The two teams that currently sit second and third respectively in the Western Conference will get a steady diet of one another this week as FC Dallas and the Los Angeles Galaxy will face-off in a pair of all-important matches.
First will be Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup Final that kicks off at 10 p.m. (CDT) at The Home Depot Center, with a win giving the Hoops the second trophy in the franchises 10-year history. These same two teams will be in action again in league play on Saturday as they finish their four-game season series. The home team has been victorious in all three meetings so far this season, while Dallas has not picked up a win in L.A. since the 2000 season.
These will be the second and third meetings between these two teams in the last 10 days as FC Dallas was able to take three points from the Galaxy last Wednesday with a 4-1 win that vaulted the Hoops alone into second place in the Western Conference.
You can see Wednesday' U.S. Open Cup Final on GolTV starting with the pregame show at 9:00 p.m. (CDT), to be followed by the game at 10 p.m. You can also listen to that game on KFCD 990AM (English) with Ray Canevari or Radio AYO 1540AM (Spanish) with Carlos Alvardo. For Saturday's league match against the Galaxy, you can watch it live on KLDT TV 55 with Brad Sham and Dave Dir having the call starting at 9:00 p.m. from The Home Depot Center or listen to the match on KFCD 990AM (English) or Radio AYO 1540AM (Spanish).
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
UP FOR THE CUP: For just the second time in franchise history, FC Dallas will have a chance to bring home a trophy on Wednesday night when they take on the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2005 U.S. Open Cup Final at The Home Depot Center. The Hoops reached the Final with a historic 1-0 win over Chicago on September 14 for the side's first ever win at Pizza Hut Park. That was the first time this season that Dallas had not gone to extra time in the Open Cup, winning 3-1 over Wilmington and Columbus after extra time and then disposing of D.C. United 4-1 on penalties following 120 minutes of action that could not separate the two sides.
The last time that Dallas played in a Cup Final was on October 29, 1997 when it defeated D.C. United 5-3 on penalties following a 0-0 draw in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Galaxy have now reached the U.S. Open Cup Final three times, winning it in 2001 with a 2-1 win over New England on Alexi Lalas' extra time golden goal. A year later, the Galaxy aimed to become the Cup's first repeat champion since the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms did so in 1982-83, only to fall 1-0 to Columbus at Crew Stadium.
NINE POINTS FROM HISTORY: With four games remaining in the MLS regular season, FC Dallas has a chance to set a new team record for points in a season. Through 28 games, Colin Clarke's side is 12-9-7 for 43 points. In 1999, the penultimate year of the 32-game schedule, and the final season of the shootout, Dallas compiled a 19-13 record (three of the wins came via shootout and were only worth one point), good for 51 points, breaking the club's former mark of 42 points set a year earlier.
Now, the Hoops need totake eight points from their final 12 to tie the team record, or win three of four games for nine points and a total of 52 points.
The MLS record for points in a season is 68, set by the 1998 Los Angeles Galaxy who went 24-8 that season.
MINA'S JUST MISSES OUT: Despite scoring a pair of goals on Wednesday night against the Galaxy, FC Dallas' Ecuadorian forward Roberto Mina narrowly missed out on being named Honda Player of the Week on Monday, with the award instead going to Dwayne DeRosario of San Jose. Mina's two goal outburst against the Galaxy was the second consecutive multi-goal game for the 20-year old, making him the first player in Dallas franchise history to record multiple goals in consecutive games. However, despite scoring four goals in his previous two games, Mina was rested against the Earthquakes on Saturday in preparation for Wednesday's Open Cup Final.
Mina, along with the Rapids Jean Philippe Peguero and the Revolution's Taylor Twellman, received first place votes in the Player of the Week balloting, but were unable to overcome DeRosario who scored a pair of goals against Chicago on Wednesday, and then helped set up his team's game-tying goal against the Hoops on Saturday.
FC DALLAS WEEKLY TAKES OVER DAVE AND BUSTER'S IN FRISCO: Please join us this Thursday night for the weekly FC Dallas Radio Show with Ray Canevari on KFCD 990 AM. "FC Dallas Weekly" airs every Thursday from 6 - 7 p.m. on KFCD. This Thursday Canevari and KFCD will once again take the show to Dave and Buster's at the Stonebriar Mall in Frisco where he will recap Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup Final against the Galaxy, and look ahead to Saturday night's Western Conference Showdown between the same two sides. Head Coach Colin Clarke and goalkeeper Scott Garlick will check in from Los Angeles while Canevari will also be joined by Glenn Davis of The Houston Chronicle and other special guests.
