Preview: Dallas, Chivas both looking to end on a high note

FC DALLAS vs CHIVAS USA
FC DALLAS STADIUM, Frisco, Texas
October 28, 2012 (WEEK 33, MLS Game #322)
6 p.m. CT (Galavisión; FS-SW+)
FC Dallas and Chivas USA bring down the curtain on their 2012 Major League Soccer campaigns when the clubs meet Sunday evening in Frisco. FC Dallas saw their postseason dreams dashed last weekend, falling short in a 3-1 loss at Seattle Sounders FC. Chivas USA will look to snap a club-record winless run in their season finale, coming off a 2-0 loss to Colorado in their final home match last weekend.
REFEREE:
Matthew Foerster. AR1 (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; AR2 (opposite): Jonathan Johnson; 4th: Jasen Anno
MLS Career: 6 games; FC/gm: 24.0; Y/gm: 4.3; R: 0; pens: 3
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INJURY REPORT:


FC DALLAS – OUT: DF Ugo Ihemelu (concussion symptoms); GK Chris Seitz (illness); MF Brek Shea (abdominal strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF George John (R ankle sprain)


CHIVAS USA – OUT: GK Dan Kennedy (R knee arthroscopy); DOUBTFUL: FW Juan Pablo Angel (L ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Ante Jazic (L knee MCL sprain); DF James Riley (illness); MF Nick LaBrocca (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: FW Casey Townsend (L knee MCL sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES:
none
SUSPENDED:
CHV: John Valencia (caution accumulation; through Oct. 28)
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: George John … CHV: Oswaldo Minda
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (21 meetings): FC Dallas 10 wins, 27 goals … Chivas USA 5 wins, 22 goals … Ties 6
AT DALLAS (11 meetings): FC Dallas 5 wins, 11 goals … Chivas USA 2 wins, 8 goals … Ties 4
2012 (MLS):
6/23: DAL 0, CHV 0
10/7: CHV 1, DAL 1 (Villafaña 69 – Pérez 8)

• The teams are meeting for the third time this season, the second of two encounters in the final three weeks of the season. They played to a scoreless draw June 23 in Frisco, then traded goals in a 1-1 draw Oct. 7 at The Home Depot Center.
• FC Dallas have not lost to Chivas USA since the 2009 season, now unbeaten in the last six meetings.
• FC Dallas have won three of the last five Home Depot Center encounters with Chivas USA, with a draw.
• Coaches' records: Schellas Hyndman vs. CHV: P8 W4 L2 D2 … Robin Fraser vs. DAL: P4 W0 L2 D2

LAST MEETING

• FC Dallas opened the scoring just eight minutes in. Left back Jair Benítez sent a long ball to the top of Chivas’ penalty area where David Ferreira controlled it, had space and fired a shot on goal. Dan Kennedy dove to make the save, but left the rebound for Blas Pérez, who easily knocked it into an empty net.
• But Chivas drew level in the 69th minute, scoring their first goal in more than 10 hours of play. Nick LaBrocca played the ball out wide right to Miller Bolaños, who then sent a ball across the goal area that goalkeeper Kevin Hartman appeared to get a piece of but not enough to stop its momentum. Unmarked, Jorge Villafaña knocked the ball into the back of the net.
• CHIVAS USA (4-2-3-1): Dan Kennedy - James Riley, Shalrie Joseph, Bobby Burling, Ante Jazic - Peter Vagenas, Nick LaBrocca (Alejandro Moreno 84) - Miller Bolanos (Laurent Courtois 80), Jose Correa (Juan Pablo Angel 46), Jorge Villafana - Juan Agudelo.
• FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Kevin Hartman - Zach Loyd, Hernan Pertuz, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez (George John 60) - Fabian Castillo (Scott Sealy 79), Andrew Jacobson, Julian de Guzman, Ricardo Villar (Carlos Rodriguez 68) - David Ferreira - Blas Perez.

FC DALLAS
FC Dallas saw their bid to come back for a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs come to an end, dropping a 3-1 decision to Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday evening at CenturyLink Field. FCD is in sixth place in the Western Conference with 38 points from 33 matches.
LAST MATCH

• Sounders FC took the lead in the 32nd minute, after FCD defender Hernan Pertuz dragged down Fredy Montero in the area and referee Baldomero Toledo immediately pointed to the spot. Brad Evans converted the resulting penalty.
• FC Dallas drew even nine minutes later, when Ricardo Villar put in a dangerous ball to the far post that deflected back across the goal area to where Blas Perez was waiting for it, and he pounded it into the back of the net.
• But Seattle moved back into the lead on the hour as Evans scored his second, finishing off a neat passing sequence through the FCD penalty area with a low strike from the heart of the area.
• Sounders FC put the game away 11 minutes later when Mauro Rosales scored his third goal of the season, needing only to tap in a ball that Montero had sent across the goalmouth.
• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made one change to the team that ended in a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. Daniel Hernandez came into the team for the suspended Julian de Guzman.
• FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Kevin Hartman - Zach Loyd, Hernan Pertuz, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez - Daniel Hernandez (Carlos Rodriguez 81), Andrew Jacobson - Ricardo Villar (Scott Sealy 74), David Ferreira, Fabian Castillo - Blas Perez.

TEAM NEWS

• With the defeat in Seattle, FC Dallas saw their dreams of a return to the MLS Cup Playoffs come to an end.
• “I thought we were very focused coming out and we had a lot of enthusiasm to match their energy,” FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman said. “We just saw the result with Portland and Vancouver so we knew we had a door open and needed to take advantage of it.”
• Said goalkeeper Kevin Hartman: “I thought we were a little naïve a couple of times tonight. It's a little disappointing that Vancouver left the door open for us tonight so we were in a position that if we were to get the win, or get a point at least, we would've put ourselves in a position that it would've come down to the last game.”
• Blas Pérez scored his fourth goal in the last three games. Since returning to the lineup following a three-month absence, Pérez has four goals and an assist in five games.
• “I ask you to look at any team in the league that has gone without seven starters in a game, tonight we went without five, we left five guys at home. We've done that the whole year,” said Hyndman. “I think Blas is leading the team with 9 goals, and I think he has missed half the season, with injuries and call-ups. For what we have on our team, not just with the injuries and suspensions and the things we could have done a little better at, I know my team, and I don't know how much more I could get out of them.”
• Making his first start since Aug. 18, Daniel Hernandez played 81 minutes in a central midfield role.
• “I would imagine that we were missing half of our salary cap for majority of the season. So it's difficult to compete without that level of talent on the field,” said Hartman. “To have such a front loaded schedule can be difficult as well, but we're not in the business of making excuses, we're in the business of getting wins and tonight we weren't able to do it.”

CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA saw their winless streak extended to 13 games, falling 2-0 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. Chivas USA are in ninth place in the Western Conference with 29 points from 33 games.
LAST MATCH

• The Rapids took the lead in the 16th minute. From out on the left from a cleared service, Tyson Wahl whipped a cross into the middle of the box and Jaime Castrillón flicked a header to Martin Rivero, who was completely unmarked on the right side of the goal. He settled the ball and ripped a shot past a helpless Tim Melia in the Chivas goal.
• Colorado doubled the lead in the 40th minute when Omar Cummings found Kamani Hill unmarked on the left side of the area. Hill snapped a header that got past Melia and into the back of the net.
• Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser made four changes to the team that came back for a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas at The Home Depot Center. Tim Melia started in goal in place of Dan Kennedy, John Valencia came into the back four for Bobby Burling, Ben Zemanski entered the midfield in place of Miller Bolanos,and Alejandro Moreno started up top for Jose Correa.
• CHIVAS USA (4-1-3-2): Tim Melia - James Riley, John Valencia, Shalrie Joseph, Ante Jazic (Ryan Smith 54) - Peter Vagenas (Laurent Courtois 64) - Ben Zemanski, Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Villafana - Juan Agudelo (Cesar Romero 85), Alejandro Moreno.

TEAM NEWS

• The 13-game winless streak is a club record for Chivas USA. The loss to Colorado was their sixth shutout in seven games.
• “We do some things well, didn’t capitalize on our opportunities, made some pretty critical mistakes and the story plays out as we’ve seen before,” said Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser. “It was just a disjointed effort that, at times, was promising and we created some really good chances, and if you don’t score your chances, then you certainly put yourself behind the eight ball. It was a disappointing night, for sure. Certainly, the season has been disappointing, but you feel like every game is an opportunity to redeem yourself somewhat. Certainly, you always want to at least close out a season on a positive note.”
• With a 3-11-3 record in home games, Chivas USA will end with the third-poorest home record in MLS history, behind the 1999 MetroStars (7 pts.) and 2001 Tampa Bay Mutiny (8 pts.). Chivas were outscored 30-9 at home.
• “It’s insane. It has to be up there with one of the worst campaigns at home to date,” Chivas defender James Riley said. “That, we’re not proud of but we definitely created opportunities in those games.”
• “Indescribable really,” Fraser said. “Certainly you want to at least close out a season on a positive note and for our last home game we show moments of promise, very good moments and some very bad moments. When you finish this way it’s going to leave a sour taste for a while.”
• Chivas USA have also been shut out 16 times this season – one shy of the MLS record set in 2010 by D.C. United.
• “Facts are facts and you’re not going to change that. If we can hit the reset button and start from Day One, we would try and do some things different,” Chivas midfielder Peter Vagenas said. “Is it fair? Who knows but it is what it is, those are the stats and you can’t say it’s not true because it is.”
• Goalkeeper Tim Melia made his MLS debut, as Dan Kennedy missed his first league start of the season. Melia started three games in Chivas USA’s U.S. Open Cup run.
• “Tim is a very good goalkeeper. I’ve known him for a while and I’ve seen him for a while,” said Fraser. “He had some good moments and then he had some moments I thought he looked maybe a little inexperienced. But certainly, he’s got a bright future. He’s a very good goalkeeper.”