Colin Clarke to coach MLS All-Stars at 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star game
Published on July 4, 2005 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK (Monday, July 4, 2005) - FC Dallas Head Coach Colin Clarke and his staff will lead the MLS All-Stars against English Premier League club Fulham FC at the 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on Saturday, July 30 at Columbus Crew Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET live on ABC Sports). FC Dallas secured a league-high 34 points through games played as of July 4, two more than the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution, joint leaders of the Eastern Conference. A victory on Independence Day by the New England Revolution would have given the spot to Steve Nicol and his staff but the Revolution instead came away with a 1-1 road tie against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Clarke, a former member of the Northern Ireland National Team who scored a goal in the 1986 World Cup, is a veteran of England's top flight league. He played 361 games in England (1981-1993) with six different teams, including Portsmouth, Southampton, and Queens Park Rangers. During his 12-year career, the hardnosed striker scored 146 goals. Joining Clarke at the helm of the 2005 MLS All-Star team are FC Dallas assistant coaches Steve Morrow, Brian Haynes and Marco Ferruzzi as well as Head Athletic Trainer Josh Watts, Director, Team Administrator and Player Personnel Bobby Hammond, and equipment manager Marcus Owens.
"It's a great honor to coach in the All-Star Game and it means that our team has done very well thus far," Clarke said. "I'm looking forward to this game and making a statement for MLS. I'm very competitive and I hate to lose. But Fulham will also be taking it very seriously and they are a team that has done well over recent years in England. There will definitely be an edge to this game."
Following the 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on July 30, Clarke and his staff will then prepare for the first game in the history of Pizza Hut Park, the country's newest soccer-specific stadium in Frisco, Texas which is scheduled to open on Saturday, August 6 when FC Dallas hosts the MetroStars.
The 41-year-old Clarke, who was named head coach in December 2003, has led FC Dallas to the best start in club history. With a record of 10-2-4 (34 points), FC Dallas already has as many wins as it did during the entire 2004 regular season campaign (10-14-6, 36 points). Clarke, a former assistant coach with the club for three years, holds an FA coaching badge and a USSF "A" coaching license.
Major League Soccer Stories from July 4, 2005
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- Colin Clarke to coach MLS All-Stars at 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star game - MLS
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