It has been 14 days since FC Dallas last played a league match. That was on July 4 when a goal by Abe Thompson in stoppage time saved the day for the Hoops as they were able to salvage a point with a 1-1 draw against Kansas City. But FCD has not been victorious against an MLS foe since June 15, when they beat Chicago 1-0 at home.
On Saturday, Colorado pays its first visit of 2008 to Pizza Hut Park, a venue where the Rapids are 0-4-0 all-time. However, the two Western Conference sides met on June 1 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and the Rapids prevailed 2-1, ending a six-match winning streak by FCD that had dated back to 2004.
Colorado has failed to win on FCD's home field in each of the last 12 matches and has a 10-0-2 record in that span. The last time the Rapids won in north Texas was on March 25, 2000, when they prevailed 1-0 at the Cotton Bowl.
But FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman, who still is in search of his first league win, isn't about to take the Rapids lightly.
"I think they're an extremely fit team from training in the altitude all the time," he said. "They're an organized team and attack with a lot of different weapons. With them playing a 3-5-2, it's going to be a midfield war. This is a very important game for us because we've got them on our home field."
His players also realize what an important game this is shaping up to be.
"We've spoken a lot about it," said FCD center back Duilio Davino. "For us, we have to concentrate on taking it game-by-game. The Colorado game is what we have to concentrate on and what we have to come out and win."
Forward and leading scorer Kenny Cooper concurs. "They've got players like Pablo Mastroeni who I have a lot of respect for, Terry Cooke and Conor Casey up top," he said. "They have a lot of good players and are a team that we won't underestimate. They have a very good team. This is a good game for us and hopefully we can give Schellas (Hyndman) his first league win this weekend."
The Rapids' starting 11 features two players that Hyndman is very familiar with in midfielder Colin Clark and defender Ugo Ihemelu, both of whom played for him at SMU.
"I think it's going to be great to coach against them at a higher level," Hyndman said. "Colin (Clark) has really turned into a good player in the MLS. He's got a great engine, goes up and down the left flank and almost plays for two players. Ugo is a special player. He is probably one of the more athletic players in the league. It's hard to beat him one-on-one whether it's with a run or a dribble. But he may cough up a silly ball that we can jump on."
FCD is just 2-5-3 in their last 10 matches and has scored multiple goals just twice in that run of games. Under Hyndman, the Hoops are 0-1-2 but have gotten points in each of their last two league matches after dropping their first game with their new boss on June 21 at New York.
Despite his side's recent struggles, he is still clear about what he wants to see from his team on Saturday evening.
"We want to see a team playing together," Hyndman said. "What we're just trying to do now is put everybody on the same page. We need flank players getting forward, good work ethic, good crosses and our players to hold their shape a little bit better."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
