FC Dallas return to Pizza Hut Park coming off a Pacific Northwest road swing, to take on Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy on Sunday evening. FC Dallas split their two games in Cascadia, coming back for a 2-1 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC last weekend. The Galaxy returned home following a three-game Eastern swing and rolled to a 3-0 victory against the Portland Timbers.
BROADCAST INFO
TV: FOX Sports West, Galavision (Spanish)
RADIO: AM 1150, 1330 AM (Spanish)
AUDIO & WEBCHAT: www.lagalaxy.com/gamedaylive
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (52 meetings): FC Dallas 18 wins (1 shootout), 72 goals … Galaxy 25 wins (1 shootout), 94 goals … Ties 9
AT DALLAS (26 meetings): FC Dallas 13 wins (0 shootout), 45 goals … Galaxy 7 wins (0 shootout), 40 goals … Ties 6
RETURN MATCH: 8/6: LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m. PT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/20: DAL 0, LA 1 (Magee 17) [Recap | Highlights]
10/24: LA 2, DAL 1 (Beckham 33; Juninho 46 – Harris 22) [Recap | Highlights | Photos]
11/14 (Western Conference Championship): LA 0, DAL 3 (Ferreira 26; John 54; Chavez 73) [Recap | Highlights | Photos]
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The Galaxy won both league meetings between the clubs last year, winning 1-0 in Frisco and 2-1 in Carson,
but FC Dallas defeated the Galaxy 3-0 in the Western Conference Championship at The Home Depot Center. - The Galaxy’s win at The Home Depot Center in the regular season finale was their first home win against FC Dallas since 2007.
- The two teams exploded for goals at the home of the other in consecutive seasons. In 2009, FC Dallas won 6-3 at The Home Depot Center – the most goals allowed in a single game in Galaxy history. But in 2008, the Galaxy won 5-1 at Pizza Hut Park (and that followed a 6-3 Galaxy win in SuperLiga in 2007).
- Coaches record: Schellas Hyndman vs. LA: P6 W2 L2 D2 … Bruce Arena v DAL: P16 W8 L6 D2
LA GALAXY
The LA Galaxy won for a second consecutive match, getting off to a quick start for a 3-0 win against the Portland Timbers on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy have 15 points from 8 games on the season, now leading the Western Conference.
LA GALAXY - LAST MATCH
- Just four minutes into the match vs. Portland, Chad Barrett had put the Galaxy ahead. Landon Donovan found Barrett near the top of the penalty area, and he controlled the ball with his shoulder, knocked it down in front of him and ripped a shot from just outside the area past Timbers GK Troy Perkins. WATCH
- Four minutes later, LA doubled their lead. Portland’s Rodney Wallace grabbed Donovan inside the area and the Galaxy were awarded a penalty kick. Donovan easily converted, notching his first goal of the season.WATCH
- The Galaxy finished off the match in the 67th minute. Juan Pablo Ángel skirted past a Timbers defender, raced towards the end line and pulled back a ball to the center of the box where Donovan hammered a header into the back of the net for his second on the night. WATCH
- Galaxy manager Bruce Arena made five changes to the team that claimed a 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. A.J. DeLaGarza, Sean Franklin, Landon Donovan and the suspended Juninho and David Beckham all returned to the team, for Frankie Hejduk, Leonardo, Michael Stephens, Chris Birchall and Paolo Cardozo.
- LA GALAXY (4-3-2-1): Donovan Ricketts - Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant - Mike Magee, Juninho (Michael Stephens 78), David Beckham - Miguel Lopez (Juan Pablo Angel 46), Landon Donovan (Paolo Cardozo 74) - Chad Barrett.
LA GALAXY - TEAM NEWS
- After scoring five goals in their opening five games of the season, the Galaxy have scored five in their last two. Landon Donovan and Chad Barrett each have two goals and one assist in that stretch.
- READ:Barrett, López combo coming together fast for LA
- "We have a lot of new players in the attack … so it takes a little bit of time," Arena said. "The lack of playing time they've had together doesn't make them yet a cohesive group on the field."
- For Donovan, it was his first goal with the Galaxy since last Sept. 18, or 12 full matches. "I think Landon should be scoring goals,” Arena said. “It’s good to get him on the board here, and hopefully there are more to come.”
- Donovan was also returning to the Galaxy lineup after missing all three games of an Eastern road trip with knee inflammation.
- “I could care less about scoring,” Donovan said. “I want to win. I'm not as much of a scorer anymore. I think you guys have seen both with the U.S. team and this year, that part of my game has not been the same as it was when I was younger. But I want to win, and it feels good to win.”
- READ:Donovan finally scores, but stresses shift in focus
- After missing a match through suspension, David Beckham also returned to the Galaxy lineup and contributed his fourth assist of the season, one behind Vancouver’s Davide Chiumiento for the league lead.
- “Chad [Barrett] scored a great goal to start and it obviously sets it up well tonight and we’ve not had that in the last few games,” Beckham said. “We’ve had disappointing starts early on in the season, so it’s good to get off to a good start, good to get off the way we did.”
- READ:Beckham: I'll be in Dallas after Royal Wedding
- The Galaxy will be the first team to face FC Dallas after 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira went down with a fractured ankle.
- READ:FC Dallas’ David Ferreira to miss Sunday’s game against LA Galaxy
- “Last year, we might have put a little bit of emphasis on him alone,” A.J. DeLaGarza said, who has taken over the first-choice central defense role with the season-ending injury to Leonardo. “We know he’s a different player. Now, we can just do what we have to do and not have to worry about him. Obviously, I’d much rather play against him than have him out. It’s just unfortunate. He was MVP for a reason.”
- READ:Galaxy's DeLaGarza taking over center back role
INJURY REPORT: OUT: DF Gregg Berhalter (L knee MCL sprain); FW Adam Cristman (L knee surgery); DF Leonardo (R knee ACL/LCL tear); QUESTIONABLE: MF Miguel Lopez (L knee contusion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WATCH:
Omar Gonzalez, Donovan Ricketts, Sean Franklin preview the match
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas concluded their two-game Pacific Northwest tour with a victory, this time coming back for a 2-1 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC last Saturday afternoon at Empire Field. FCD has 7 points from 6 games on the season, sitting in a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference.
FC DALLAS - LAST MATCH
- Whitecaps FC took the lead in the 25th minute. From a cleared free kick, Davide Chiumiento curled a cross back toward the far post, where Alain Rochat placed his header beyond Dallas 'keeper Kevin Hartman's reach. WATCH
- The visitors had a glorious opportunity to level terms two minutes later. FCD's Andrew Jacobson fired a shot that hit Rochat in the arm, and referee Juan Guzman awarded a penalty kick. David Ferreira stepped up to the spot kick, but shanked it wide left. WATCH
- FC Dallas were dealt a blow five minutes into the second half when Ferreira went down injured with what was later described as a broken ankle and had to be removed. But the visitors equalized moments after their star went down. Marvin Chavez whipped in a corner that Jackson Goncalves flicked to the back post, where George John was waiting to nod home past Vancouver 'keeper Jay Nolly. WATCH
- FC Dallas found a late winner in the 83rd minute. Left back Jair Benitez whipped in a cross to forward Milton Rodriguez, who failed to control the pass. The ball then dribbled to Avila, who drilled a low shot from just outside the area. WATCH
- FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made two changes to the team that lost 3-2 to the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field. Jackson Goncalves returned to right back for Zach Loyd, and Jair Benitez came in with Milton Rodriguez going to the substitutes’ bench.
- FC DALLAS (4-1-3-1-1): Kevin Hartman - Jackson Goncalves, George John, Ugo Ihemelu, Jair Benitez - Daniel Hernandez - Marvin Chavez (Eric Alexander 72), Andrew Jacobson, Brek Shea - David Ferreira (Eric Avila 55) - Fabian Castillo (Milton Rodriguez 46)
FC DALLAS - TEAM NEWS
- Just moments before George John scored the equalizer leading to the FC Dallas win, reigning MLS MVP David Ferreira suffered a double fracture to his ankle in a challenge that will put him out for several months.
- “How do the players respond once this all kind of hits them — that David is not going to be a part of this team for a minimum of three months? It’s going to take a lot of work on the coaches’ part and the players’ part to overcome that,” manager Schellas Hyndman said.
- Eric Avila, Ferreira’s replacement, scored the game-winner in the 83rd minute. All four of his goals for FC Dallas have come after the 80th minute, and three of the four have been game-tying or game-winning goals.
- “It’s bad for the team when a good player goes down. Coming in, I had a responsibility to keep the game going. I just tried to do as much as possible,” Avila said.
- Avila’s last goal for the club came in the first leg of last year’s Western Conference semifinals against Real Salt Lake, a series FCD eventually won.
- “I think it’s a step forward,” Avila said. “We’re fighting and fighting until the end and we’re not giving up, which shows a lot of character with this team.”
- With the reigning MLS MVP lost to a long-term injury, the work now starts to readjust tactically. Ferreira filled an underneath role behind a lone striker – Hyndman indicated there could be a shift to a two-striker setup, coming from a group including Milton Rodriguez, Ruben Luna, Fabian Castillo and Maykel Galindo.
- “That’s going to be a big part of our discussion,” Hyndman said. “It could be numerous things.”
- FC Dallas finished their two-game Pacific Northwest trip with a win and a loss, and have now bounced back from back-to-back losses with six points from the last three games.
- “I don’t think our previous games have really gone our way. Today was kind of a breakout game for us because it went our way,” Hyndman said. “We would have been satisfied coming out of (Vancouver) with a 1-1 game, being down a goal and being on the road. The coaching staff couldn’t be more proud of them to come out with a victory.”
INJURY REPORT: OUT: DF Kyle Davies (L ankle surgery recovery); DF Edson Edward (R knee ACL tear); MF David Ferreira (R ankle)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
REFEREE: Alex Prus. SAR (bench): Rob Fereday; JAR (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Allen Chapman
Alex Prus MLS Career: 180 games; FC/gm: 27.6; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 42; pens: 49
