The Official FC Dallas Blog

FCD 2, New York Red Bulls 1

2009-07-04T18:28:00.011-05:00

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Before the post-game fireworks show took place tonight, FC Dallas provided some fireworks of their own by posting a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls at Pizza Hut Park. Thirty-two-year-old forward Jeff Cunningham gave the team a spark in the 15th minute when he intercepted an errant pass by New York's Luke Sassano, cut around a defender and calmly slotted one past the 'keeper. Cunningham would strike again two minutes later, volleying home a Dave van den Bergh cross after eluding the defense with a run to the far post. New York's Juan Pablo Angel would get one back in the 43rd minute after tapping in a cross from Danleigh Borman, but it was not enough as the team was unable to get the equalizer in the second half. A full recap, match highlights and post-game quotes are available at FCDallas.com.

Game Notes:
• FC Dallas (4-7-5, 17 pts.) tonight defeated the New York Red Bulls (2-13-4, 10 pts.) 2-1 in a Fourth of July game played at Pizza Hut Park. Dallas is now 3-3-3 at home this season.
• Dallas has now won back-to-back home games and is unbeaten in seven of its last eight matches.
• FCD improves to 16-15-2 all-time against New York and 8-7-1 in games played in Dallas. The team holds a 3-1-1 record over the Red Bulls at Pizza Hut Park.
• Jeff Cunningham struck twice in the first half with goals in the 15th and 17th minutes. It was the second-fastest pair of goals scored by a Dallas player, behind Kenny Cooper’s two within one minute of each other on July 27, 2008 against the LA Galaxy.
• The tallies were the 106th and 107th regular season goals of Cunningham’s career, pulling within one of former Dallas forward Jason Kreis, who is third all-time in MLS history with 108 goals.
• It was the second multi-goal game by a Dallas player this year, following Cooper’s two-goal performance against Toronto FC on April 19.
• Dallas is now 4-4-2 all-time in games played on the Fourth of July (all at home). The team has played on Independence Day every year since 2006, posting a 2-1-1 mark at Pizza Hut Park.
• This was the second time that Dallas and New York have met on the Fourth of July. Dallas previously defeated New York 2-0 at the Cotton Bowl in 2002.
• Dave van den Bergh, normally a left-sided midfielder, started on the right side tonight. Nineteen-year-old Brek Shea got the start at left midfield.
• George John entered the match as a substitute in the 84th minute. It was John’s first action since suffering a right hamstring injury versus Seattle on May 16. The rookie defender had missed the previous six games.
• This was the first of two regular season games against New York this season. The series finale will be played at Giants Stadium on August 23.
• Kenny Cooper missed the match while away with the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Therefore, Cooper’s MLS record of 47 consecutive starts by a forward has come to an end. The 24-year-old was an unused substitute in the United States’ 4-0 win over Grenada tonight in Seattle.
• Three FCD players have now started all 16 regular season games: Van den Bergh, David Ferreira and Drew Moor. Ferreira and Moor have played every minute of the season so far.
• Six Dallas players missed the game with injuries: goalkeeper Dario Sala (left knee), midfielders Alvaro Sanchez (right ankle) and Marcelo Saragosa (right hip), and defenders Steve Purdy (right knee), Daniel Torres (right hamstring) and forward Peri Marosevic (right hamstring).
• Dallas will travel to Midland on Tuesday, July 7 for a friendly against PDL club West Texas United Sockers. The team resumes MLS play on Saturday, July 11 in a road match versus the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (8:30 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52).
• Following tonight’s game, fans at Pizza Hut Park were treated to a fireworks show and a live music performance from local band Lone Star Attitude.

Juniors Open SUM U-17 Cup With Win

2009-07-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

The FC Dallas Juniors today opened up play in the SUM U-17 Cup with a 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy, with Ruben Luna scoring both goals for FCD. The team will face the Kansas City Wizards on Sunday night. The team will have Monday off before resuming tournament play on Tuesday morning against Real Salt Lake. The SUM U-17 Cup tournament is played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce, Colorado.

It's Friday

2009-07-03T11:53:00.003-05:00

The day before the 4th of July fixture with the New York Red Bulls, FC Dallas went through a brief practice on the stadium field from 10-11 a.m. The majority of the session was spent in an 11 v 11 walk-through. Before heading inside, many of the players spent some time taking shots on goalkeeper Josh Lambo, while others knocked long balls across the field to one another.

After practice, Dave van den Bergh left the facility with a writer named Stan Bos, who is visiting from the Netherlands to interview Dave. This afternoon, Dave will be taking Stan to some different spots in Dallas that might be recognizable to those back in the Netherlands, such as Dealey Plaza and Southfork Ranch. The feature story will appear in Dutch magazine Aktueel Primo next month.

Preview: FC Dallas vs. New York Red Bulls

2009-07-02T12:40:00.002-05:00

The New York Red Bulls (2-12-4, 10 pts) visit Pizza Hut Park this weekend for a 4th of July match-up against FCD (3-7-5, 14 pts), kicking off at 8 p.m. Immediately following the game, the crowd will be treated to a fireworks show (approx. 10 p.m.) and live concert from local band Lone Star Attitude (10:30 p.m.).

If you're planning to come out to the Independence Day game and celebration, you might want to think about arriving early for the pre-game happy hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m., featuring $1 draft beers and $3 margaritas.

Check out the video below to hear comments from head coach Schellas Hyndman and midfielder Dave van den Bergh on hosting New York on Saturday. For a more in-depth look at the match-up, read the online preview and download the official game guide.

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Two Days Out

2009-07-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

Being two days out from this weekend's game, the team ran through a 20-minute video session this morning before stepping out to the practice field just before 10 a.m. For the initial 15 minutes, players paired up to practice one-touch passes to their partner. This led straight into a 9 v 9 possession drill, before getting to the main part of the session: a full-field scrimmage.

Sticking around to engage in a competitive shoot-around on goalkeeper Josh Lambo after practice was Jeff Cunningham, Blake Wagner and Joe Cooper (Kenny's younger brother), who is back to participate in some practice sessions after doing so about about a month ago. On another part of the field, defenders Drew Moor, George John, and Daniel Torres passed the ball around and worked on volleys. The team will hold its final practice before the 4th of July game vs. New York on Friday morning at 9:30a.m.

Mid-week Update

2009-07-01T14:35:00.002-05:00

Wednesday's practice ran from 9:30 until 11 a.m. and mostly featured scrimmmaging on a shortened field with keepers and full-sized goals. On the opposite end of the field, Daniel Torres and Steve Purdy continued their rehab, combining conditioning exercises with some work on the ball. Alvaro "Tom" Sanchez participated in light fitness work for about the first half of practice before heading inside. Marcelo Saragosa ran laps around the adidas Field before finishing with fitness on the sidelines.

Prepping for the 4th

2009-06-30T14:02:00.003-05:00

FC Dallas went through a 90-minute practice session in preparation for this weekend's 4th of July match against the visiting New York Red Bulls (8 p.m. CT). As a warm-up, the field players weaved through cones and over small hurdles while the goalkeepers practiced reflex saves and footwork.

The team then spent some time in a crossing / finishing drill before ending with a 9 v 9 scrimmage with Ray Burse in one goal, and Dario Sala and Josh Lambo taking turns in the other. For about 15 minutes following training, Blake Wagner and Jeff Cunningham practiced finishing crosses from Michael Dello-Russo.

Misc. Notes:

Adam Hinshelwood, a 25-year-old English trialist, has joined the team for training and will be in for the remainder of the week. He has been with Brighton (England's League One) since 2000 and can play center back and right back.
Alvaro "Tom" Sanchez jogged outside for the first time since suffering a right ankle injury against San Jose on June 7.
Daniel Torres, Steve Purdy, and Marcelo Saragosa worked on running, volleying, and doing agility drills to recover from injuries suffered. The team will meet again on the practice field Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

Vote for Ferreira and Burse

2009-06-30T10:11:00.011-05:00

David Ferreira's clever lob over Colorado keeper Matt Pickens last Wednesday has earned an MLS Goal of the Week nomination. Visit here to see a replay of the goal and vote for David! The voting closes on Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT -- let's make sure the award goes to an FCD player for the second straight week!

On the opposite end of the field, goalkeeper Ray Burse has been nominated for Save of the Week after diving to his left to stop a driven shot from Colorado's Nick LaBrocca in the same game. It's the second week in a row that Burse has been nominated for the award. You can check out a replay of the save and vote for Ray here. Voting for Save of the Week closes at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday.

Photos: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

FCD Juniors U-16 Headed to Finals Week

2009-06-29T21:22:00.004-05:00

From June 26-29, 64 teams (32 U-16 / 32 U-18) battled it out in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs with a trip to the national finals at stake. After posting a perfect 3-0 record in the playoffs, the FC Dallas Juniors U-16 squad will be one of only 16 teams (8 in each age group) to head to Carson, CA for Finals Week from July 10-17.

The U-16s today defeated South Charlotte 4-1 with scoring from Ruben Luna (2), Bryan Leyva and Daniel Garcia, to punch their ticket to California. In the finals, each age group will be split into two brackets of four, with the winners of each bracket facing off in the championship game. Read more about Finals Week here.

The U-18s closed out their playoff run this morning with a 2-2 draw with Derby County Wolves. Dallas goals were scored by Bradlee Baladez and Jose Perez. While the U-18s did not make the finals, we'd like to congratulate the boys on a great first season in the national academy league!

Quick Practice

2009-06-29T11:16:00.004-05:00

After the weekend off, the guys returned to practice this morning but during warm ups the skies opened up and it started pouring. Due to lightning, the team went inside to continue their individual workouts in the gym. The team will be back at practice tomorrow at 9:30 a.m on the adidas field. The rest of the week's schedule is posted on the right.

Juniors Playoff Update

2009-06-27T21:08:00.003-05:00

On day two of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs, the FCD Juniors U-16s picked up their second win, defeating Andromeda 2-0, with scoring from Jacob Gerondale and Jonathan Top. The team will have Sunday off before playing their final game on Monday against South Charlotte, where a win would assure the team of advancing to the finals.

Unfortunately, the U-18s fell to the Santa Cruz County Breakers 5-2. Dallas goals came from Bradlee Baladez and London Woodberry. At 0-1-1 in the tournament, the U-18 team cannot advance, even with a win in their final game. Like the U-16s, they'll have Sunday off and will then face the Derby County Wolves Monday morning.

With a day off on Sunday, you can bet the Juniors teams will be watching the U.S. vs. Brazil Confederations Cup Final (1 p.m. CT live on ESPN and Univision) somewhere in Greensboro, NC. Here in Dallas, we've heard that many FCD fans will be heading to Trinity Hall to catch the big game. The Irish pub is not only a great place catch FC Dallas in action when the team is on the road, but it's also the place in town to watch the USMNT. Where will you be watching?

Juniors Start Playoffs With Good Results

2009-06-26T16:48:00.003-05:00

The FCD Juniors teams kicked off day one of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs with positive results earlier today. The U-16s defeated Birmingham United 3-1 behind goals from Bryan Leyva, Ruben Luna and an own goal from their opponent. The U-18s and the Dallas Texans played to a scoreless draw.

On Saturday afternoon, the U-16s will square off against Andromeda, who fell today to South Charlotte by the score of 4-1. The U-18s will also be in action on Saturday, facing the Santa Cruz County Breakers in the morning. Santa Cruz lost to Derby County Wolves today, also by the score of 4-1. Track the U-16s results here, and follow the U-18s here.

Feeling the Heat

2009-06-26T11:18:00.007-05:00

The team’s first practice since their 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids was a brief one thanks to temperatures that were pushing 100 degrees.

After warming up, the official portion of practice consisted of about 45 minutes worth of conditioning including a closing 20 minute jog around the complex. Following the jog, several players stuck around to play a mini-scrimmage which saw the team of Andre Rocha, Anthony Wallace, Jeff Cunningham, Bruno Guarda, and assistant coach Marco Ferruzzi come out victorious.

For the first time in what seems like forever, the team was nearly at full-strength with almost everyone participating in at least a portion of the practice. The lone exceptions were Alvaro Sanchez (ankle) and Peri Marosevic who is still with the U.S. U-20 national team.

Vote Kenny for an ESPY

2009-06-25T15:09:00.008-05:00

The 2009 ESPY nominations are out today and included on the list for Best MLS Player is FC Dallas' own Kenny Coooper. The category includes past winner Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Juan Pablo Angel (NY Red Bulls), Jon Busch (Chicago Fire) and Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew). The winner will be determined by fan votes online at ESPYS.tv through July 11. Make sure to vote for Kenny!

Juniors Head to NC for Playoffs

2009-06-25T14:45:00.001-05:00

While the first team returned to the Metroplex this afternoon following last night’s 1-1 draw with the Rapids in Colorado, the FCD Juniors are heading east for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs in Greensboro, NC from June 26-29. It’s a group play format, with each age group divided into eight groups of four. The top team from each group will advance to the finals to be held in Carson, CA from July 10-17. Both the U-16 and U-18 teams’ schedules are outlined below (all times central). All games are played at the Bryan Park Soccer Complex in Greensboro.

FCD U-16 Schedule:
Fri. June 26 – Birmingham United (11 a.m.)
Sat. June 27 – Andromeda (5 p.m.)
Mon. June 29 – South Charlotte SA (9 a.m.)
Full U-16 schedule / results

FCD U-18 Schedule:
Fri. June 26 – Dallas Texans (9 a.m.)
Sat. June 27 – Santa Cruz County Breakers (9 a.m.)
Mon. June 29 – Derby County Wolves (7 a.m.)
Full U-18 schedule / results

Eric Avila Wins Goal of the Week

2009-06-25T14:41:00.012-05:00

Photo Credit: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

Eric Avila's bending right-footed shot from 25 yards out in last Saturday's 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew was voted MLS Goal of the Week through online voting. Thanks to all the fans who voted for Eric's first career MLS goal, we are sure it will be a memorable one for him.

Cooper Named to Gold Cup Roster

2009-06-25T09:21:00.004-05:00

Kenny Cooper has been named to the 23-man U.S. National Team roster to compete in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup from July 3-26. He'll join the team for training in Seattle on June 30 ahead of the United States' first match on July 4 vs. Grenada at Qwest Field. Cooper has two goals in four caps for the National Team, his last goal coming in the Nov. 19 win over Guatemala in World Cup Qualifying. At the halfway point of the FC Dallas season, Kenny has seven goals (tied for third) and one assist. The U.S. schedule is outlined below, with all games airing on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura. Check ussoccer.com for more info on the Gold Cup tournament and roster.

U.S. Men’s 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Schedule – Group B
July 4 vs. Grenada at 6 p.m. PT (Qwest Field; Seattle, Wash.)
July 8 vs. Honduras at 9 p.m. ET (RFK Stadium; Washington, D.C.)
July 11 vs. Haiti at 7 p.m. ET (Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass)

FCD 1, Colorado Rapids 1

2009-06-24T19:20:00.016-05:00

Dallas held a 1-0 halftime lead over the Colorado Rapids courtesy of a 37th minute goal from David Ferreira, but the Rapids were persistent in their attack and finally pulled level in the 83rd minute. It was Omar Cummings who salvaged the point for the Rapids, turning on Anthony Wallace at the top of the box and slotting a shot one past Ray Burse. A full recap of the game is available at FCDallas.com.

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman on the game: “I thought we scored a good goal in the first half and we were able to hold on for quite a while. Obviously, Colorado is a very quick team. They’re very technical, they work awfully hard and they put us under a tremendous amount of pressure. Give Colorado a lot of credit for fighting all the way down to the end.”

Game Notes:
• FC Dallas (3-7-5, 14 pts.) and the Colorado Rapids (5-2-6, 21 pts.) played to a 1-1 draw tonight at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Dallas is now 1-4-2 on the road this season.
• It was the second game in five days for FCD after defeating the Columbus Crew at home on Saturday, June 20.
• FCD is now unbeaten in six out of the last seven games.
• Dallas is 23-16-8 all-time versus the Rapids and 7-11-5 in Colorado. Additionally, the team is 1-1-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids home since 2007.
• Midfielder David Ferreira gave FCD a halftime lead after scoring in the 37th minute, his second goal of the season.
• Kenny Cooper assisted on the play. It was his first of the year to go with his team-leading seven goals. Cooper has now recorded either a goal or an assist in four of the last five matches.
• Jeff Cunningham was credited with a secondary assist after starting the scoring play with his pass to Cooper. It was Cunningham’s second assist of the season.
• For the third straight game second-year forward/midfielder Brek Shea entered the match at halftime, tonight replacing Cunningham.
• Eric Avila was the only other substitute used tonight, entering the match in the 71st minute for Andre Rocha.
• This was the first of three matches against Colorado this season. FCD returns to DSG Park on July 11 and will close out the series at Pizza Hut Park on October 17.
• Dallas has now scored 79 goals against the Rapids in 47 regular season meetings. This is the most the team has scored against a single opponent in its 14-year history.
• Cooper tonight extended his league record of consecutive starts by a forward to 47, dating back to the 2007 season.
• Jeff Cunningham started tonight's match on the right side of midfield. It was his 302nd career regular season appearance, surpassing New England’s Jay Heaps for sole possession of ninth on the all-time MLS list. It was also Cunningham’s 201st career start.
• Four FCD players have now started all 15 regular season games: Cooper, Ferreira, Dave van den Bergh and Drew Moor. Ferreira and Moor have played every minute of the season so far.
• Rookie forward Peri Marosevic missed tonight’s game while with the U.S. Under-20 National Team for a camp in Cairo, where the team will play two friendlies against Egypt on June 27 and 29. Marosevic is expected to return to Dallas on June 30.
• Five Dallas players sat out the game with injuries: goalkeeper Dario Sala (left knee), midfielder Alvaro Sanchez (right ankle), and defenders Steve Purdy (right knee), Daniel Torres (right hamstring) and midfielder Marcelo Saragosa (right hip).
• Dallas will have 10 days to prepare for its next match, a Fourth of July contest against the New York Red Bulls at Pizza Hut Park (8 p.m. CT live on KFWD-52). The largest fireworks show in the Metroplex will take place immediately after the game, followed by a live performance from local band Lone Star Attitude.

Preview: FCD at Colorado Rapids

2009-06-24T09:43:00.003-05:00

FC Dallas (3-7-4, 13 pts) is in Denver for tonight's game against Western Conference rival, the Colorado Rapids (5-2-5, 20 pts). The game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. CT and remember, this one will only be televised on the MLS Direct Kick package for those of you back home in Dallas. If you don't have that package, consider heading down to Trinity Hall Irish Pub and Restaurant for tonight's away game watching party, where you can cheer on the team with fellow FCD fans.

Dallas is coming off a big come-from-behind victory over the Columbus Crew Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park and are unbeaten in five out of the last six matches. The Rapids also played on Saturday, dismantling visiting DC United 3-0 to extend their unbeaten run to seven straight games. FCD will be without Marcelo Saragosa after suffering a right hip injury in practice this week. Colorado will be missing the league's second-leading scorer Conor Casey (U.S. - Confederations Cup), who has eight goals this year, one more than Kenny Cooper. Check out comments from Schellas Hyndman and Eric Avila on tonight's game below. Then, click here to read the online preview and download the full game notes package.

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Vote Burse for Save of the Week

2009-06-23T22:44:00.003-05:00

Ray Burse's reflex save to stop a Chad Marshall volley from point-blank range Saturday night has earned the fourth-year 'keeper an MLS Save of the Week nomination! Click here to watch the save again and vote for Ray before the poll closes at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday.

After voting for Ray, make sure to vote Eric Avila for MLS Goal of the week. Avila is currently is the leading vote-getter, but let's give it an extra push to make sure he wins this thing. Goal of the week voting closes Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT.

Off to Denver

2009-06-23T11:40:00.004-05:00

FC Dallas this morning held their last practice at Pizza Hut Park before jetting off to Denver for tomorrow night's game against the Colorado Rapids. After warming up, the team went through a possession drill before going through their usual light pre-game scrimmage for about 30 minutes. In all, today's practice lasted about an hour total. The team will board a bus for the airport at noon to catch the flight to Denver this afternoon.

Int'l Friendly: FCD vs. CSD Comunicaciones

2009-06-22T13:00:00.004-05:00

FC Dallas is set to host CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala) in an international friendly at Pizza Hut Park on Wednesday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. Comunicaciones is one of the most successful clubs in Guatemala, winning 22 league titles throughout its history with the most recent coming in the 2008 Apertura season. For FCD full season plan holders, the game is included as Bonus Game B. Tickets for the general public will be available at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23 (tomorrow) at FCDallas.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com. The game will be available via free live webstream on FCDallas.com. An official press release will be distributed this afternoon.

Watching Party Wednesday Night

2009-06-22T12:19:00.002-05:00

It's a quick turnaround for FC Dallas this week, traveling to Colorado to face the Rapids in a mid-week meeting only five days after defeating the Columbus Crew at home. Unfortunately, Wednesday night's game in Colorado (8:30 p.m. CT) will only be televised locally on the MLS Direct Kick satellite / cable package, but FCD fans can get together to cheer on the team at Trinity Hall Irish Pub and Restaurant (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane in Dallas), which has held FCD away game watching parties all season long. While there, fans can also participate in raffles and enter for a chance to win a trip for two to Seattle when FCD faces the Sounders FC in the regular season finale on October 24!

Vote for Eric Avila! / Today's Notes

2009-06-22T11:40:00.005-05:00

Photo: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

Imagine the feeling a player might get after scoring his first-ever professional goal. Add in the fact that the bending right-footed blast from outside the box tied the game up against the Columbus Crew, paving the way for an FC Dallas come-from-behind victory Saturday night. Then, add in the fact that the impressive strike has been nominated for MLS Goal of the Week. That should give you an idea of what second-year midfielder Eric Avila must be feeling right about now. Click here to watch the goal again and vote for Avila! Continue reading for a recap of Monday's practice session....

Those that played the majority of Saturday night's game participated in a recovery session this morning before wrapping up with a friendly game of soccer tennis. On the other hand, the rest of the team went through a full 90-minute practice, which included lots of quick passing, control, and finishing exercises, ending right at 11 a.m. One player missing from this morning's session was rookie Peri Marosevic. Peri has joined the U.S. U-20 team in Cairo, Egypt as the Americans continue to prep for September's FIFA U-20 World Cup, also in Egypt. The young forward will return to Dallas on June 30.

FCD 2, Columbus Crew 1

2009-06-20T18:45:00.009-05:00

UPDATE (Post-game): After being pushed up against the wall by the defending MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew at Pizza Hut Park, FC Dallas bounced back to pick up a come-from-behind 2-1 victory. The team found themselves trailing 1-0 at the half after a Pablo Ricchetti own goal in the 17th minute. The ball came off his chest and into the goal after a corner from Guillermo Barros Schelotto that Crew defender Eric Brunner had put a head to. Dallas missed out on several chances of its own, but second-half substitute Eric Avila finally grabbed the equalizer in the 80th minute when he took a pass from David Ferreira and curled in a right-footed shot from about 25 yards. Seven minutes later, Ferreira was taken down inside the box by Crew defender Chad Marshall and Kenny Cooper stepped up and calmly converted the PK to give FCD the win.

Game notes:
• FC Dallas improves to 3-7-4 (13 pts.) with a come-from-behind win over the visiting Columbus Crew (4-3-7, 19 pts.). Dallas is now 2-3-3 at Pizza Hut Park this season.
• The win snaps a two-game losing streak against Columbus. The team now has an 11-5-1 all-time record against the Crew at home, and a 15-14-6 record overall.
• It was the first victory for Dallas this season when conceding the first goal of the game. FCD is now 1-4-3 when its opponent scores first.
• In defeating Columbus, FC Dallas puts an end to the Crew’s nine-game unbeaten streak.
• Eric Avila, who entered the game in the 76th minute, notched the game-tying goal four minutes later with a bending right-footed shot from 25 yards. It was his first career MLS goal.
• David Ferreira provided the assist on Avila’s goal, his second of the year.
• Kenny Cooper notched the game-winner, a penalty kick in the 87th minute. Cooper now has seven PK’s in his career, tying him with Jorge “Zarco” Rodriguez for most in club history.
• It was Ferreira who set up the spot kick, drawing a foul from Crew defender Chad Marshall.
• Cooper tonight extended his league record of consecutive starts by a forward to 46, dating back to the 2007 season.
• Jeff Cunningham entered the match as a second-half substitute. It was his 301st career regular season appearance, tying New England’s Jay Heaps for ninth on the all-time MLS list.
• Four Dallas players have now started all 14 regular season games: Kenny Cooper, Dave van den Bergh, David Ferreira and Drew Moor. Moor and Ferreira have played every minute this year.
• Five FCD players missed tonight’s game with injuries: goalkeeper Dario Sala (left knee), midfielder Alvaro Sanchez (right ankle), and defenders Steve Purdy (right knee), Daniel Torres (right hamstring), and George John (right hamstring).
• Tonight’s match concluded a three-game home stand for FCD. The team will next visit the Colorado Rapids for a mid-week game on Wednesday, June 24 (8:30 p.m. CT on MLS Direct Kick).