COLORADO RAPIDS vs. FC DALLAS
DICK'S SPORTING GOODS PARK, Commerce City, Colo.
June 1, 2008 | 1 p.m. MT (TeleFutura; Altitude; FSN-SW)
WEEK # 10 | GAME # 69
An important battle for Western Conference positioning is ahead on Sunday afternoon as the Colorado Rapids entertain FC Dallas at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The teams come into the contest separated by just a point in second and third position in the West - with second-place FC Dallas just a point behind conference-leading LA Galaxy. The Rapids come off a loss in their last outing, falling 2-1 at home to Chivas USA, while FC Dallas come off another heartbreaking late draw against the Houston Dynamo, at midweek in Frisco.
REFEREE: Yader Reyes. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Rob Fereday; 4th: Abbey Okulaja MLS Career: First game
INJURY REPORT: COLORADO RAPIDS - OUT: DF Mike Petke (R foot); GK Justin Hughes (L groin); MF Nico Colaluca (L groin); QUESTIONABLE: MF John DiRaimondo (L ankle); DF Jose Burciaga Jr. (R foot); MF Pablo Mastroeni (illness); PROBABLE: DF Kosuke Kimura (R foot) ... FC DALLAS - OUT: DF David Wagenfuhr (concussion); MF Dax McCarty (hernia)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: COL: Bouna Coundoul (Senegal; World Cup qualifying) ... DAL: Adrian Serioux (Canada; vs. Brazil, May 31)
SUSPENDED: DAL: Andre Rocha (through June 1)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (43 meetings): Rapids 14 wins (1 shootout), 52 goals ... FC Dallas 23 wins (2 shootout), 75 goals ... Ties 6
AT COLORADO (21 meetings): Rapids 10 wins (0 shootout), 32 goals ... FC Dallas 7 wins (0 shootout), 32 goals ... Ties 4
• This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season, the only one set for Dick's Sporting Goods Park. They will next meet at Pizza Hut Park on July 19, then conclude their league season series against each other on Sept. 4 in Frisco.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
4/22: DAL 3, COL 1 (Nunez 29, 78; Oduro 90 - Kirovski 34)
6/23: COL 0, DAL 1 (Toja 62)
8/4: DAL 1, COL 0 (Moor 31)
• FC Dallas won the season series a year ago, winning all three meetings between the clubs, two at Pizza Hut Park and the lone match in Commerce City.
• FC Dallas has won the last six league matches between the teams, and hasn't lost a league match to the Rapids since Sept. 4, 2004 - a span of 11 matches and three full seasons.
• However, the teams have met twice in that timeframe in the MLS Cup Playoffs - and the Rapids have advanced on both occasions, in each instance winning the second leg at Pizza Hut Park (on penalties in 2005, in extra time in 2006) to move onto the Western Conference Championship.
• FC Dallas has never lost to Colorado - in league play - at Pizza Hut Park, winning the last four meetings after playing to a draw in their first. In all venues in Dallas, the Rapids have not won on their last 12 league trips to the Big D, since a 1-0 victory at the Cotton Bowl on March 25, 2000. That includes the then-Burn winning both meetings at Dragon Stadium in 2003.
• Coaches record: Marco Ferruzzi vs. COL: first game ... Fernando Clavijo v DAL: P16 W2 L10 D4
COLORADO RAPIDS
The rest of the Western Conference tightened up after Chivas USA went to Colorado and knocked off the previous leader, defeating the Rapids 2-1 on Saturday evening at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The loss dropped the Rapids into a second-place tie at the end of the weekend, with 12 points from nine matches, level with FC Dallas, two points behind the Los Angeles Galaxy.
LAST MATCH
• The Rapids were looking to put together consecutive wins for the first time on the season after defeating Real Salt Lake at home the Thursday before, while Chivas USA stopped a five-game winless skid with a win against D.C. United in their previous outing.
• With as many as nine first-choice performers out to injury, Chivas look to defend in depth, then they broke through just before the halftime interval. Justin Braun collected the ball on the left of the area, laid it back to Jesse Marsch, and he cut inside before lashing a low drive inside the right-hand post for his second goal in as many games.
• Chivas then doubled their lead in the 79th minute. Carey Talley swung in a high free kick from near the halfway line. Jorge Flores leapt up and looped a header over Bouna Coundoul, the second goal in as many games for the Sueno MLS 2007 winner.
• Barely a minute later, the Rapids pulled a goal back through a wonder strike. Fully 35 yards from goal, Tom McManus sized up a shot and let fly, the ball sailing past Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan and into the upper right corner.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo maintained the same starting team that defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 at home nine days previously.
• Here's Clavijo's team (3-4-1-2): Bouna Coundoul - Kosuke Kimura, Ugo Ihemelu, Facundo Erpen - Jacob Peterson (Tom McManus 58), Nick LaBrocca, Pablo Mastroeni (Rafael Gomes 53), Colin Clark - Christian Gomez (Conor Casey 84) - Omar Cummings, Herculez Gomez. Substitutes Not Used: Mehdi Ballouchy, Preston Burpo, Terry Cooke, Jordan Harvey
• "(Chivas USA) clearly slowed the game down from the beginning. In the first 25 minutes I thought they were a team ready to be beat. We just didn't do anything to beat them. We were very poor, there was no energy and our passing was horrible. It just reminded me of (the) San Jose (game) all over again," said Clavijo. "It seems like we are overlooking teams in distress. It wasn't what Chivas did, it was what we didn't do. We put on pressure in the last 10 minutes, but should have put it the first 80."
TEAM NEWS
• After seeing real success in a 3-5-2 scheme nine days previously against Real Salt Lake - a team that matched up in a similar system - the Rapids struggled against a Chivas team playing a 4-5-1 system.
• "I think in a 3-5-2, every third touch needs to go through your playmaker and we failed to do that. The way they were coached to play against our formation was very good. It was almost as if they were playing a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3," Colin Clark said. "{Their two outside players would drop and cut the angles from (Facundo Erpen) to me and Kosuke (Kimura) to (Jacob Peterson). The outside midfielders in our formation are very important and they did a very good job of cutting us out."
• The Rapids lost for the second time in five home matches, in the middle game of a three-game homestand in which they were looking to take maximum points and consolidate their position atop the Western Conference.
• "I think they came out with a plan and they executed on their plan. We didn't force our game on them so we had to switch the formation we were playing at home. They came at us and got goals like a team would get that is playing away from home," said defender Ugo Ihemelu. "It's very disappointing, we had three games at home and our goal was to get nine points while we're at home because they say it's a tough place for other teams to come play."
• In addition, Chivas were able to follow the trend of man-marking Colorado playmaker Christian Gomez and limiting his involvement - which is becoming a tactic the Rapids face every match.
• "Christian (Gomez) needs to understand that he is a marked man. Every team that we have played so far has put someone out there to follow him all over the field," Clavijo said.
• Just as the Rapids have not been able put together back-to-back wins, their attacking production has been inconsistent. They have alternated one-goal games and two-goal games over their last five, winning when they've scored two (twice) and losing when scoring once (three times).
• "I felt like we came out a little slow. When we played a dangerous ball forward, we would always go negative with the next pass. When we played a safe pass, we would play another safe pass," Clark said. "They were man-marking Christian and I think they did a very good job at that.
FC DALLAS
For the second time this season, the Houston Dynamo got a dramatic late equalizer to snatch a draw against in-state rivals FC Dallas, this time getting a Dwayne De Rosario for a 2-2 tie Wednesday night at Pizza Hut Park. FCD has 13 points from 10 matches, now alone in second place in the Western Conference, one point behind the LA Galaxy and one ahead of the Rapids.
LAST MATCH
• FC Dallas were coming off their first victory in five matches, a comeback win against Real Salt Lake in Marco Ferruzzi's first game in charge, while the Dynamo had seen their brief two-game winning streak come to an end in a loss in the club's first-ever trip to San Jose, since the move to Houston.
• The Hoops took the lead after 35 minutes. Pablo Richetti flighted a free kick from near the halfway stripe, and Kenny Cooper escaped attention on the left. He brought down the ball, pushed into the penalty area past a defender and curled a perfect shot inside the far post for his sixth goal on the season.
• The Dynamo pulled even 14 minutes after the second-half restart. Dwayne De Rosario worked his way down the right and pulled in a low cross into the goalmouth. Brian Ching corralled it there, but instead of shooting, slid to Corey Ashe who tapped in from close range.
• But 10 minutes later, FCD again pulled in front. A corner kick was swung in from the right and Drew Moor rose up to powerfully head home for his first goal on the year.
• Both teams were left a man short in the 80th minute after an incident between FCD's Andre Rocha and Houston's Eddie Robinson saw both sent off, Andre Rocha with a straight red card and Robinson with a second yellow of the match.
• Three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Dynamo struck again. An Ashe cross from the right found Ching, and after his snap header was pushed onto the bar by FCD 'keeper Dario Sala, De Rosario strolled in late to sidefoot home for the tying goal. In the teams' first meeting this season, Geoff Cameron hit for the equalizer in stoppage time with a stunning long-range strike, leaving the teams knotted at 3-3.
• FC Dallas interim head coach Marco Ferruzzi made four changes to the team that came back for a 2-1 victory against Real Salt Lake. Two-goal hero Dominic Oduro was rewarded with a start in attack, in place of Abe Thompson. Juan Toja returned to the midfield, joining by Blake Wagner, in place of Anthony Wallace and the suspended Bobby Rhine. Adrian Serioux came back from suspension, returning to the back three in place of Aaron Pitchkolan.
• Here's Ferruzzi's team (3-4-1-2): Dario Sala - Drew Moor, Duilio Davino (Aaron Pitchkolan 46), Adrian Serioux - Andre Rocha, Pablo Ricchetti, Marcelo Saragosa, Blake Wagner - Juan Toja - Kenny Cooper (Abe Thompson 88), Dominic Oduro (Arturo Alvarez 72). Substitutes Not Used: Eric Avila, Ray Burse, Michael Dello-Russo, Anthony Wallace
• "I think we had a lot of positive moments," Ferruzzi said. "We put them under a lot of pressure. The goals were very good and we had good possession. I think there are a lot of positives to take from this."
TEAM NEWS
• Still, it was the third time this season a team has scored in the 84th minute or later to snatch a share of a draw against FC Dallas, including twice by the Dynamo.
• "It happened tonight," Ferruzzi said. "It takes focus all the way through 90 minutes and the extra time. We're still building our mental fitness and toughness to get through those final minutes but we'll get there."
• The week before, FC Dallas had struck for some late magic of their own in the 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake.
• "I think we had a great game tonight," goalkeeper Dario Sala said. "All our lines were working really hard. I think we did a great job for most of the game. Houston is a great team and are always dangerous. They proved that in the last minute of the game."
• Juan Toja returned to the first XI for the Hoops after coming off the bench in Saturday's 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake, the first time since coming to the club that he hadn't started for FCD.
• "I am always trying to play 100 percent and play for me, my teammates and FC Dallas," Toja said. "Sometimes I play well and sometimes I play badly. But today, I played well and think my teammates did too. We were unlucky in the last few minutes but have to be smart and strong. That's it."
• Ferruzzi said he felt keeping Toja out of the first team had a beneficial effect.
• "I think (this was his best showing of the year)," Ferruzzi said. "We're starting to see Toja again. We know what kind of player he is, a very dynamic player. Once he gets going, he's an exceptional guy. When he's playing, he's happy. When he's playing his game and knows that, he's happy. Tonight was very good for Juan."
