MLS FC Dallas

FC Dallas Weekly Notes

Published on May 2, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


SALA CEMENTS HIS NAME IN HISTORY: With his nine save performance against D.C. United on Saturday, FC Dallas goalkeeper cemented his name in the team's record books by becoming the first keeper ever to open his Dallas career with a six-game unbeaten streak, going 3-0-3 over that stretch.

Sala, who was signed by Dallas late last year, appeared in one game for the Hoops in 2005, earning his first career MLS shutout in a 0-0 draw against Colorado on October 8. This season, the Argentine-born Sala has been Colin Clarke's No. 1 all season long, starting all five games and

With Saturday's draw in D.C., Sala passed Garth Lagerway for the longest unbeaten run to open a Dallas career amongst keepers. Lagerway won each of his first five starts (1997-1998) for the previous team record.

HOOPS LOOKING TO GO THE LONGEST: Off to its best ever start after five games, 3-0-2, 11 points, FC Dallas will look to continue that run this weekend in Houston. Only D.C. United and the Hoops are yet to suffer a defeat in 2006, and if United loses before Dallas does, it will mark just the second time in team history that Dallas was the league's final undefeated team.

The only other time that Dallas was the last MLS club to lose a game was in 2004 when it opened the year 2-0-2 before suffering its first loss on May 8 against the Galaxy. That season, in which the Hoops would finish with a 10-14-6 record and miss the postseason, every other MLS team had picked up at least one loss on or before May 1.

TEXAS HOME COOKING: While Saturday's match in Houston is the first inter-state battle between FCD and Dynamo, the Hoops will be looking to stretch their unbeaten streak in the Lone Star State to nine games. Colin Clarke's team is undefeated in the state in their last eight regular season home matches, going 6-0-2 over that stretch, including 3-0-0 this season, with all eight matches being played in Frisco. FC Dallas last lost in the state of Texas on September 10, 2005 when D.C. United walked away from Pizza Hut Park with a 2-1 win.

RONNIE'S ROCKET UP FOR AWARD: For the fourth consecutive week, FC Dallas sees one of its goals nominated for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award as Ronnie O'Brien's first half equalizer was selected as one of five finalists for the award. Trailing 1-0, O'Brien collected a short square pass from Mark Wilson in the center of the park. The Irishman took two dribbles and fired a low, right-footed shot that beat D.C. 'keeper Troy Perkins just inside his right post for the game-tying goal in what would prove to be a 1-1 draw.

All of the nominees for the Goal of the Week can be seen here: http://www.mlsnet.com/sierra/sierra_mist.html

HOUSTONIANS PREPARE TO HEAD HOME: For the first time ever, FC Dallas defender Chris Gbandi and midfielder Arturo Alvarez will get to play a MLS regular season game in their hometown of Houston on Saturday evening. Alvarez spent his first two years of high school at St. Thomas, leading it to the state finals as a sophomore before transferring to Mayde Creek the following year. A regular on the U.S. Under-17 National Team, Alvarez was drafted by San Jose in the second round of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft. The 20-year old returned to his native Texas last year when he was acquired by FCD in a draft day trade.

He is joined on the Hoops by fellow Houstonian Chris Gbandi who immigrated to the Houston-area from Liberia in 1989. He would go on to play at Cy-Falls High School in Houston before moving on to the University of Connecticut following his graduation.

CLEANING OUT THE TREATMENT ROOM: The FC Dallas injury list is beginning to look a bit vacant as all 28 players on the team's roster are in full health for the first time all season. Arturo Alvarez, Jeff Cassar and Richard Mulrooney all played a full 90 minutes in the team's Reserve Division game against D.C. United on Sunday, leaving all of them available for selection to Colin Clarke for this weekend's game in Houston.

Alvarez missed just one regular season game because of his ankle injury before returning to duty in the reserve game. But that game was the first appearance of the 2006 MLS season for Cassar, ending a prolonged spell on the sidelines. The veteran goalkeeper suffered a hip injury late in the team's preseason preparations, forcing him to the sidelines for much of the past two months. Prior to that injury, Cassar was forced to miss the final two months of the MLS season with a shoulder injury suffered on August 27, 2005 against Chivas USA.

The length of Cassar's layoff pales in comparison to that of Mulrooney who had last played the full 90 minutes in a competitive game nearly a year ago on May 7, 2005, just a week before tearing the ACL in his right knee. He played the second half of the Reserve Division game on April 23 against Kansas City.

FC DALLAS WEEKLY LIVE FROM DAVE AND BUSTER'S IN FRISCO: FC Dallas Weekly is back at Dave and Buster's inside the Stonebriar Mall in Frisco this Thursday night, starting at 7 p.m. Defender and Houston native Chris Gbandi will drop by to talk about his first trip home with FC Dallas as well as the team's defensive effort last weekend against United. FC Dallas Head Coach Colin Clarke will also stop by for his weekly Coach's Corner, as will Houston Dynamo Assistant Coach John Spencer and a host of other soccer insiders.

TIGRES FOCUS ON LIBERTADORES: Tigres UANL, the Mexican First Division partner club of FC Dallas, will look to put the disappointment of not qualifying for the Mexican Clausura playoffs behind it this week when it travels to Paraguay for the second leg of its Copa Libertadores Round of 16 tie against Libertad. The series is up for grabs following a 0-0 draw in Monterrey last Thursday, and a Tigres win this Thursday evening would put the team into the tournament's quarterfinals for the first time ever.

On Sunday, Tigres lost 2-0 at home to the playoff-bound Atlante, eliminating the Monterrey-based club from postseason contention. Tigres finished the Clausura with a 4-4-9 record for 21 points, leaving them just one point behind Morelia who claimed the final playoff position.

PROMOTIONS AT PIZZA HUT PARK: FC Dallas will host a pair of games at Pizza Hut Park next week, and will be giving all fans a great chance to catch the Hoops against two of the Western Conference's best teams. On May 10th the team will celebrate Fan Loyalty Night. Any FC Dallas fan that attended a home game in April can reserve their seats for the game against the Los Angeles Galaxy for just $10 each. May 10 is also the first Quick Date Night of 2006, giving fans the chances to get discounted tickets and $1 beers thanks to FC Dallas and Quick, the Dallas/Fort Worth area's free daily newspaper. Just three days later, FC Dallas takes on in-state rivals the Houston Dynamo for the first time at Pizza Hut Park. For this game fans can take advantage of a special Rivalry 4-Pack, which includes four tickets and four commemorative rivalry t-shirts, starting at just $52. In order to take advantage of any of these special offers, call 1-888-FCD-GOAL or visit www.fcdallas.net.

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 2, 2006


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