just trying to put it on frame. It's one of those balls that it either ends up in the net or across the street in Frisco Square."
To view Rhine's strike, as well as the rest of the nominees, and to vote for your favorite, head to www.MLSnet.com and click on the Sierra Mist logo, or just click here.
THE HUNT FOR A RED AND WHITE OCTOBER: Saturday night's 0-0 draw with Colorado was the final game for Dallas against Western Conference opposition, giving the club a final record of 10-4-6 against its Conference opponents. That result also assured the Hoops of at least a third place finish in the West, meaning that they will avoid the top seeded San Jose Earthquakes.
Dallas can now clinch home-field advantage in the Conference Semifinals with a win over Kansas City on Saturday while a draw in that game would force the Galaxy to win by seven goals or more against San Jose, also on Saturday. If the Galaxy win by exactly seven goals, they will need to score eight more goals than Dallas does on the night to jump into the second position.
If the Galaxy is unable to do this, Dallas will assure itself the No. 2 seed and a game at Pizza Hut Park in the second leg of the Conference Semifinals during the weekend of October 29-31. In that round, Dallas will take on the Galaxy unless they are defeated by San Jose, and Colorado defeats Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night.
Against the teams that it could potentially meet in the Western Conference Playoffs, FC Dallas is 4-3-5. Against the Earthquakes, who they can only meet in the Conference Final, the Hoops are 0-1-3, compared to 2-2-0 against the Galaxy and 2-0-2 against Colorado.
