FC DALLAS v ATLANTA SILVERBACKS
Mon., July 9, Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas, 7:30 p.m. CT
It's the second meeting all-time between the Dallas club and Atlanta in the Open Cup, as the then-Burn knocked out the Silverbacks in their third-round meeting in 2002.
ATLANTA SILVERBACKS
IN THE OPEN CUP: This is the first time in three years the Silverbacks have advanced beyond the first hurdle in their U.S. Open Cup run. They've played MLS teams twice previously, losing both: 2-1 to Dallas Burn in the third round in 2002, and 4-1 to the Kansas City Wizards in the fourth round in 2004. ... Last year, they were dumped out by the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL2) in the third round, their first match.
THIS YEAR: In their first round match, Atlanta defeated USASA (amateur) side Azzurri of the Dallas area 10-0. Warren Ukah and Rodrigo Rios each scored hat tricks, while Rafique Hassim added two and Dan Antoniuk and Dayton O'Brien rounded out the scoreline. ... In their second round match, Ukah scored the game's only goal in the 48th minute and Silverbacks goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh saved a penalty kick as Atlanta defeated the Charlotte Eagles 1-0 at home.
FORM GUIDE: The Silverbacks sit in sixth place in the 12-team USL First Division with 22 points from 15 matches. They come into the Open Cup match riding a three-game winning streak after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 at home last weekend. ... Dan Antoniuk leads Atlanta with five goals and seven assists; a pair of former MLS players in Scott Buete and David Hayes have three goals each.
FC DALLAS
IN THE OPEN CUP: FC Dallas have reached the U.S. Open Cup Final twice in club history, winning one. ... The only honor in Dallas club history came in 1997, when they claimed the U.S. title, defeating D.C. United on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw in Indianapolis. ... They reached the final in 2005 but came out on the short end of the result, falling 1-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. ... They've reached the semifinals three other times - losing in 1996 to D.C. United, in 1998 to Chicago Fire and in 2002 to Los Angeles Galaxy. They've also reached the quarterfinals on four occasions, in 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2006. ... Twice they've been dumped out at the first hurdle by lower-level competition - in 2001 by the PDL Seattle Sounders Select and in 2003 by the Wilmington Hammerheads (PSL). ... Dallas has also been defeated once by second-tier competition along the way: in 1999, losing to the Rochester Raging Rhinos 2-1 in extra time in the quarterfinals. The Dallas club has defeated second-tier (A-League or USL First Division) nine times in 10 all-time meetings in the U.S. Open Cup.
LAST YEAR: FC Dallas had a tortured ride in the Open Cup a year ago. In the fourth round, they played to a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes with the Charleston Battery (USL 1), getting a hat trick from Kenny Cooper, including the equalizer in the final minute of extra time, before advancing 5-3 on penalties. ... FC Dallas then lost 3-0 to Houston Dynamo in Houston in the quarterfinals.
