On Saturday, FC Dallas lost 4-0 to D.C. United at Pizza Hut Park, their worst home loss since the facility opened in 2005. By the following morning, that setback was out of the Hoops' mindset. It had to be by the time they left for Seattle in advance of Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup semifinal against the USL First Division Sounders at Qwest Field (9 p.m. CT).
Neither team necessarily comes off good outings over the weekend. FCD's loss was their first match after a two-week layoff; on Saturday, the Sounders also lost, falling 2-1 to the Minnesota Thunder, a loss that ended a 15-match winning streak in USL play. Seattle's last defeat prior to Saturday came on June 23, when the Montreal Impact beat them 1-0.
The Sounders' Open Cup run has seen them dispatch two MLS sides along the way, defeating the Colorado Rapids 5-0 in the quarterfinals and Chivas USA 3-1 in the third round. They started the tournament with a first-round win against amateur side Banat Arsenal of Phoenix, then defeated USL First Division rival Portland 2-1. The Sounders have outscored their opponents 14-3 in Open Cup play.
FCD head coach Steve Morrow and his players are well aware of the offensive firepower that the Sounders have and know they will have to contain that vaunted attack if they want to play host to the Open Cup final at Pizza Hut Park next month.
"They're a good team and are having a very good season. They're scoring some goals and I know it's going to be a tough game," Morrow said. "It's also on turf. They're a team in good form, so we have to be on top of our game."
Seattle forward Sebastian LeToux, who was on trial with FCD earlier this year, is the Sounders' No. 2 leading scorer with seven goals and two assists. Sounders assistant coach Darren Sawatzky also played in Dallas in 1998.
"I do know that just from the scores that they've had against some of these MLS teams (in Open Cup) that they have scored some goals," said FCD center back Clarence Goodson. "That's obviously going to be something that we have to take care of. They look like they are an attack-minded team from what I've seen."
The Hoops beat a pair of USL sides to advance to the final four. On July 9, they played the Atlanta Silverbacks to a 1-1 draw before winning on penalty kicks in Frisco. Then, on August 7, they traveled to Blackbaud Stadium and defeated the Charleston Battery 2-1.
"It's definitely a big game for us," said midfielder Dax McCarty. "The semifinal of any competition is definitely a huge game. They're a fairly solid team who have had an unbeaten streak in the USL and are one of the top teams in that league."
McCarty also expects a raucous crowd at Qwest Field to help create an incredible atmosphere.
"It seems like they have solid and vocal home support," he said. "Their fans really get behind them, so it's not going to be an easy game."
How well the Hoops can rebound from their second 4-0 loss of the season on Saturday will tell whether they advance or go home.
"It's a new day," Goodson said. "You're frustrated about the loss after the game but the next day is a new day. We just have to file it because we have a really important game on Tuesday and we can't have a hangover from Saturday going into that one."
After the heavy defeat, there could be a few changes in the FCD lineup -- compounded by the fact that Morrow can only take five international players. That list will likely include midfielder and World Cup winner Denilson, midfielder Pablo Ricchetti, striker Carolos Ruiz, center back Adrian Serioux and midfielder Juan Toja.
"I haven't made my mind up yet on the lineup yet," Morrow said. "We can only have five international players on the 18(-man roster). So, that will change our thinking a little bit. We will come up with the first five we want to use and then build a team around that."
Serioux did not play on Saturday and that means he will likely return to the starting 11 in place of Aaron Pitchkolan, who started against D.C.
Morrow also has a decision to make in goal as Dario Sala, who hadn't played in a month before getting the start on Saturday because of a knee injury, was shaky in his return. During his absence, second-year 'keeper Ray Burse was solid, allowing just one goal in a SuperLiga match with CD Guadalajara and allowing an average of just one goal per match in three league starts.
Toja also returned from injury on Saturday and for the most part, was a non-factor. It remains to be seen how much he improves between the loss to D.C. and Tuesday's affair. Denilson made his MLS debut on Saturday, entering the match in the 55th minute and could get his first start on Tuesday if he is match fit.
FCD has dedicated this year's Open Cup effort to the man whose name is synonymous with U.S. professional soccer - former investor/operator Lamar Hunt, who passed away last November, making the competition even more significant.
"I think it's a great opportunity for us to come back here and host the final," Morrow said. "I think there's even more importance on it this year for the Hunt family. As a coach and a team, we certainly recognize that and want to give our best effort. If that is good enough, we'll be hosting the final here and if it's not, at least we will know that we've done our best."
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
