For the second consecutive week, FC Dallas will play in unfamiliar surroundings as they visit Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the first time to face MLS Western Conference rival Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. FCD comes off a disappointing first trip to BMO Field in Toronto last Sunday, an excursion that ended in a season-worst 4-0 loss.
But while that defeat came just three days after the Hoops had escaped Rice-Eccles Stadium with a shocking 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half stoppage time goal by Dominic Oduro, this week will see FCD heading to the Rocky Mountain State a bit more rested.
On April 22, the sides met in Frisco and FCD, who got two goals from midfielder Ramon Nunez and another from Oduro, handed the Rapids a 3-1 defeat in their first appearance at Pizza Hut Park since eliminating the Hoops from the 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs last fall.
While FCD has yet to play in the Rapids' new digs, they head to the Rockies sporting a four-match road unbeaten streak against their conference foe. FCD won at Colorado 2-0 on Aug. 30, 2006 after the sides tied 2-2 there on April 15, 2006. The Hoops' last loss there came on Sept. 4, 2004 at Mile High Stadium when the Rapids sent them packing with a 2-1 defeat.
Saturday's match will mark FCD's 10th road match of the year compared to just five home dates the Hoops have had so far this year. No matter where they play the Rapids, they remain a team that FCD head coach Steve Morrow is very familiar with.
"I think they're a slightly better team than they were last year. They've been playing decently at home. They had a few guys missing and rested a few guys last week and I am not quite sure what to expect from their lineup," Morrow said. "They usually run a straight 4-4-2 and like to get it wide. We know what to expect from them. They have a couple of dangerous players we need to keep an eye on as well."
FCD got a boost last Sunday with the return of captain Carlos Ruiz to the team. Ruiz had missed all of June playing for Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and returned to the Hoops just a day after Canada eliminated his team in the Gold Cup quarterfinals.
With leading scorer Kenny Cooper likely out until September with a broken right tibia suffered in the waning moments of a 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy on June 9, Ruiz will be asked to carry much of the offensive load.
However, Oduro (two goals), Abe Thompson (two goals, three assists) and Arturo Alvarez (one goal) give Morrow options up top. And the club is close to signing 19-year-old Brazilian striker Ricardinho from their South American partner Clube Atletico Paranaense.
But other than Cooper and defender Adrian Serioux, who has missed all of 2007 after having knee surgery in February but is still a few weeks back from making his FCD debut, the Hoops are mostly injury-free.
Not only does Saturday's affair represent FCD's latest chance to battle with their rivals to the north, but it also presents a great chance for the Hoops to set things right after suffering their worst defeat of the season last Sunday.
"It's an important game for us, but not just because it's Colorado, who is one of our rivals, but there are three points to be had there," said FCD center back Drew Moor. "We come off a tough performance in Toronto coming off a tough road trip, but look to come out, go out there and get a victory. They're doing all right but it's an important three points for us."
Oduro agreed. "It's another one of our away games and we have this rivalry going with Colorado," he said. "It will be another hard game on the road. We need to go there and get a good result away from home."
Both Moor and Oduro agree that putting Sunday's loss behind them could be tough.
"You want to (forget it) but nobody does. We looked at some video and saw that we were very good for the first 20 minutes and accomplished what we needed to. But once we gave up that first goal, it was all downhill from there," Moor said. "You want to put it out of your mind and learn from it but guys aren't going to forget that too easily. Getting three points at Colorado would help ease that a little bit."
"After looking at the first 20 minutes, we asked ourselves why we lost that game," Oduro said. "It was one of those games that you don't want to think about because we did really bad. It's in the back of our minds but we want to face Colorado with a fresh start and go from there."
Since Saturday's affair will mark FCD's 15th match of the year and officially marking the halfway point of the 2007 regular season, Morrow weighed in on how he thinks the first half has gone for his side.
"I hope we can finish off the first half of the season with a win over Colorado on Saturday, which I believe we will," he said. "It's been tough with a lot of road games and missing bodies. I think where we are right now is in a decent position. I'm reasonably happy, but not totally happy."
After Saturday's match, FCD will have just five of their final 15 matches away from home. They have just one road match in July against an MLS team - a July 14 trip to face D.C. United at RFK Stadium. How the Hoops approach the second half of the campaign will certainly be the key to any postseason aspirations.
"I think we have got to learn to tie some of those games under pressure," Morrow said. "I want this team to get stronger mentally and physically as the year goes on. In the last few seasons, we have had a dip in the middle of the season but I want this team to have the mentality to get through that."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
