Not only did FC Dallas continue their recent rebound with a 2-1 victory against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on Thursday, but the Hoops also tightened their grip on the Brimstone Cup.
The trophy is awarded by the supporters' groups of the two clubs to the winner of the season series, and the only problem FC Dallas might have with the cup is making sure their housekeeping crew is keeping the dust off the trophy. The Fire won it in 2001, the first year the trophy was on offer. FC Dallas have won it the five seasons since, and Thursday's win went a long way in making it a sixth.
FC Dallas scored a goal in both halves and had a 2-0 lead late in the contest before the Fire scored a late goal. The win also moved the Hoops to the top of Western Conference.
"I think you expect that when you're away from home on the road, especially against a team who just had two defeats and were looking to start the game well," FC head coach Steve Morrow said. "I thought we soaked up the early pressure well and defended it well. We had a few little problems defensively that we talked about at halftime. I thought we were a little stretched and left too many gaps in midfield, which we tried to correct at halftime."
After dropping back-to-back home games by 1-0 scores, the Hoops have rebounded over the last week and defeated Kansas City and Chicago in their home stadiums.
"Winning two in a row on the road is a great result," Morrow said. "We've been playing well and we're hoping to bring that momentum home with us."
Kenny Cooper tallied his fourth goal of the season, converting his own penalty kick midway through the first half. Cooper has made his presence felt in games against the Fire. In his first MLS season in 2006, Cooper collected two game-winning goals against Chicago as FCD won both meetings, and he continued his offensive success Thursday.
"I was fortunate to get a couple goals against them so it was a big win for us coming off those three home losses," Cooper said. "We've responded really well and had two big wins on the road. Hopefully, we can go into the next home game and continue doing what we did here on the road."
Juan Toja gave FC Dallas a two-goal cushion with his 60th-minute goal, thanks to a helper from forward Abe Thompson.
"The pass Abe gave to me was perfect," Toja said. "I was able to run full speed and able to connect. We're a well-conditioned team and as we pass the ball more, teams start to get desperate late in games and then we're able to score."
Although it's still early in the season, Toja said that the team is starting to rebound and find its stride.
"We had a few new people this season and it has taken some time for us to get to know how we play together," Toja said. "We're working hard and we're starting to play well as a team."
One notable absence Thursday night was Carlos Ruiz. The Guateamalan international missed the game with an injury, after not starting against Kansas City as punishment for missing two practices unexcused the week before.
"He has a hamstring strain and we've been pushing them pretty hard in practice," Morrow said. "He's a valuable part of this team and we didn't want to risk any more injuries. He should be ready Sunday (against Real Salt Lake)."
Tim Hilton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
