FC Dallas' woes against reigning MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo have been well-documented. In seven meetings against Dynamo, the Hoops are a paltry 1-4-2 but all four of those defeats have come in the Bayou City. At Pizza Hut Park, FCD is 1-0-2 having last played the Orange to a scoreless draw on June 30.
With their in-state rivals currently five points ahead of them in the MLS Western Conference standings, FCD know Sunday's match is a must-win.
"It's a rivalry game between the two teams in Texas," said FCD midfielder Arturo Alvarez, a Houston native. "They have more wins over us and we want to put an end to that, especially here at home. They haven't beaten us here and we want to continue that."
Captain and forward Carlos "Fish" Ruiz agrees. "Houston is a very good team and we play them again on Sunday," he said. "We know they're in second place right now and that we have to play well against them."
Speaking of Ruiz, he has found his form late in the year. The Guatemalan international has five goals in his last nine matches, giving him seven goals and two assists this year. And on Sunday, Ruiz will again do battle with Houston defender Eddie Robinson in one of the league's most heated matchups.
FCD heads into the match after dropping a 2-1 decision to the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday at the Home Depot Center. Left back Chris Gbandi, another Houston native, was sent off in the first half and the Hoops spent much of the rest of the evening playing on their heels. Gbandi will miss Sunday's match on suspension, meaning that he has yet to play against his hometown team once this season.
In September, the Hoops are a disappointing 1-2-2. Their lone win of the month came on September 8 in Frisco, when they beat Toronto FC 2-0, getting their only two goals on penalty kicks. Despite their recent run of bad results, the FCD players know that a win on Sunday could quickly change things for them.
"A win against Houston would give us a little bit more confidence," Alvarez said. "We have the (U.S.) Open Cup final (on Wednesday), something that's really important to us and that we want to win. We have to worry about Houston first and then we'll prepare ourselves for the Open Cup final."
Ruiz added: "It's very important because we have just four games left in the regular season. We need to win a couple of these games at home and be better in the playoffs."
While FCD has had a busy September, Dynamo has played just three matches, going 2-0-1. The last time the Orange took the pitch was nearly two weeks ago at the Home Depot Center, when they beat the Galaxy 3-1.
Hoops head coach Steve Morrow thinks that the long layoff could work in his side's favor. "I know that they haven't played for 10 days and there's always different ways to look at that," Morrow said. "Either that team is rusty or they're well-rested."
"I think it's worth us having a go early in the game (to try and get an early goal) and that's something we try to do at home anyway. Let's see how they are in the first 10-15 minutes of the game. If it takes them a little while to get going, that's something we need to take advantage of."
In their loss to the Galaxy on Sunday, FCD got a goal from Dax McCarty in the 11th minute, the Hoops' first tally this season in the opening 15 minutes, a trend Morrow would definitely like to see continue.
"We talked about it before the LA game and I don't think too many of the players were aware of that particular stat," Morrow said. "I think we have started a lot of games well but just haven't finished the chances we have created. It's always nice to get an early goal, especially here at home. I think it settles everybody down. The early goal is always good."
Defensive midfielder Pablo Ricchetti could return to the starting 11 after missing the lasr game. "He's making progress," Morrow said on Friday. "We played him through the first 20 minutes of practice today and then took him out to rest him. We have to try and be sensible with him. We'll make a decision on him tomorrow."
Forward Kenny Cooper could also return to the field for the first time since suffering a broken right tibia on June 9. If the Dallas native makes his return, it will be as a late-game substitute.
"Kenny has made a lot of progress in the last week," Morrow said. "We have dropped off from the ball work a little bit and I think that's helped him a lot. He feels a lot better and stronger. He's in full contact now and I think he needs a week of that to get his fitness level up. I think there's a chance (he could play on Sunday or in the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday)."
One player who will be in the starting 11 is designated player Denilson, but Morrow is clearly expecting more out of the World Cup-winning midfielder.
"I think he's done some good stuff so far but it could be better," Morrow said. "I think we've seen some glimpses of what he can do so far but we're starting to demand more of him in getting on the ball in more dangerous positions on the field and trying to be a little more creative around the goal."
Specifically, Morrow wants to see Denilson be better on the ball. "There are times where he wants to show everybody his skills but a quick pass is a better option," Morrow said. "We need to see some better decisions I think."
If the Hoops can beat Dynamo, then that victory, coupled with a tie or loss by Columbus, who is facing L.A. on Sunday in Carson, will secure them a spot in the playoffs. Sunday's match will kick off at 2:00 PM CT and will be televised on TeleFutura.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
