FC Dallas starts their run in the 2006 U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday against the Charleston Battery of the United Soccer League's First Division looking this year to complete a little unfinished business.
A year ago, FCD reached the U.S. Open Cup Final for the second time in club history, where they fell 1-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center. If the Hoops are to repeat their 1997 victory in the competition -- the only major honor the club has won -- it has to begin with a win in Charleston that could be a difficult proposition.
"They have quite a few players that have been in our league previously," FC Dallas head coach Colin Clarke said. "Gavin Glinton we know well. We know quite a few of their players. It's going to be a tough game."
Clarke added that the Battery has a history of producing upsets in the USOC but doesn't want his side to be their next victim.
"It's a great place to go and play," he said. "They have a great stadium and good atmosphere. They've always done well in the Open Cup and have produced a few shockers. I hope we're not next."
Mike Anhaeuser, Charleston's head coach, knows what a formidable foe his team will face.
"FC Dallas has shown that they are a very talented and dangerous team, hence their current standing in the tough (MLS) Western Conference," he said. "They are very solid defensively and have a dangerous big man in (Kenny) Cooper who is good in the air."
FCD heads into the match fresh off an impressive 4-1 victory against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night in Frisco where midfielder Ramon Nunez had two goals. It was their fourth consecutive MLS win and fifth in their last six contests.
Charleston, on the other hand, comes in off a 2-0 road loss to the Virginia Beach Mariners on Saturday. The Battery has a 9-7-4 record with 31 points, which puts them second in the USL First Division standings, seven points behind first-place Montreal.
They have a couple of familiar faces in their lineup as midfielder Lazo Alavanja and forward Glinton both played for the Dallas Burn. Alavanja was in Big D from 1999 to 2000 while Glinton, who leads the Battery in goals with 10, third-most in USL, played 10 games for the Burn between 2003 and 2004.
Glinton is looking forward to playing against some of his former teammates but admits that much has changed since he last played in Dallas.
"There's going to be some part of me wanting to get some revenge," he said. "It's a whole different regime at Dallas these days. There are a couple of players there from when I was with Dallas and I'm looking forward to seeing them.
"I think it's going to be a tough game for us," Glinton added. "They are one of the more organized teams (defensively). I'm sure that Colin (Clarke) will have them ready to play. They have quality players and we are going to have to be at our best."
Others to watch for Charleston are midfielder Ben Hollingsworth, whose nine goals are second-most on the squad. Goalkeeper Dusty Hudock, another with MLS experience, is one of the top 'keepers in USL, having allowed only nine goals in 13 games so far this year. The Battery veteran ranks near the top of the league in goals against average, goalkeeper wins and shutouts.
Clarke is well aware of, and has much respect for Hudock's play in goal.
"He has been there a long time and is a very steady 'keeper," he said. "He's having a good year and has been pretty steady. Hopefully we can cause him some problems on Wednesday."
The Hoops players are equally energized about Wednesday's match.
"They're a good team and this is a big game for them," said FCD midfielder and captain Simo Valakari. "This is a big game for us as well. It's always nice to see different places and play against different teams."
Added left back Chris Gbandi: "I think it's going to be tough. Anytime you play a team in the USL, they have something to prove. Having guys that used to play in MLS makes it that much tougher."
Only twice have the Hoops not won their first game in the U.S. Open Cup. In 2003, they dropped a fourth-round match, 4-1 to the Wilmington Hammerheads of the PSL and two years earlier fell 3-2 to the Seattle Sounders Select of the PDL in a second-round affair.
A year ago, the Battery lost their opening match in the USOC, 3-2 to the Des Moines Menace of the PDL. It was only the second time in six trips to the event that Charleston lost its first game. In both 1999 and 2004, Charleston has advanced to the semifinals, falling to the Colorado Rapids 3-0 in '99 and 1-0 to the Chicago Fire in '04.
Charleston's run to the fourth round began with a 1-0 win over the Sonoma County Sol, a USASA club on June 28. The Battery followed that up with a 3-1 victory against fellow USL side Portland Timbers on July 12.
Last year's loss in the U.S. Open Cup Final to the Galaxy still sticks with many FCD players.
"To make it all the way and to lose in the final was hard," said Valakari. "It was a big disappointment. I think that along with what happened in the 2005 playoffs make our team stronger. We remember what happened and use that as motivation to push ourselves harder."
Gbandi is also itching for another shot at the Dewar Trophy, awarded to the Open Cup champion.
"It was such a good run for us last year," Gbandi said. "We felt that we had a great opportunity to bring a trophy here and didn't take advantage of it. Now we get another chance and I think a lot of guys are excited about it."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
