Robertson Stadium has been nothing short of a house of horrors for FC Dallas since 2006. FCD is 0-4-2 all-time on the Dynamo's home field but has come away with a point in each of their last two meetings there.
However, with the Dynamo currently having not allowed a goal in 313 minutes and riding a two-game winning streak, the home side appears to have the edge when the clubs meet in Houston on Saturday night. FCD, which possesses the worst record in MLS, is reeling and will field a first 11 replete with numerous changes.
"We're on the road, which is always difficult and Houston is playing their best soccer," said FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman. "We're going to go there and play our best soccer. We haven't done well and are in last place in the league, but with some luck and not making some mistakes, we could be doing well. What we need to do now is step up. Players have to take responsibility. Every team has to stop goals and score goals. Giving up 14 goals is not stopping goals."
Even though FCD has struggled, spirits remain high in Frisco.
"The team's attitude has been very good," Hyndman said. "We've addressed working with the back four and then brought the midfield into training. We've also let the players know that they've been given opportunities to perform and we haven't gotten the results. Now we have to open our mentality to other players to see if they can help us get results. We're bringing some life into training because people see an opportunity."
One place where there will not be a change is in goal, where Ray Burse, who has played much of the 2009 campaign between the posts, returns as the starter since Dario Sala remains bothered by an ailing knee.
"It's our biggest rival," Burse said. "We always want to go into Houston and give them a tough contest. Although we know it is a tough place to play, but as long as we go in fully focused, we know we can get a result there."
Even though he was forced into action when Sala was injured after the first game of the season, Burse feels his confidence continuing to grow. Burse has started five of the seven games for FCD this season, allowing nine goals in those outings, also allowing two goals in relief after Sala was sent off in his return to the lineup in a 2-0 loss to Chivas USA April 25.
"Definitely, with each game, I feel like I'm getting more and more comfortable," he said. "I'm gelling more with the defense and think they're looking for me to make big saves and help us out. The more games you get, the more comfortable you get back there. I'm definitely enjoying it and looking to get even more comfortable."
FCD has allowed a league-worst 14 goals and Burse knows the reasons for that are fairly basic.
"It's just lapses here and there," he said. "This game is 90 minutes long and you can't afford to have a mental lapse for three or four seconds because in the professional ranks, you'll get punished every time. I think we need to go into Houston focused and committed fully for the 90 minutes. If we can do that, then we'll get a good result."
That's where the changes will start for Hyndman. Drew Moor will likely move from center back to right back, where he started the first few games of the season. Taking his spot in central defense will be rookie George John, who missed the last two games with an injured hamstring. Joining John in the middle will be Steve Purdy, who started the first two matches before being sidelined with an injury of his own.
On the left side, Blake Wagner, who has started every game in 2009, will likely get the nod to remain at the position, but third-year defender Anthony Wallace has been pushing hard for playing time all week with a solid week of training and also warrants consideration.
FCD's wingers will likely be the same with Andre Rocha, who scored his side's lone goal last week in a 2-1 loss at D.C. United, back on the right. Dave van den Bergh, who has been the club's most consistent player all year, will be on the left.
It also looks like Dax McCarty could go to the bench from the attacking midfield spot and David Ferreira, who manned the No. 10 spot earlier in the year before moving up top, returns to his more natural spot. With captain Pablo Ricchetti still ailing from a kick to his foot suffered in a 2-0 loss at Chivas USA on April 25, that means Marcelo Saragosa, who was the starting right back, moves into the defensive midfield spot.
Up top, leading scorer Kenny Cooper and his four goals returns, but will have a new strike partner in Jeff Cunningham, who hasn't started since the second week of the campaign.
Moor is the only current member of FCD's roster who has been on the field for every one of his side's matches in the Bayou City and admits he's sick of not winning at Robertson Stadium.
"I'm tired of going down there and not coming back with three points, ever," he said. "It's been four years now we've been going down there and I've been on the field every time. You walk into that place and it's tough to swallow. It's tough to think about what's happened there in the past, but obviously, I don't want to dwell on the past. This is a new season and a new team. This game means a lot to us. We're all fired up and I think we're ready to go down there and turn things around here."
The FCD defender knows a big reason for the Orange's success there is the raucous crowd that creates a hostile environment for any foe.
"They have a great atmosphere, especially when we go down there," he said. "We played in front of 30,000 for a playoff game. I've played in some good atmospheres but can't think of many that beat that atmosphere. They make it tough for you. They play well at home. Houston makes it tough for you and they come at you for 90 minutes. It's a great mentality they have and it needs to be matched this weekend. We know they're going to be intense and right now, we're in need of points. So we need to be intense and bring it straight back at them. We've got to leave everything on the field."
If FCD wants to be successful against their in-state rival, they need to be a much better second-half team. After halftime this season, the club has been outscored 11-2 and been a completely different team after the break.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
