Sounders Saturday: Dallas comes to Qwest as hottest MLS club, needing a win

October 23, 9:11 AMSeattle Soccer ExaminerDavid Falk

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FC Dallas' Jeff Cunningham (9) celebrates his second-half goal with staff in the second half of an MLS soccer match against the New England Revolution, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, in Dallas. FC Dallas won 1-0. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
 

Saturday night's regular season home finale at Qwest Field is set to be memorable on and off the pitch. It's Fan Appreciation Night, and the Sounders will not only be establishing an MLS attendance record, but they will also be unveiling a tribute to the inaugural season ticket members on an outside facade at the north end of the stadium.

When the match kicks off we should see some inspired play by both sides. It is a must-win for FC Dallas' playoff hopes. Meanwhile Sounders FC are hopeful of finishing better than 4th in the Western Conference. A win guarantees no less than a third-place spot, and could mean first or second. Add to that the fact the Sounders have not scored a goal at Qwest Field since July 11th, and you have a recipe for fireworks.

Goal.com: Extra coverage as they name Seattle-Dallas their game of the week

This is a great chance for Seattle to snap their goalless streak. FC Dallas can not afford to sit back for the draw. They likely won't come into Qwest with the same troublesome 'bunker ball' defensive play previous opponents have. FCD might revert to such a stance if they score the first goal, but otherwise the match should be wide-open and provide chances on both sides. The Sounders are 4-1-1 in their last six away matches, a great run of form that has seen them qualify for the post-season. Now it is time to re-establish Qwest Field as a place they can also get wins, and goals.

Don't Miss: Freddie Ljungberg writes about Seattle for ESPN SoccerNet.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC vs FC DALLAS
QWEST FIELD, Seattle, Wash.
Oct. 24, 2009 (WEEK 32) / MLS Game #223
7:30 p.m. PT (KONG TV)

Press release from MLSnet.com: Having become the first expansion team in more than a decade to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs, Seattle Sounders FC can now aim for home-field advantage - or even the top spot in the Western Conference - when they take on FC Dallas on Saturday night. For the visitors, it's even more of a must-win situation - they almost certainly will need a victory to keep alive their dramatic late-season charge toward a playoff spot, depending on the results of the other teams tied on 39 points entering the final weekend.

REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. SAR (bench): Corey Rockwell; JAR (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Landis Wiley MLS Career: 87 games; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 37; pens: 35

INJURY REPORT: SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC - OUT: GK Chris Eylander (L medial knee bone bruise); MF Michael Fucito (R foot sesamoiditis); DF Taylor Graham (R foot pain) ... FC DALLAS - OUT: DF Anthony Wallace (L knee)

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SEA: Tyrone Marshall, James Riley, Peter Vagenas ... DAL: Ugo Ihemelu, Pablo Ricchetti, Andre Rocha

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME (1 meeting):

Sounders FC 0 wins, 1 goal ... FC Dallas 0 wins, 1 goal ... Ties 1

• Coaches record: Sigi Schmid vs. DAL: P25 W11 L7 D7 ... Schellas Hyndman v SEA: P1 W0 L0 T1

LAST MEETING (MLS)
5/16: DAL 1, SEA 1 (Andre Rocha 48+ - Hurtado 18)
• FC Dallas came back for a 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC on May 16 at Pizza Hut Park in the first ever meeting between the clubs.

• The expansion side took the lead after 18 minutes. Steve Zakuani chipped the ball from the right touchline, Nate Jaqua flicked it on into the area, and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado - still forward from a corner kick - was able to hook his leg around a defender and pop the ball into the goal for his first in MLS.

• But FCD pulled even in first-half stoppage time. A clearance went to Marcelo Saragosa outside the area and he launched a diagonal ball to the right side of the box where Andre Rocha flew in to hammer a volley past Kasey Keller and inside the far post for the tying goal.

• Here's Hyndman's team (4-3-1-2): Ray Burse - Marcelo Saragosa, George John (Daniel Torres 28), Steve Purdy (Bruno Guarda 46), Drew Moor - Pablo Ricchetti - Andre Rocha, David Ferreira, Dave van den Bergh -Kenny Cooper, Jeff Cunningham (Brek Shea 24). Substitutes Not Used: Josh Lambo, Dax McCarty, Alvaro Sanchez, Anthony Wallace

• Here's Schmid's team (4-1-3-2): Kasey Keller - Patrick Ianni, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyrone Marshall, Zach Scott (Tyson Wahl 18) - Osvaldo Alonso - Steve Zakuani, Brad Evans (Sanna Nyassi 79), Sebastien Le Toux - Nate Jaqua (Stephen King 74), Fredy Montero. Substitutes Not Used: Ben Dragavon, Taylor Graham, Roger Levesque, Peter Vagenas

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Seattle Sounders FC became the fifth team to clinch a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs and the first expansion team to do so in more than a decade, coming back for a dramatic 3-2 win against the Kansas City Wizards at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday evening. Sounders FC have 44 points from 29 matches, still in fourth place in the Western Conference, but now just one point behind the division-leading Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy and Chivas USA.

LAST MATCH
• By the time the match had kicked off, the Wizards had been eliminated from playoff contention, coming in off a three-game winless streak. Sounders FC were coming off a 1-0 win at Columbus that moved them to the verge of playoff qualification.

• The visitors took the lead after 27 minutes. Freddie Ljungberg nearly hooked in a goal straight from a corner kick, but Kevin Hartman was able to push it out at the near post. But Tyrone Marshall was there to slam the rebound back home, his second goal on the year.

• But shortly after the break, the Wizards moved ahead. In the 51st minute, Zoltan slid in at the back post to turn home a Michael Harrington shot-cum-cross from long distance, his second goal in as many games. Then three minutes later, Josh Wolff snuck in to turn home a Davy Arnaud cross from close range, his single-season career-high 11th goal.

• Yet Sounders FC came storming back. In the 69th minute, another Ljungberg corner was flicked on by Marshall, and Roger Levesque was completely unmarked at the back post to nod home his second goal in two games.

• Then seven minutes later, Ljungberg stripped a K.C. defender of the ball on the right touchline, rounded the corner and danced along the endline before sliding the ball to Nate Jaqua in the heart of the six, and he tapped into an empty net for his eighth goal on the year and the playoff-clincher.

• Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made two changes to the team that defeated the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Oct. 3 at Crew Stadium. James Riley was injured and Roger Levesque went to the substitutes' bench, with Peter Vagenas and Nate Jaqua coming into the team in their places.

• Here's Schmid's team (4-1-3-2): Kasey Keller - Brad Evans, Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez - Osvaldo Alonso - Nate Jaqua, Peter Vagenas (James Riley 77), Steve Zakuani (Sebastien Le Toux 82) - Freddie Ljungberg, Fredy Montero (Roger Levesque 63). Substitutes Not Used: Terry Boss, Patrick Ianni, Stephen King, Tyson Wahl

• "Every game is important right now, and this game was important in that playoff mentality, as was the game in Columbus," said Schmid. "Being able to go and play in difficult places dealing with difficult situations whether it's field size or quality of opponent or whatever and still having to find a way to win [is big]."

TEAM NEWS
• Sounders FC became the first expansion team since the 1998 Chicago Fire to reach the postseason. That year the Fire went all the way to the MLS Cup Final, capturing the domestic double with a 2-0 win against D.C. United. Sounders FC have already achieved the first half of the double this year, with a victory -- against D.C. United - in the Open Cup final.

• "The scenario was different when Chicago did it because the league was a lot younger. I'm proud of our team, and I'm proud of what we've accomplished," Schmid said. "I still think we can play better soccer, but that's just me. I always think we can play better soccer. We showed a lot of desire, a lot of will power, a lot of attitude at times on the field, and that's important to win games."

• A win against FC Dallas would give Sigi Schmid the 125th of his MLS career, passing current U.S. national team manager Bob Bradley for most wins by a head coach in league history.

• "I haven't really thought about [the record]," Schmid told The Seattle Times. "You just go from game to game to game. When I was in Columbus and got my hundredth win, I didn't even know it was my hundredth win until they told me before the game. All I want to do is continue to do well game after game. If you do well enough, then things might just happen."

• Freddie Ljungberg was named MLS Player of the Week for his performance, credited with two assists and creator of the third goal, when his near "gol olimpico" was parried by Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

• "It's like I have said all season, the more and more you play together and the more and more you play games as a unit with guys in certain positions it becomes better and better," Schmid said. "It becomes more understandable for the guys to know where guys are going to show up and on what parts of the field. I think the guys have a better feeling of where Freddie [Ljungberg] is going to show up. Freddie has a better feel of when he is going to get the ball and when he should appear at certain spots on the field. That's just something that comes with time."

• After opening the season with three wins on the trot, Sounders FC never really fell out of a playoff place over the course of the campaign.

• "That was the goal for the entire year. Now that we've done that, the sky's the limit with this team," said Jaqua. "We're starting to get to know each other a little bit better and play together as a team. You know we're going to go in there and fight every time we play."

FC DALLAS

FC Dallas continued their remarkable late season charge, winning for fifth time in six games in a 2-1 win against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at Pizza Hut Park. FCD has 39 points from 29 matches, entering the final week in a four-way tie for eighth place overall and the final playoff spot.

LAST MATCH
• FC Dallas had kept their remarkable postseason charge alive with a third consecutive win the weekend before at San Jose, while the Rapids kicked off the game knowing a victory would secure their place in the top eight overall despite having played to four consecutive draws.

• But the home side went ahead just four minutes into the game. Dave van den Bergh swung in a free kick from the right side and it found George John in a scrum at the back post, the rookie heading home his first professional goal.

• Another set piece led to FCD's second in the 66th minute, and again it came from a central defender. This time Dax McCarty played in a free kick, where Atiba Harris headed it back across goal. Ugo Ihemelu was all alone to side-foot the ball off the 'keeper and in, the goal coming against his former club who dealt him Aug. 31.

• Five minutes, though, Colorado pulled a goal back. Nick LaBrocca had the ball tackled away in the left side of the area but Pat Noonan was able to get to it and skip through a couple of tackles before poking home his second Rapids goal, but it wasn't enough.

• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made one change to the team that defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on the road on Oct. 7. Atiba Harris returned to the team in place of Marvin Chavez.

• Here's Hyndman's team (4-2-3-1): Dario Sala - Heath Pearce, Ugo Ihemelu, George John, Jair Benitez - , Daniel Hernandez, Dax McCarty - Atiba Harris, David Ferreira, Dave van den Bergh (Marvin Chavez 87) - Jeff Cunningham (Brek Shea 90). Substitutes Not Used: Eric Avila, Ray Burse, Kyle Davies, Andre Rocha, Blake Wagner

TEAM NEWS
• FC Dallas has now, thanks to a four-game winning streak and wins in five of their last six games, ensured their season will come down to the final week. They almost certainly must win against Seattle to stay alive - then hope the right combination of other results goes their way.

• "In some ways, it's been a little bit easy for me because we've dug such a hole for ourselves that we don't come out to get a point (any more)," Hyndman said. "We come out to get three points. We don't come out to hold a game and maybe let them (the opposition) make a mistake. I think where we are right now is because we're focusing so much on those three points. There is no holding back.

• The four-game winning streak has also coincided with Daniel Hernandez being inserted into the center of midfield and Heath Pearce taking over at right back. Hyndman has run out the same first XI in three of the last four games, the only change when Marvin Chavez took over for a suspended Atiba Harris vs. San Jose.

• "We've been playing pretty well the past couple of weeks, I think the attitude has changed a lot and it shows on the field. I think the chemistry on the team is there on and off the field and it all translates to the way we play," Hernandez said. "The team has always had great players it was just a matter of trying to mesh all together. We have a lot of talent on our team at every position. We've been on a great run and hopefully it's not too late.

• After getting 16 goals over a 13-game stretch from Jeff Cunningham, FC Dallas got both goals vs. Colorado from their central defenders - Ugo Ihemelu and George John, the first professional goal for the rookie. But more importantly, the back four including Pearce and Jair Benitez has allowed just two goals over the four-game winning run.

• "It definitely feels good to get my first goal, but it feels better that we're winning," John said. "We've hit this hot streak at the end of the year to give ourselves a chance to get in the playoffs. That feels a lot better, just being part of that and being part of a backline that is playing well right now."