FC Dallas will look to end two streaks this weekend when they host the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park.
The Hoops hope to bring their scoreless streak, which has now reached 328 minutes, to a halt, and are also ready to close the books on their current three-game losing streak. The Red Bulls hit Frisco on a two-game losing streak of their own, but Dallas isn't about to take them lightly.
"Any team in this league can win on any given day, whether it be at home or away," said FCD head coach Colin Clarke. "We need to make sure we prepare ourselves 100 percent for them, but also make sure we continue to do the good things we've been doing."
"(The Red Bulls) are a team that hasn't won a lot of games, but they're a team that has been difficult to beat," said veteran defender Greg Vanney. "They have a lot of draws this season. That shows that they've made themselves difficult to beat.
While the Hoops are in the middle of a three-game losing streak, their performances in their last three games haven't been terrible. They actually outshot their opponents in two of those three contests, which were all on the road.
In their most recent game on Tuesday against D.C. United, FCD lost 1-0 despite getting three times as many shots as their Eastern Conference-leading foes. In short, the Hoops are getting their share of scoring chances; they just haven't been going in the net.
"I think the team played well in the last game, but we didn't score," said forward Carlos Ruiz. "It was hard for us because we tried to score for 90 minutes. Tomorrow, we will try to play our kind of soccer and score goals."
FCD won the first meeting of the season between the clubs, 2-1 at Giants Stadium on May 24. The Red Bulls scored first with an early goal from Seth Stammler in the eighth minute and looked poised for a win before Kenny Cooper leveled the game in the 76th minute.
In the 87th minute, Ruiz scored what proved to be the game-winner. That victory remains FCD's only road triumph of the year.
"I think the biggest focus for us this weekend is on ourselves and trying to find ways to get goals," he said. "For us, it's whether we can continue to play well and then find and score on the opportunities that we're setting up for each other. If we can do that, I think we'll be fine."
There are several big differences between Saturday's game and the one played in May. Back then, the Red Bulls were without midfielder Amado Guevara, midfielder Youri Djorkaeff was in the starting 11 and Mo Johnston was head coach.
Guevara has since returned to the starting 11, Djorkaeff has taken a personal leave of absence and Johnston was replaced by interim head coach Richie Williams on June 27. Since Williams took over, the Red Bulls are 0-2-1, but both of their losses have been by one goal.
Clarke knows that Guevara is a big key to the Red Bulls' attack.
"He's a good player," Clarke said. "He's had his problems, which have been well-documented. But at the end of the day, he's a very good player who can turn a game with one ball, one pass or one moment of magic. We've got to close him down and not give him the time and space to make plays."
"A lot of their danger comes from the service they get," Vanney noted. "So I think we need to limit Guevara's touches and looks forward and try to take him out of the game and not allow him to make their other players better than they already are."
FCD knows that Guevara isn't the only offensive threat the Red Bulls possess.
"They are very good off set plays," Clarke said. "They have a lot of height and a lot of people who can get after the ball and attack. (Edson) Buddle and (Jean-Philippe) Peguero are big, strong forwards who can get you under pressure."
Clarke added: "We feel that we can get at them going the other way. We've just got to make sure we convert the chances we get."
For Valakari, converting those opportunities means scoring the game's first goal.
"In every game, it's important to score the first goal," Valakari said. "The game is much easier when you do. If we don't, we're strong enough that we don't have to panic. We just need to keep believing in our system and how we play."
Vanney named Stammler as another Red Bull the Hoops need to keep an eye on.
"They have good speed, good pace and are guys who can create problems for you," he said. "Stammler is a hard worker and will go running all over the field trying to make things happen. We need to make sure we limit his chances to get forward, make crosses and to be dangerous."
The last time the two clubs met in Frisco was on August 6, 2005, the first game played at Pizza Hut Park. The Hoops jumped to a 2-0 first half lead over the then-MetroStars after two goals by Ruiz.
But in the second half, Djorkaeff matched Ruiz with two scores of his own six minutes apart to stun the Frisco crowd. That draw came approximately one week after New York beat FCD 3-2 in the Big Apple, getting two second half goals in six minutes for the win.
In fact, the Hoops haven't beaten New York in Dallas since 2002 when they won 2-0 on July 4, getting goals from Bobby Rhine and Jason Kreis. FCD hasn't swept the season series since 1999, when they won 5-2 in New York and 2-0 in Dallas. Good news for the hosts is that so far this season, they have been practically unbeatable at home with a 7-2-1 mark at Pizza Hut Park.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
