FC DALLAS v REAL SALT LAKE
PIZZA HUT PARK, Frisco, Texas
7:30 p.m. CT (FSN-Ut)
Sept. 23, 2006 (WEEK 26) / MLS Game #173
A weekend ago on the Wasatch Front, Real Salt Lake went down a man early, yet fought back with two second-half goals to claim a 3-2 victory against FC Dallas. Now the teams play in the back end of their home-and-home series with plenty on the line. With just a single point on Saturday, the Hoops ensure they'll be a part of the MLS Cup Playoffs - which they've failed to do for two matches running. RSL currently finds itself out of the playoff picture, but with a victory in Frisco and a victory either way in Carson, they will pull back into a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference.
REFEREE: Brian Hall. SAR (bench): Bill Dittmar; JAR (opposite): Edouard Groguhe; 4th: Adam Garner
MLS Career: 118 games; FC/gm: 29.1; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 31; pens: 36
MLS 2006: 15 games; FC/gm: 27.2 (avg: 28.8); Y/gm: 3.2 (avg: 3.66); R: 4 (MLS: 38); pens: 3 (MLS: 35)
Games involving FC Dallas: P27 W14 L8 T5; FC/gm: 27.8; Y/gm: 2.7; R: 6; pens: 11
Games involving Real: P6 W3 L2 T1; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 3; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: FC DALLAS - OUT: GK Jeff Cassar (R hip surgery); FW Roberto Mina (L knee); QUESTIONABLE: GK Dario Sala (L calf) ... REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: DF Paul Broome (L ankle internal derangement); MF Seth Trembly (L knee ACL tear); MF Christian Jimenez (L knee ACL tear); DF Danny Torres (R foot sprain)
SUSPENDED: RSL: Carey Talley (through Sept. 23)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: Ronnie O'Brien ... RSL: Eddie Pope
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DAL: Chris Gbandi, Clarence Goodson, Ramon Nunez, Dario Sala, Marcelo Saragosa, Greg Vanney ... RSL: Mehdi Ballouchy, Scott Garlick, Atiba Harris, Jason Kreis, Douglas Sequeira, Carey Talley, Andy Williams
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: RSL: Atiba Harris (St. Kitts and Nevis; Caribbean Cup)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (7 meetings): FC Dallas 5 wins (0 shootout), 12 goals ... Real 2 wins (0 shootout), 8 goals ... 0 draws
AT DALLAS: (3 meetings): FC Dallas 3 wins (0 shootout), 7 goals ... Real 0 wins (0 shootout), 2 goals ... 0 draws
This is the fourth of four meetings this season between the clubs, the second of two at Pizza Hut Park as the teams conclude the season series on back-to-back weekends.
A year ago, FC Dallas won three of the four meetings between the clubs in Real's inaugural season, winning both at home. The first meeting was played at the Cotton Bowl while the second was played at Pizza Hut Park - the first league victory for the Hoops in their new home ground.
RSL's victory on July 23 at Rice-Eccles was the only time in their inaugural season they scored three or more goals in a league match.
Coaches record: Colin Clarke vs. RSL: P7 W5 L2 D0 ... John Ellinger v DAL: P7 W2 L5 D02006 (MLS):
4/8: DAL 2, RSL 1: (Cooper 43; Wilson 57 - Klein 36)
7/22: RSL 0, DAL 1 (Thompson 90)
9/16: RSL 3, DAL 2 (Williams 13; Klein 62; Kreis 72 - Ruiz 4, 45)
FC Dallas won the first two meetings this season before Real came back to claim victory last Saturday in the third.
The Hoops came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory on April 8 in the first meeting between the clubs this season. A brilliant free kick from Chris Klein gave Real their first goal of the season in the 36th minute, running onto a slight touch from Andy Williams before whipping the ball over the wall and inside Dario Sala's right-hand post. But the home side were level just seven minutes later as hometown hero Kenny Cooper scored his second goal in as many weeks, taking a perfect backheel from Carlos Ruiz and knocking it home.
The Hoops then hit for the eventual winner 12 minutes into the second half. A low ball was played into the area, knocked down by RSL 'keeper Scott Garlick before a valiant clearing attempt from Carey Talley. But Mark Wilson was there to bang the rebound into the goal.
Then a goal from Abe Thompson three minutes into second-half stoppage time gave FC Dallas a stunning 1-0 victory on July 22 at Salt Lake City.
Just when it seemed like Real would play to a third consecutive scoreless draw on their home ground, lightning struck. Kenny Cooper collected the ball in midfield and slotted it between two defenders for Thompson to run onto. He fought through the tackle of Eddie Pope, raced in alone on Scott Garlick, and rounded the RSL 'keeper before driving the ball into the unguarded goal for the winner.LAST MEETING
FC Dallas came into the game with a chance of becoming the second team to clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a victory, while Real were playing their penultimate home game of the league season.
It took the visitors just four minutes to open the scoring. Abe Thompson sent a defense-splitting ball through to Ronnie O'Brien, who slipped a brisk cross to Carlos Ruiz, who needed only to tap in for his first goal in 11 games, since scoring June 11 vs. Chivas USA.
But RSL drew level through Andy Williams in the 13th minute after a flurry action in front of the Hoops goal. Kreis turned his man just outside of the area and rifled a blast that a diving Dario Sala deflected away from goal. The deflection fell to Williams, who spun and sublimely chipped the ball over Sala and high into the far side netting.
Then in the 27th minute, RSL midfielder Carey Talley and FC Dallas winger Ronnie O'Brien collided at midfield, O'Brien booked on the play. The two tangled again six minutes later, and this time when Talley swept out O'Brien's legs from under him, he was sent off by referee Ricardo Salazar.
Just before the intermission Ruiz struck again. Thompson sent another deadly through ball to Ruiz, who beat Garlick with a low hard drive into the net for his 10th goal of the season and his second two-goal game this year.
Though down a man, RSL leveled the match for a second time in the 62nd minute off a strike from Chris Klein. A quickly taken freekick put Klein through, and the Salt Lake winger melted the Rice-Eccles turf with a scorching low blast inside the far post.
Then Real grabbed an emotional winner 10 minutes later. Klein sent Atiba Harris through, who banged a line drive across the mouth of the Dallas goal. Jason Kreis leaped and got enough of his boot on the cross to poke it into the net before the eruption of the Salt Lake crowd, giving the MLS all-time leading scorer 107 goals for his career.
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas lost for the second consecutive match with a chance to clinch a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs, and now are on the verge of losing out on the chance to win the MLS Supporters' Shield. The Hoops have 46 points from 28 matches, now six points ahead of Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference and six points behind D.C. United in the chase for the best regular season record.
TEAM NEWS
FC Dallas head coach Colin Clarke made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Chivas USA at home the previous Wednesday. Clarence Goodson and Drew Moor both came into central defense, in place of Greg Vanney and Alex Yi. David Wagenfuhr and Abe Thompson were also given starts, as Ramon Nunez went to the substitutes' bench and Simo Valakari was suspended.
Here's Clarke's team (4-4-2): Dario Sala - Bobby Rhine, Clarence Goodson (Dominic Oduro 90), Drew Moor, Chris Gbandi - Kenny Cooper, Ronnie O'Brien, Marcelo Saragosa (Ramon Nunez 84), David Wagenfuhr (Arturo Alvarez 78) - Carlos Ruiz, Abe Thompson. [Substitutes Not Used: Shaka Hislop, Dax McCarty, Aaron Pitchkolan, Alex Yi]
"It's more embarrassing than frustrating tonight," said Clarke. "2-1 up at half time, playing against 10 men, and we lose the game."
Dallas winger Ronnie O'Brien agreed with his coach, adding that the team as a whole was at fault for the recent string of poor results. The Hoops have lost five of their last eight games.
"We were an absolute joke tonight," said O'Brien. "We went through the motions. When we went a man up we just went through the motions and thought that we just had to go out for the second half and win the game. And it showed in how we played. We were casual. We were bad on the ball. We didn't take our chances and we got punished for it."
O'Brien feels that their recent form will be the demise of the Hoops if things don't change.
"It's not good enough and it hasn't been for a month," said O'Brien. "Although we've gotten some results, it just hasn't been good enough. We haven't played well enough, and we haven't worked hard enough. We haven't shown enough pride in ourselves. If we keep playing the way we've been playing we're going to go out in the first round of the playoffs."
Ruiz pointed out that not only have the Hoops lost two in a row, but both were to teams behind them in the standings who played considerable minutes while shorthanded. "Against Chivas we lost at home and Chivas won with 10 men and the same thing here in Salt Lake City," said Ruiz. "We played good the first half, but the second half we played awful."
For Ruiz, his 11-game goalless streak was the longest of his career. "I'm happy to score goals, but more important than me scoring is us winning. We need to find a way to win games and get first place in the conference," he said.
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake narrowed the gap in the Western Conference, inching closer to a first-ever playoff berth, with the victory against FC Dallas. Real now have 36 points from 28 matches, now trailing the Colorado Rapids and Chivas USA by three points as they are tied for third place in the division, leading the sixth-place Los Angeles Galaxy by three points.
TEAM NEWS
Real head coach John Ellinger made one change to the team that came back to claim a 1-1 draw with D.C. United at RFK Stadium the previous Saturday. League leading scorer Jeff Cunningham was suspended, and Atiba Harris came into the team in his place.
Here's Ellinger's team (4-4-2): Scott Garlick - Kevin Novak (Douglas Sequeira 46), Eddie Pope, Jack Stewart, Willis Forko - Chris Klein, Mehdi Ballouchy, Carey Talley, Andy Williams (Jafet Soto 74) - Atiba Harris (Chris Brown 88), Jason Kreis. [Substitutes Not Used: Nelson Akwari, Kenny Cutler, Jay Nolly, Jamie Watson]
"I told our leaders - Jason (Kreis), Scott (Garlick), Chris (Klein), Andy (Williams) and Eddie (Pope) - to find a way to step up and make it happen in a must-win game, to put the bizarre call behind us," Ellinger said." We came from behind and beat them a man down. We found a way to beat them at our home, now next week we'll look to find a way to beat them in Dallas."
It was a terrific effort from two players who used to call Dallas home. "I think Scott Garlick and Jason Kreis were just phenomenal tonight," Ellinger said. "Garlick and his seven saves came up huge for us, and for Jason to come back and get the game-winning goal against the team he led for nine years must be sweet for him."
As well, it was a highly emotional victory for Real. "From April until now we've come so far, emotionally it is hard to describe. For a team that only had five wins and five ties all of last year to be playing games that matter this deep into September, coming from behind a man down to get two shorthanded goals against the best team in the West, and for us to be pushing for the playoffs - what can you say? Psychologically we have accomplished a lot, coming together over the course of the year," Ellinger said.
As the first player to be signed with Salt Lake, Jason Kreis has had a participatory role in the team's entire history. "I'd like to downplay it, but I can't," said Kreis. "I'd say, yeah it is [the biggest win in club history]. It's the most emotional. It shows that this team has so much heart. We believe in each other."
The final Salt Lake goal was the result of some masterful combination play, finished off by the 107th goal of his MLS career for Kreis. It was his first goal in 855 minutes. "It's been a while since I felt the back of the net," said Kreis. "Obviously, to score it against my old team in that fashion to win the game is pretty special for me."
It was the seventh tally this season for the RSL front man, who led the team in goals in 2005. But Kreis has found other ways to contribute to Salt Lake's winning ways. He has spent time dropping into midfield rather than playing as a true out-and-out striker.
"I'm not doing it yet, but down the road, (Jason) started his career at midfield and I think he'll end his career in the midfield," said Ellinger to the Deseret Morning News. "Not everybody can move from a forward back to the midfield, but he can. Because of his work rate, he keeps the ball moving and that's what you want from a central midfielder, and that helps us as far as spreading the attack out, getting it wide. Just watch him, he's always moving."
Said Carey Talley: "There's been a lot of situations where Jason's had to tuck back in and play more of a defensive role instead of being the forward up high with Jeff. That's a huge contribution to make considering your main (objective) is scoring goals for the team."
"I feel like I may not have scored as many goals as I would have liked this year and have done a lot of other work for this team and put myself out on the field in a lot of different spots to help this team," Kreis said. "So, maybe this year hasn't been as much goal scoring. To have that come in that fashion - sort of to be rewarded for all that work - right now, it feels really good."
With the suspension to Carey Talley, Douglas Sequeira will fill his central midfield spot. The Costa Rican international last started on July 26 v Chivas USA, though he has come off the substitutes' bench in five of the nine matches since. Sequeira came on at halftime of the match in Salt Lake last weekend. "Douglas will be the guy," said Ellinger. "He's earned some playing time, he's been playing well."
