Preview: Seattle head to shorthanded Dallas on a roll

FC DALLAS vs SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
FC DALLAS STADIUM, Frisco, Texas
May 9, 2012 (WEEK 10, MLS Game #88)
7:30 p.m. CT (FS-SW+; KONG)

FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC return to action for a midweek encounter key to both clubs’ standing in the Western Conference. FC Dallas are in the throes of a four-game winless run, having dropped down the table following a 2-0 loss at home to Colorado last Sunday. Sounders FC have won four in a row to move within striking distance of the top of the table, after a second successive shutout win last weekend, 1-0 at home vs. Philadelphia Union.

REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. SAR (bench): Frank Anderson; JAR (opposite): Corey Rockwell; 4th: Abbey Okulaja
MLS Career: First game.

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INJURY REPORT:

• FC DALLAS – OUT: MF David Ferreira (R foot surgery); MF Ricardo Villar (R foot strain); MF Andrew Wiedeman (sports hernia repair); MF Carlos Rodriguez (L elbow dislocation); MF Bobby Warshaw (R foot fracture); DF Ugo Ihemelu (concussion symptoms); QUESTIONABLE: Brek Shea (L foot turf toe)
• SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC – OUT: GK Josh Ford (R knee stress fracture); MF Steve Zakuani (R leg fracture); DF Michael Tetteh (L hamstring strain); FW Babayele Sodade (R knee ACL tear); DOUBTFUL: GK Michael Gspurning (R hip injury)

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: DAL: Richard Sanchez (Mexico U-20)

SUSPENDED:

• DAL: Blas Perez (through May 9); Daniel Hernandez (through May 9)
• SEA: Leo Gonzalez (through May 9)

WARNINGS:

• SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
• SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DAL: Jair Benitez, Daniel Hernandez

HEAD-TO-HEAD

• ALL-TIME (6 meetings): FC Dallas 1 win, 6 goals … Sounders FC 2 wins, 7 goals … Ties 3
• AT DALLAS (3 meetings): FC Dallas 0 wins, 3 goals … Sounders FC 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 2
• RETURN MATCHES: 9/2: FC Dallas vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 7 p.m. CT; 10/21: Seattle Sounders FC vs. FC Dallas, 6 p.m. (ESPN/Deportes)

LAST YEAR (MLS):

• 5/25: SEA 0, DAL 1 (Shea 18)
• 8/20: DAL 0, SEA 1 (Rosales 16)

• The road team won each meeting last year, with FC Dallas winning 1-0 in Seattle, and Sounders FC returning the favor in a 1-0 win on Aug. 20 in Frisco.
• FC Dallas have never defeated Sounders FC at home – with two draws in Frisco preceding last year’s win.
• Sounders FC haven’t defeated FC Dallas at home in league play since 2009.
• Coaches' records: Schellas Hyndman vs. SEA: P31 W13 L8 D10 … Sigi Schmid vs. DAL: P6 W1 L2 D3

FC DALLAS

FC Dallas saw their winless skein reach four games, playing two men short from the first half on in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Sunday evening at FC Dallas Stadium. FCD is in sixth place in the Western Conference with 12 points from 10 matches.

LAST MATCH
HIGHLIGHTS: DAL vs COL

• FC Dallas were two men shortbefore the first half was over. In the 34th minute, Daniel Hernandez sent Rapids midfielder Martin Rivero to the turf and earned a second yellow card for the game. Just minutes later, FCD was reduced to nine men when Blas Pérez was issued a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Rapids’ defender Drew Moor.
• The Rapids finally broke through in the 61st minute when Jaime Castrillón got on the end of a Brian Mullan cross to head the ball past FC Dallas 'keeper Kevin Hartman.
• Martín Rivero sealed the victory with a 74th-minute goal, his first in MLS, collecting a Mullan pass in the heart of the area and turning himself around to stroke a left-footed shot into the corner of the goal.
• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made one change to the team that played to a 1-1 result with the LA Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. Scott Sealy started in place of Brek Shea.
• FC DALLAS (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Zach Loyd, George John, Ugo Ihemelu, Jair Benitez - Jackson (Ruben Luna 82), Daniel Hernandez (sent off 34), Andrew Jacobson, Fabian Castillo (Hernan Pertuz 46) - Blas Perez (sent off 36), Scott Sealy (James Marcelin 46).

TEAM NEWS

• FC Dallas saw their winless run reach four games, having taken just two of a possible 12 points since their last win, April 12 vs. Montréal.
• “I was really proud about how much they gave,” said FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman. “I mean look at Jair [Benítez] attacking, defending, attacking, defending and until you really play the game you don’t realize how much space you have to cover.”
• After playing two men down for nearly a third of the match, FC Dallas finally broke with Colorado scoring two goals in a 13-minute span.
• “We tried to go two banks of four to try to frustrate them and maybe get a free kick, a breakaway or give the referee a chance to pull a card out,” Hyndman said.
• Brek Shea was held out of the match after the contest at LA, when he was substituted after 76 minutes. Shea is also dealing with turf toe.
• “He got a turf toe and he’s been working his way through it,” Hyndman said. “This week he didn’t train. With the three games coming up this week, it was really hard to not be able to count on him for the next two. So we did the safe thing and gave him a little bit of a break.”
• Kevin Hartman made his return to the lineup after missing three games with back spasms. He was credited with seven saves on the evening. “He did real well,” Hyndman said. “Kevin’s our No. 1 [goalkeeper].”
• When Hernandez and Perez were sent off, James Marcelin was given his FC Dallas debut, coming in for Scott Sealy as Hyndman tried to readjust his line. He could figure in the first XI for the Seattle match with Hernandez suspended.
• “He did fine,” Hyndman said. “It’s a difficult game and he hadn’t been playing a lot up in Portland but we needed somebody in there for Daniel.”
• Once again, Hyndman will be forced to make changes in his side – he has yet to keep the same team from one game to the next, and has run out 10 different lineups this season.
• “We won’t be putting our best team on the field because of the red cards and the injuries,” Hyndman said, “but I know I have a lot of guys in the locker room looking for an opportunity, and so they’ll be given that opportunity.”

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Seattle Sounders FC ran their winning streak to four games with another shutout, this time a 1-0 defeat of Philadelphia Union on Saturday evening at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC are in third place in the Western Conference with 19 points from 8 games.

LAST MATCH
HIGHLIGHTS: SEA vs PHI

• The game's lone goal came in the 63rd minute. Fredy Montero found Mauro Rosales on the right wing with a perfectly weighted pass from the top of the penalty area. The Argentinean took one touch and beat Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath to the far post.
• Sounders FC goalkeeper Bryan Meredith, making his first professional start, was credited with one save in the shutout.
• Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made six changes to the team that defeated the LA Galaxy 2-0 at CenturyLink Field. Bryan Meredith came in at goalkeeper for Michael Gspurning; Adam Johansson, Patrick Ianni and Marc Burch came into the back four for Zach Scott, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Leo Gonzalez; and Andy Rose and Alex Caskey came into the team for Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson.
• SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-4-2): Bryan Meredith - Adam Johansson, Jeff Parke, Patrick Ianni, Marc Burch - Mauro Rosales (Leo Gonzalez 82), Andy Rose (Eddie Johnson 61), Osvaldo Alonso, Alex Caskey (Servando Carrasco 93+) - Fredy Montero, David Estrada.

TEAM NEWS

• At 6-1-1, Sounders FC are off to the best start in the club’s MLS history. “Three games in a week is not an easytask, but we came out with nine points so that is something that we are very happy about,” said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid.
• Sounders FC have recorded back-to-back shutouts, four in their last five games and in five games on the season. The shutout against Philadelphia came with three different players in the back four – only center back Jeff Parke kept his place from midweek.
• “We said we had three changes in the back, but to me I feel like we have seven starters,” Schmid said. “I have no problem whether it is the four guys out there today, or whether [Jhon] Kennedy [Hurtado] is out there, whether Zach [Scott] is out there, or Leo [Gonzalez] is out there, I feel like with any of those seven we don't miss a beat in back. I am not surprised by that.”
• Mauro Rosales scored his first goal of the season, in his third start after missing four matches with a knee sprain.
• “It was a great pass from Fredy [Montero]. I tried to score on my chance in the game, and tried to finish it the best way. I got lucky it was a good ball and we got the three points,” Rosales said. “ … I've been working really hard to get my fitness and get the pain out of my knee and my ankle. The last two games I've felt very good and we'll have to keep going like that.”
• Fredy Montero collected his first assist of the season, setting up Rosales after opening his goalscoring account at midweek.
• “Obviously when they spend more time together they will have a better understanding. I think that everybody who has seen us the last couple of seasons knows how important Mauro [Rosales] is to our creative side of the game,” Schmid said. “Eddie [Johnson] gives us a different dimension up front and Fredy, although he was unlucky again today not to get a goal, is a guy who gets around the goal, as well, and gets those opportunities. Those three, and then eventually you add [Alvaro Fernandez] to the group, those four will be fun group to watch. We just need to make sure we defend enough behind them.”
• Bryan Meredith was given his first professional start in goal, after making his full debut at midweek when firstchoice goalkeeper aggravated a hip injury in the first half of the LA Galaxy match.
• “It was a lot of fun – very exciting,” Meredith said. “I wasn’t too nervous. It was a relatively easy game for me. The back four didn’t really allow much through and I don’t think I saw any shots on target so I think it was a good way to start my first game.”
• Schmid said Gspurning will likely miss both matches this week. He said there is an outside chance he will available to return for the May 19 contest vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
• “There’s an outside shot that he would be able to be back by the time we play Vancouver, or maybe that week after,” Schmid said. “They feel pretty confident in terms of it’s something that will take two to three weeks to ramp him up to full activity.”