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NEW YORK RED BULLS v FC DALLAS
GIANTS STADIUM, E. Rutherford, N.Y.
6:30 p.m. ET (MSG; FSN-SW)
May 24, 2006 (WEEK 9) / MLS Game #48
A pair of teams whose attacks exploded over the weekend get together for a midweek tilt at the Meadowlands. The New York Red Bulls finally won their first game of the season - and hit for five goals in a wild victory against Chivas USA. FC Dallas put in four goals of their own in an impressive victory against the New England Revolution, establishing their credentials at the top of the league with the best record in MLS at the quarter pole.
REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): Greg Barkey; JAR (opposite): Jorge de la Bandera; 4th: Mark Geiger
MLS Career: 44 games; FC/gm: 32.2; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 11; pens: 18
MLS 2006: 2 games; FC/gm: 35.0 (avg: 31.2); Y/gm: 3.0 (avg: 3.80); R: 0 (MLS: 8); pens: 1 (MLS: 11)
Games involving Red Bulls: P10 W4 L5 T1; FC/gm: 30.6; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 2; pens: 4
Games involving FC Dallas: P8 W3 L4 T1; FC/gm: 32.4; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 2; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: NEW YORK RED BULLS - QUESTIONABLE: DF Carlos Mendes (R posterior tibial tendon contusion); PROBABLE: DF Taylor Graham (hernia surgery recovery); GK Tony Meola (L calf strain) ... FC DALLAS - OUT: FW Abe Thompson (L foot stress fracture); GK Jeff Cassar (R quadriceps tear); DF Clarence Goodson (concussion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS: none
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (26 meetings): Red Bulls 12 wins (1 shootout), 36 goals ... FC Dallas 12 wins (0 shootout), 44 goals ... 2 draws
AT GIANTS STADIUM: (14 meetings): Red Bulls 6 wins (1 shootout), 17 goals ... FC Dallas 7 wins (0 shootout), 23 goals ... 1 draw
This is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season, the only one set for Giants Stadium. Their final league encounter this year is set for Pizza Hut Park on July 8.LAST YEAR (MLS):
7/27: MET 3 - DAL 2 (Razov 7; Magee 68; Galvan Rey 74 - Goodson 38, 47)
8/6: DAL 2 - MET 2 (Ruiz 31, 34 - Djorkaeff 47, 53)
A year ago, the teams met in a home-and-home series on either side of the All-Star break, with the MetroStars claiming the season series with a win and a draw. There were doubles hit by three players in two matches - two from the Hoops (Clarence Goodson and Carlos Ruiz) and one from the Metros (Youri Djorkaeff).
Over the last four years, the teams have swapped the season series back and forth. Dallas won it in 2002, then the MetroStars in 2003, Dallas again in 2004 then the Metros last year.
Coaches record: Mo Johnston vs. DAL: first game ... Colin Clarke v NY: P6 W2 L2 D2NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls finally have a victory to go with their new name, winning for the first time this season in a wild 5-4 victory against Chivas USA last Saturday at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls are still in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with eight points from seven matches, two behind the fourth-place tie between the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution and seven out of first place.
LAST MATCH
The Red Bulls had five draws in their first six games as former coach Bob Bradley returned to his former home for the first time, his Chivas USA team winless in their last five contests.
Peguero put the Red Bulls ahead by two goals by halftime. In the 20th minute, he headed home a corner kick, then 18 minutes later, he got onto the end of a long ball from Carlos Mendes behind the Chivas back line, touched the ball around goalkeeper Brad Guzan and rolled the ball into the open goal.
But that was only a prelude for the fireworks to come after the break. Stammler extended the New York lead to 3-0 when he took a crossfield pass from Peguero well outside the area and hammered a low drive inside Guzan's right-hand post (54).
Yet Chivas came back to cut the lead to one. Ante Razov scored their first in the 59th minute, a quick, low shot on the turn from just inside the area beating Red Bulls 'keeper Jon Conway. Then five minutes later Juan Francisco Palencia tucked home a rolling cross from Francisco Mendoza from close range, and the game was on.
The Red Bulls extended the lead again just five minutes with Stammler's second, as he nodded home a Youri Djorkaeff free kick from the right. But in the 77th minute Razov once again reduced the margin, bending in a wonderful free kick inside Conway's right-hand post from the opposite corner of the area.
Peguero completed his hat trick to again build the lead to two with yet another long-range strike, cutting across the top of the area before perfectly hitting an angled shot that kissed the inside of Guzan's left-hand post. Palencia once again trimmed the lead well into stoppage time, converting from the penalty spot after Mendoza was tripped up in the area, but it was just a little too late for any further Chivas heroics.
It was the second time in league history there were four different multiple-goal scorers in one game, and the nine total goals were two shy of the MLS record (both coming in a Galaxy 7-4 win against Colorado on May 6, 1998). The New York club has been involved in four of the nine highest-scoring games in MLS history, and the nine goals were one shy of the club record, set twice, first in 2000 when the MetroStars defeated Dallas, then in 2004 when the Metros and San Jose played to a 5-5 tie, that game also at Giants Stadium.
Red Bulls head coach Mo Johnston made one change to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire the weekend before at Giants Stadium. With Amado Guevara not included in the 18-man roster for disciplinary reasons, Edson Buddle returned to the side to partner Jean-Philippe Peguero in attack, with Youri Djorkaeff moving to a midfield role.
Here's Johnston's team (3-4-1-2): Jon Conway - Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, Steve Jolley - Seth Stammler, Mark Lisi, Danny O'Rourke, Chris Henderson (Peter Canero 67) - Youri Djorkaeff - Jean Philippe Peguero, Edson Buddle (Mike Magee 88). [Substitutes Not Used: Josmer Altidore, Michael Behonick, Elie Ikangu, Joe Vide, Marvell Wynne]
"I would not have liked (the first victory) to be 5-4, but it was exciting for the fans," Johnston said. "Am I disappointed in certain things? Yes. I'm excited in scoring five goals. I told you the two guys up front would be a handful. I thought Peguero was outstanding tonight. But I thought we gave up some sloppy goals, and I wasn't particularly pleased with that."TEAM NEWS
For just the second time, Johnston was able to partner Peguero and Buddle in attack, with Djorkaeff in a midfield role. But on that first occasion (the 4-1 loss to D.C. United on April 22), Guevara was in the center of midfield along with Djokaeff. Saturday, Djorkaeff alone was pulling the strings in attack.
"Youri is always involved in the game, he's not a guy who's going to stand around," Peguero said. "It really helps us every time we got the ball, he connects together with us and that helped us in the front."
Said Johnston: "I know the way Youri can play, I know he can play better. I know he can link up and get certain goals for us. You can see he's active in there, it's not as if he's just standing around. He's working for the team and I was pleased on certain parts, obviously scoring on set pieces, which we haven't done."
Djorkaeff wouldn't say which role he prefers, after playing as the off forward for much of the season, but Johnston said he will continue in the playmaking position. "I'm too old to be thinking, 'Where is my best position?'," Djorkaeff said. "What I know is, the players around me were very happy. I'm just a player and I try to play my best every game."
Johnston was also thrilled with the potential of his attack pair, both of whom were 24 years old (Buddle turned 25 on Sunday).
"The two of them (Edson Buddle and Peguero) have powering pace. They're going to create a lot of trouble for a lot of teams. When you come up against two six-feet plus (forwards) that are quick and can back into you and get goals it's always going to be trouble. Everyone was laughing ... that's why I went and pursued Peguero. He's 24 years old, he's got a green card. He's doesn't make much money."
Guevara was kept out of the 18-man roster by Johnston, then watched the game from the front-row seats held as season tickets by his wife. Those were the seats he returned to the weekend before after being taken off for a substitute. "I want to see his mentality," Johnston said about his inclusion in the squad for the FC Dallas match. "I asked him to go home, regroup and think about things. If he comes in Tuesday and wants to speak, we'll speak. If he doesn't, then we'll change again."FC DALLAS
FC Dallas confirmed their status as the league's best thus far in 2006, scoring four goals in the opening 19 minutes to roll to a 4-0 home victory against last year's Eastern Conference champion, the New England Revolution, last Saturday at Pizza Hut Park. FC Dallas now have 18 points from nine matches, five ahead of second-place Houston Dynamo in the division and three ahead of East leader D.C. United in league overall table.
LAST MATCH
The Revolution came into the game with seven goals in their last two games as they looked to have regained the form that earned them a trip to Frisco for last year's MLS Cup Final, while FC Dallas were still unbeaten at home as they held the league's best record.
But the Frisco stadium continued to be a house of horrors for New England, as the Hoops hit for four goals in the first 19 minutes to race away with the victory. Kenny Cooper got FCD off to a dream start, as he stormed in to knock a sliding header home from a Chris Gbandi cross after just four minutes.
Then Carlos Ruiz scored twice in nine minutes. His first was remarkable: Simo Valakari knocked the ball away in a tackle in the center circle, and Ruiz collected some 45 yards from the Revolution. He turned and let fly, the ball sailing over New England 'keeper Matt Reis and into the right-hand corner of the goal (7). His second was less dramatic, Reis punching out a cross headed back into the goalmouth, but only as far as Ruiz, who slotted home into the unguarded goal.
It was 4-0 in the 19th minute as Ruiz played provider. He received the ball in the left corner and laid it back to the top of the area where Ramon Nunez raced it to pound it home and send the Hoops on their way. Taylor Twellman twice seemed to have answered for New England after the break, but both times the flag went up for offside after he found the back of the net.
FC Dallas boss Colin Clarke made two changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Houston Dynamo the weekend before, both in his back four. Bobby Rhine returned from suspension and Chris Gbandi made his first start since April 23, when he was sent off against the K.C. Wizards. They came into the back line for Alex Yi (who was suffering from a migraine headache) and Clarence Goodson.
Here's Clarke's team (4-4-2): Dario Sala (Jeff Cassar 46) - Bobby Rhine, Drew Moor, Greg Vanney, Chris Gbandi - Ronnie O'Brien, Richard Mulrooney, Simo Valakari (Roberto Mina 85), Ramon Nunez - Kenny Cooper (Arturo Alvarez 72), Carlos Ruiz. [Substitutes Not Used: Clarence Goodson, Aaron Pitchkolan, David Wagenfuhr, Mark Wilson]
"We passed it great, created chances, and we could have embarrassed them at the end - it could have been more," said Clarke. "I knew they weren't ever going to stop, but 4-nil after whatever it was, after 18 or 19 minutes, is a long way to come back."TEAM NEWS
After trying out a three-forward system for much of the opening seven weeks of the season, Clarke returned to his tried-and-true 4-4-2 system, with O'Brien and Nuñez in wide midfield roles and Mulrooney and Valakari as a deeper-lying central axis, Ruiz and Cooper the strike pair. It didn't take long for the Hoops to begin running on all cylinders.
"It was just one of those nights," said Rhine to the Dallas Morning News. "You come out there and, gosh, things are just clicking."
Said Mulrooney: "I've been known as a defensive midfielder in this league and Simo even more than me. If we can free up Ronnie and Ramon that lets us sit back and help the defenders even better, because we have enough firepower up top. With Ronnie and Ramon joining them it's a good thing."
The Revolution's 3-4-3 scheme also allowed O'Brien and Nuñez some real room to get in behind and create opportunities. "It's just a natural spot for me," said O'Brien. "I always get their ball facing their goal when I'm on the sideline; I have all that space to play in. It's where I've always played and it's where I'm most comfortable."
Still, there are some concerns in goal for the Hoops. Dario Sala came off at halftime after suffering a groin strain during pregame warmups, and then Jeff Cassar suffered an injury during the second half. He was able to finish the match - FC Dallas had no other goalkeepers available for the match - but at times he was laboring.
"We're going to have to look at things pretty closely tomorrow and see how everybody is, and take stock and fingers crossed, we can get one of them patched up and on the field for Wednesday night," Clarke said.
Ruiz became just the second player in Dallas history to score in four consecutive games with his two goals, joining Jason Kreis as the only players to accomplish such a feat. "I think it's good that I'm finding the goal now. I'm so excited that I've scored in the last four games and this is good for me and for my team," he said. We are getting better and better, and that's great."
Ruiz now has 66 goals for his MLS career, one behind the Revolution's Taylor Twellman. Those two players have by far the most goals scored in MLS since coming into the league in 2001.
The four goals in the first 19 minutes of the game were an MLS record. The league record for fastest four goals at any time also involves Dallas: the four goals scored by the Los Angeles in six minutes in an 8-1 drubbing at the Cotton Bowl on June 4, 1998, the biggest margin of victory ever in an MLS game.
