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FC DALLAS v NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
PIZZA HUT PARK, Frisco, Texas
7:30 p.m. CT (HDNet; WB-56)
May 20, 2006 (WEEK 8) / MLS Game #45
FC Dallas are still unbeaten on their home ground this season, retaining the top spot in the Western Conference after seeing their perfect record at Pizza Hut Park spoiled in a draw with Houston Dynamo last weekend. It's the first visit back to Frisco for the New England Revolution since their MLS Cup Final loss of a year ago. But in recent weeks they've started to show the form that won the Eastern Conference a year ago, exploding for seven goals in winning their last two matches.
REFEREE: Mauricio Navarro. SAR (bench): Chris Strickland; JAR (opposite): Amato DeLuca; 4th: Ben Chouaf
MLS Career: 1 game; FC/gm: 42.0; Y/gm: 5.0; R: 0; pens: 0
MLS 2006: 1 game; FC/gm: 42.0 (avg: 31.3); Y/gm: 5.0 (avg: 3.83); R: 0 (MLS: 8); pens: 0 (MLS: 10)
Games involving FC Dallas: first game
Games involving Revolution: first game
INJURY REPORT: FC DALLAS - OUT: FW Abe Thompson (L toe stress fracture) ... NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: DF Marshall Leonard (L Achilles tendon repair); DOUBTFUL: MF Khano Smith (L knee surgery); QUESTIONABLE: MF Daniel Hernandez (L ankle sprain); MF Leandro De Oliveira (R knee sprain); MF Jani Galik (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: MF Ryan Latham (abdominal strain); FW Pat Noonan (R hamstring strain); MF Shalrie Joseph (L groin strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: NE: Clint Dempsey (USA; 2006 World Cup); Avery John (Trinidad & Tobago; 2006 World Cup)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS: NE: Shalrie Joseph (suspended next yellow card)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (25 meetings): FC Dallas 8 wins (1 shootout), 33 goals ... Revolution 16 wins (1 shootout), 49 goals ... 1 draw
AT DALLAS (13 meetings): FC Dallas 3 wins (0 shootout), 14 goals ... Revolution 9 wins (0 shootout), 24 goals ... 1 draw
This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season, the only one set for Pizza Hut Park. They will meet in Foxborough in just a little more than a month, on June 28.LAST YEAR (MLS)
7/16: NE 3, DAL 2 (Twellman 44, 90, 92+ - Alvarez 7; O'Brien 45)
8/13: DAL 1, NE 2 (Ruiz 58 - Dempsey 33; Joseph 80)
A year ago, the Revolution won both meetings, - including a remarkable comeback in their Bay State encounter in what many called the game of the year, Taylor Twellman's two goals in the 90th minute and after giving New England a 3-2 win.
The Revolution have won the last four meetings between the two clubs, the last Dallas win coming June 12, 2004. Since the 2001 season, Dallas has won just twice in 12 encounters between the clubs, with one draw.
Coaches record: Colin Clarke v NE: P6 W1 L5 D0 ... Steve Nicol vs. DAL: P9 W7 L2 D0FC DALLAS
FC Dallas saw their perfect beginning to 2006 at Pizza Hut Park put to an end on Saturday, allowing a late goal to Houston Dynamo as the teams settled for a 1-1 draw in the back half of their home-and-home series over two weekends on Saturday. But FCD is still atop the Western Conference with 15 points from eight matches, two ahead of Dynamo, and still own the best overall record in MLS.
LAST MATCH
The Lone Star State rivals were meeting for the second time in two weekends for "El Capitan," as was named the 18th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon to be awarded to the winner of the season series. After the seven-goal thriller of the week before won by Houston, the stifling heat in the afternoon sun was certain have its effect on the contest.
The Hoops pulled ahead in the 19th minute, when Carlos Ruiz netted for the second time in as many weeks against Dynamo with another opportunistic goal. Ramon Nunez skipped through three Houston defenders and tried to pull back a cross, only for it to be deflected in front of goal. But Ruiz was quickest to it, pounding it past Pat Onstad from close range.
The Dynamo attack took a hit in the first half when playmaker Dwayne De Rosario suffered an apparent ankle injury, and the Orange struggled to find their way. But nine minutes from the end they got the break they were looking for, a corner swung in from the left challenged for between Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson and FC Dallas counterpart Clarence Goodson - only for the Hoops center back to head into his own goal for the second time this season for the equalizer.
FC Dallas boss Colin Clarke made two changes to the team that defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 at home at midweek. Richard Mulrooney made his first start in 364 days since suffering a knee injury as Roberto Mina returned to the substitutes' bench, and Clarence Goodson returned to the back four as Bobby Rhine was suspended.
Here's Clarke's team (4-3-3): Dario Sala - Drew Moor, Clarence Goodson (David Wagenfuhr 82), Alex Yi, Greg Vanney - Richard Mulrooney, Simo Valakari, Ronnie O'Brien - Kenny Cooper, Carlos Ruiz (Roberto Mina 72), Ramon Nunez (Aaron Pitchkolan 78). [Substitutes Not Used: Arturo Alvarez, Jeff Cassar, Justin Moore, Mark Wilson]
"It was hot, it was tough. We ended up sitting back a bit too much for my liking once we got the goal, which is a natural thing to do, and with this coming on the back of (Wednesday's game) we were trying to force them to get up on them and win it a little higher up the field," Clarke said. "But it was tough to do because of the conditions."TEAM NEWS
FC Dallas were concluding a three-game stretch over eight days for the first time in the season, and the busy period, combined with the heat, proved fatal for the Hoops' perfect home record thus far in 2006.
"I don't know if it would have bothered us if we hadn't played Wednesday," Ronnie O'Brien said. "But you are going to get tired. You are going to make stupid mistakes. You are going to just sit in [to defend]."
Said Simo Valakari: "It's hard, but we can't use that as an excuse. We had two months of preseason and we are fit and for most of the players, we'd rather play games then practice so we can't complain. But it's still tough and the heat is a factor, but we should have killed the game off earlier and its disappointing not to win at home."
For Mulrooney, it was his first start in 364 days, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on May 14, 2005 in a match against the San Jose Earthquakes. He wasn't expected to play the entire 90 minutes, but he did as part of a three-man midfield, alongside O'Brien with the two in front of Valakari.
"We kept checking, and I honestly felt like I could stay with my runners, and like I could do something with the ball when I got it," Mulrooney said to the Dallas Morning News.
"We were happy to get him in for 90 minutes," said Clarke. "It wasn't the plan before the game but it's just the way things went, he was fine so we let him stay out there. We're very happy to see him back he's been a big part missing for us for the past year. It's going to take time for him to relearn the other players and for them to learn what he's about but he's a very, very good player - I'm delighted that he's back."
The match was hard fought with two Dynamo starters - Dwayne DeRosario and Adrian Serioux - going down with injuries. FC Dallas players are no strangers to the physical side of the game, currently leading the league in fouls committed with 140 after Saturday's match.
"I don't see it as a problem," said Clarke. "You've got to get close to people and we've done that. Whether there were 18 fouls or not out there I'm not so sure."NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution continued their offensive breakout of recent weeks, rolling to a second consecutive victory at home against a West Coast club, defeating Chivas USA 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. The Revolution are tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with 10 points from six matches, even with the Columbus Crew, three points behind the Kansas City Wizards and four behind division-leading D.C. United.
LAST MATCH
The Revolution came into the match after having scored four goals the week before - after beginning their campaign with two goals in their first four games. They were playing host to a Chivas USA side that had played just one match in nearly a month.
But it was the West Coast club that opened the scoring in the match played in a driving rain, Francisco Mendoza taking a pass from Ante Razov, slipping through the heart of the Revolution penalty area and lashing home a low drive (19).
Yet just four minutes later New England drew level with a wonderful goal. Jose Cancela, from the other side of the midfield stripe, hit an inch-perfect pass that skimmed on the wet turf and split the Chivas back four for Andy Dorman to run onto. He rounded Brad Guzan and slipped the ball home to level the match.
Eight minutes after the second-half restart, the Revolution pulled ahead. Jay Heaps ran onto a quickly taken free kick on the right flank and whipped in a good cross, where Shalrie Joseph came steaming in from midfield to powerfully head home.
Then four minutes from the end Taylor Twellman put the finishing touches on the victory, eluding the challenge of Carlos Llamosa and firing home inside the far post from the right corner of the penalty area for his third goal in as many weeks.
Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made two changes to the team that defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-0 the weekend before. Joe Franchino made his return to the lineup, coming into a central midfield role for Daniel Hernandez, who was unable to come back from an ankle injury. Tony Lochhead also returned to the side in a wide midfield role as Steve Ralston moved farther afield in the Rev three-pronged attack.
Here's Nicol's team (3-4-2-1): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, James Riley - Andy Dorman, Shalrie Joseph (Kyle Brown 89), Joe Franchino, Tony Lochhead (Willie Sims 46) - Steve Ralston, Jose Cancela (Jeff Larentowicz 79) - Taylor Twellman. [Substitutes Not Used: Pat Haggerty, Doug Warren]
"In the first half we were guilty of not closing the ball down. The field was almost perfect for knocking the ball around but our passing wasn't accurate. To get the ball wide we have to win it in the middle," said Nicol. "When we lost it the appetite wasn't there and sometime you just have to dig deep. When we pass the ball it is great but, in the first half, as a team we didn't work hard enough in certain situations."TEAM NEWS
For Joseph, his second-half header was his third goal in two matches. "I've been working with the coaches on that and they just told me to be cautious with when I make those late runs. Luckily, I timed it perfectly and Jay [Heaps] played a great ball in to the box and I just got my head on it."
Nicol agreed that better decision-making has been the key to Joseph's contributions. "I think he's picking and choosing the right times to get himself forward more than anything," Nicol said. "We're not telling him to get forward more. We're just saying if you go forward, pick and choose better, and he's done that."
Having scored seven goals in their last two games, the Revolution have suddenly awakened from their early-season slumber that saw two goals from the first four. Taylor Twellman has responded to his exclusion from the U.S. World Cup squad with three goals in three games, while Andy Dorman also added a goal Saturday to go with Joseph's additions. So what's different?
"Nothing really, we are just taking our chances," said Nicol. "The ones we took in the last two games are the same ones we missed in the earlier ones."
Goalkeeper Matt Reis said he wasn't terribly surprised by the Revolution's slow start. "We've had quite a few injuries to a few key players and changing formations a little bit and, with people coming and going with national team duty, we haven't really had a chance to get out there and work out the kinks," Reis said. "We just all have to get on the same page. It's just tough when you have people coming and going. But I think with the talent we have and the players we have, there's no reason we can't be challenging for MLS Cup."
Dorman completed a busy week on and off the field by scoring is first goal of the season. The English midfielder spent the days leading up to the match in his homeland completing the administrative process that will see him granted U.S. green card status.
"It's been pretty hectic. I played the game on Saturday night and then was in Manchester the next morning. A day later I traveled to London and from then I was pretty much running around London, doing lots of different things," said Dorman. "I knew that [Cancela] had seen me and knew there was a good chance he would find me and he did. He put it right on a plate for me."
