FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas begins preparing for the 2008 Major League Soccer season on Monday, Feb. 4 with the first official preseason training session taking place at Pizza Hut Park at 10 a.m. CT. The team will conduct two sessions a day for the first week, with practices at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (subject to change). Players and coaches will be available to the media following each session.
FC Dallas will conduct the majority of preseason training at its home complex, Pizza Hut Park. The team will also return to Brazil for the second consecutive year, training at partner and Brazilian Serie A's Clube Atletico Paranaense's world-class training center from Feb. 29 through March 10 in Curitiba, Brazil. While in Brazil, FCD is scheduled to play three games, including one against Brazilian Serie B opponent Avai Futbol Club in Florianapolis as well as the 1st leg of the second annual USA-Brazil Challenge against Atletico Paranaense at Kyocera Arena in Curitiba.
FCD will then return to Pizza Hut Park for two final preseason contests in March, facing the Los Angeles Galaxy in the FC Dallas Foundation Charity game on Saturday, March 15 (7:30 p.m. CT) and then Atletico Paranaense on Saturday, March 22 in the return-leg of the USA-Brazil Challenge. The home game versus Atletico Paranaense will be part of the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXIX weekend, which will wrap up on Sunday, March 23 with the finals of the Super Group (U-19 Division) at Pizza Hut Park.
Dallas begins the 2008 regular season against Chivas USA on Sunday, Mar. 30 at Pizza Hut Park (2 p.m. CT).
PRESEASON SCHEDULE
(Subject to change)
Jan. 31-Feb. 2: Players report for physicals, and fitness, medical, and other tests.
Feb. 4-28: Training at Pizza Hut Park
Feb. 29-Mar. 10 Training in Curitiba and Florianapolis, Brazil
Mar. 12-28: Training at Pizza Hut Park
PRESEASON GAMES SCHEDULE
(Subject to change)
Feb. 9: Centro America (2007 Copa Coors Champion) - 10:30 a.m. - Pizza Hut Park: adidas Field
Feb. 16: University of Memphis - 5 p.m. - Pizza Hut Park Field: # 4
Feb. 23: West Texas A&M - 10 a.m. - Pizza Hut Park: Stadium Field
Feb. 26: SMU - 7:30 p.m. - Pizza Hut Park: Field # 4
March 3: Atletico Paranaense "B" Team - CAP Training Center, Curitiba, Brazil
Mach 5: Atletico Paranaense - Kyocera Arena, Curitiba, Brazil -1st Leg of USA-Brazil Challenge
March 8: Avai Futbol Clube (Brazil, Serie B) - Estádio Adolfo Gonder, Florianópolis, Brazil
March 13: University of Tulsa - TBD - Pizza Hut Park: adidas Field
FC Dallas Foundation Charity Game
March 22: Atletico Paranaense - 7:30 p.m. - Pizza Hut Park: Stadium Field - 2nd Leg of USA-Brazil Challenge
