FC Dallas takes a step away from league competition on Sunday evening, when they take on Mexican power Chivas de Guadalajara at Pizza Hut Park (8 p.m. CT; TeleFutura).
The Hoops will be facing a Chivas team that lost 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night in Glendale, Ariz. FCD has played the perennial Mexican contender a total of four times, winless with an 0-2-2 record.
The sides last met on July 24, 2007 in the opening match of SuperLiga, a 1-1 tie. FCD got a goal from Arturo Alvarez in the 56th minute but the visitors drew level in a controversial 67th-minute goal, when Anthony Olvera connected after apparently corralling the ball with his hand.
The game comes just three days after the Hoops played Houston to a 1-1 draw at Robertson Stadium on MLS Primetime Thursday, a tie that gave them "El Capitan" as the winner of the season series for the first time ever.
At halftime of the Houston game, FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman switched away from a 4-4-2 formation for a 3-5-2 by bringing on speedy striker Dominic Oduro for defender Aaron Pitchkolan. After a sluggish first half where the Hoops had just one shot and were trailing 1-0, the visitors awakened and left the Bayou City with a point.
"I think in the first half, the environment of a road game, still trying to feel comfortable in a 4-4-2, we didn't get very much width," Hyndman said. "I felt like they got a lot of width and had some chances to score. We had a problem with denying their service.
"In the second half, we went back to a 3-5-2, something I think they feel a little more comfortable with and a little bit more personnel directed meaning that we have the players to play that. I thought they responded well. I thought Dominic (Oduro) was a big lift because it forced the Houston players to stay back and respect his speed. He became pretty dangerous a couple of times. I thought the team responded well. We're happy to come away with one point in that environment."
FCD pulled level in the 62nd minute when Juan Toja served a great ball in from the left flank that found Kenny Cooper, who headed the ball in for his eighth goal of the year, tying him for third-most in the league.
Hyndman has clearly been pleased with what he has seen from Toja in the first two games of his tenure as the FCD boss.
"I think he's getting better," he said. "I have only had him for two games, but in the two games that I have seen, there has been a noticeable improvement. So, I'm happy with that. I think part of that was getting into a groove and reaching a higher fitness level. I think the better his fitness, the more he will be able to do the things that we saw last year."
Hyndman was also pleased with the performance of rookie midfielder Eric Avila, who made his league debut on Thursday, coming on for Toja about five minutes from full time.
"I thought he (Avila) did fine," Hyndman said. "It was a pressure situation. They were throwing people forward and brought in some big boys and I bring in a small one size wise. I just felt that would be a good opportunity to find out about Eric. It's a statement to the other players that if they're doing what I want them to do, then I'm going to have more confidence in them and give them a chance."
In his first game coaching the Hoops at New York on June 21, Hyndman went with the 4-4-2 for the entire 90 minutes. However, he now concedes that FCD might not have the personnel needed to shift formations so quickly.
"I think it's a bit of a stretch," Hyndman said. "We have the ability to go out and bring in players to run a 4-4-2, but I think if you want to look at the most recent game, we ran a 4-4-2 in the first half and were back on our heels. We didn't get a lot of flank play. In the second half, we went to a 3-5-2 and I thought we played better and were more comfortable. I'm not going to try to force the square peg into a round hole. I'm going to try to gradually make my changes, but it may not be with this team."
Sunday's match will be FCD's second of four matches the club will play in eight days. A third-round U.S. Open Cup match with Miami FC of the USL's First Division looms on Tuesday, but Hyndman admits that his starters should at least see some time against Chivas.
"I don't know about (going with a younger squad Sunday) as much because I think this is a game that we have to come out there with many of our starting players because I think the people in the stands and the people who are here deserve to see them play," he said. "Tuesday, you might see a little more of a mixed squad with more of the younger players. But I want to see some of the young guys tomorrow as well."
Hyndman's players are clearly ready to hit the field again, especially considering the quality competition.
"It's going to be a good test for our team," rookie midfielder Brek Shea said. "They're one of the best Mexican sides. They have a bunch of players that I watched as a kid growing up. I have also actually played against their youth team a few times and gone to a couple of their games in Guadalajara. It was amazing. I used to wonder if I would ever get to play against those guys and now I am."
Oduro agrees. "Let's face it, Chivas is one of the best teams in North and South America," he said. "Playing these guys is a good experience for us and we can learn a lot from them. It will be great for us to see how we measure up against them."
FCD midfielder Dax McCarty, who played the final 13 minutes against Houston, figures to get more time on Sunday. McCarty had surgery on a sports hernia about a month ago but has struggled to return to full fitness. After training on Saturday, he talked about wearing a belt to help stabilize the SI joint in his back. He admitted he didn't wear the belt against the Dynamo and that did cause him some pain but planned on wearing it from now on.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
