FC DALLAS vs LA GALAXY
FC DALLAS STADIUM, Frisco, Texas
July 28, 2012 (WEEK 21, MLS Game #200)
8 pm ET / 5 pm PT (NBC SN, 1150 AM, 1330 AM, LIVE CHAT)
FC Dallas will be looking to build on their biggest win of the season when they play host to the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening at FC Dallas Stadium. FCD are coming off a 5-0 victory against the Portland Timbers last weekend, their biggest victory in three years. The Galaxy have been steadily making their move up the Western Conference table in recent weeks, now unbeaten in four games after a 3-1 win against Chivas USA last weekend.
REFEREE: Hilario Grajeda. SAR (bench): Peter Manikowski; JAR (opposite): Eric Proctor; 4th: Armando Villarreal
MLS Career: 71 games; FC/gm: 24.4; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 14; pens: 11
DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE HERE (PDF)
INJURY REPORT:
- FC DALLAS – OUT: MF Bobby Warshaw (R foot fracture); DF Ugo Ihemelu (concussion symptoms); DOUBTFUL: FW Blas Perez (R foot sprain); PROBABLE: MF David Ferreira (R foot surgery)
- LA GALAXY – OUT: DF Andrew Boyens (L sports hernia surgery); FW Edson Buddle (R knee surgery); MF Dan Keat (R knee surgery); DF Leonardo (R knee inflammation); QUESTIONABLE: DF Todd Dunivant (R calf hematoma); DF Omar Gonzalez (L knee surgery); MF Mike Magee (R shin hematoma); MF Kyle Nakazawa (back spasms); FW Pat Noonan (R quad strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: LA: Landon Donovan (caution accumulation; through July 28)
WARNINGS:
- SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: David Junior Lopes
- SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DAL: Jair Benitez, Daniel Hernandez, Julian de Guzman, Zach Loyd, Andrew Jacobson … LA: David Beckham
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (55 meetings): FC Dallas 19 wins (1 shootout), 76 goals … Galaxy 26 wins (1 shootout), 99 goals … Ties 10
AT FC DALLAS (27 meetings): FC Dallas 14 wins (0 shootout), 47 goals … Galaxy 7 wins (0 shootout), 41 goals … Ties 6
FUTURE MATCH: 8/26: LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas, 4 p.m. PT (NBC SN)
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Pat Noonan hit a stoppage-time equalizer to cancel out a Brek Shea goal to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw, April 28 at The Home Depot Center.
• The teams split their two meetings last year, FC Dallas winning 2-1 at home in May, and the Galaxy winning 3-1 in Carson in August. They were the first meetings since FC Dallas’ 3-0 win against LA in the 2010 Western Conference Championship at The Home Depot Center.
• Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. DAL: P19 W9 L7 D3 ... Schellas Hyndman vs. LA: P9 W3 L3 D3
LAST MEETING (MLS):
4/28: LA 1, DAL 1 (Noonan 93 + -- Shea 60) [RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS]
• The Galaxy had a glorious opportunity to take the lead four minutes into the second half when Jair Benítez hauled Landon Donovan down from behind inside the penalty area. Robbie Keane stepped up to take the penalty kick, but the Republic of Ireland captain sent his attempt wide.
• FC Dallas then took the lead on the hour after being awarded a spot kick of their own. Goalkeeper Bill Gaudette took down Blas Pérez inside the box, and Brek Shea stepped up and buried his second penalty in as many matches as Gaudette barely moved.
• The Galaxy finally hit an equalizer in second-half stoppage time. Chad Barrett collected the ball that tackled away from an FCD defender, laid it back to Pat Noonan at the edge of the area, and Noonan placed the ball into the left corner of the goal.
• LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Bill Gaudette - Sean Franklin, David Junior Lopes (Pat Noonan 81), A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant - Landon Donovan, Juninho, David Beckham, Mike Magee (Chad Barrett 74) - Robbie Keane, Edson Buddle (Adam Cristman 74).
• FC DALLAS (4-4-2): Chris Seitz - Zach Loyd, George John, Ugo Ihemelu, Jair Benitez - Jackson, Andrew Jacobson (Matt Hedges 82), Daniel Hernandez, Brek Shea (Hernan Pertuz 76) - Blas Perez, Fabian Castillo (Scott Sealy 90).
LA GALAXY
The LA Galaxy extended their undefeated run to four games,
defeating Chivas USA in the second SuperClasico
of the season on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy are in fifth place in the Western Conference with 30 points from 22 games.
LAST MATCH
HIGHLIGHTS: LA 3, CHV 1
• The Galaxy took the lead in the 14th minute. Robbie Keane ran onto a through ball from David Beckham past the Chivas backline and slotted past goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.
• Three minutes into the second half, the Galaxy doubled their advantage. Landon Donovan took a pass from Keane, sped past the Chivas defense and fired past Kennedy from the left side of the area.
• In the 52nd minute, Paolo Cardozo punished his former team when he rifled a shot from the top of the box and past LA 'keeper Josh Saunders.
• But the Galaxy restored the final margin in the 78th minute when Donovan scored from very close range after a corner kick was headed on in the goalmouth scramble.
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that came back for a late 2-2 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. Bryan Gaul came into the back four for Todd Dunivant, and Juninho came into midfield for Michael Stephens.
• LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Josh Saunders - Sean Franklin, David Junior Lopes, A.J. DeLaGarza, Bryan Gaul - Hector Jimenez (Omar Gonzalez 68), Juninho, David Beckham, Marcelo Sarvas (Michael Stephens 81) - Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane.
TEAM NEWS
• Over the last eight games, the Galaxy have scored 22 goals, hitting for multiple goals in seven of those contests. They are 4-1-2 in that stretch, since June 20.
• “It got a little sloppy in the second half but we could have scored a number of more goals tonight, we were very good going forward, I think – obviously Donovan and Keane’s passing, Beckham’s passing,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena.
• Robbie Keane has scored five goals in the last four games, returning to the scoresheet after back-to-back two-goal games July 8 and 14. He has six goals in seven games since returning from Euro 2012 with Ireland.
• READ: Keane continues "fantastic" form as Galaxy drop Chivas
• “He’s been fantastic. He’s creating chances for himself, he’s creating chances for others, his passing is good, his movement is good and also, probably underrated, he’s been working hard defensively and helping us in that way. So when he does all that, we’re pretty hard to beat,” said Landon Donovan.
WATCH: LA preview match with FC Dallas
• David Beckham contributed a pair of assists, his fifth two-assist game since coming to MLS. He has four assists in the last three games; since June 30, he has four goals and four assists in a four-game span.
• For Donovan, it was his second two-goal game this season and the 27th multiple-goal game of his MLS career, the all-time leader in the category.
• Over the last nine games, the Galaxy’s Designated Player trio of Donovan, Beckham and Keane have combined for 17 goals and 13 assists.
• “I think the partnership with Landon helps, there’s better coordination of the players. We made a big mistake in having players loaned out right until the start of the season, and although they played together at the end of last year they still needed time together,” said Arena. “We started with a group of players that hadn’t had a preseason together, which is a major mistake. I accept the responsibility for that. Now we’re building into the second half of the season, they’re much more familiar with each other and they’re playing better.”
• Juninho made his first start in three games, and contributed his second assist in as many contests. “I think we’re starting to figure out what combinations of guys on the field play well together and work well and a lot of guys are doing a lot of dirty work to make plays so that the few of us can just focus on getting in front of the goal and scoring,” said Donovan.
• READ: Revitalized Galaxy aim to keep moving up the standings
• With regular left back Todd Dunivant sidelined with a calf injury, Bryan Gaul made his first start since May 26.
• “It has been different. I have been playing all these different positions and I am just trying to do whatever the team needs,” said Gaul. “Todd [Dunivant] got injured, he’s a good player. I just have to try to hold on until he gets back.”
• READ: Gaul shines against Chivas
• On Tuesday, the Galaxy and Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League played to a 1-1 draw at The Home Depot Center. Gareth Bale's header gave Tottenham a 17th-minute lead, and David Junior Lopes answered with the equalizer in the 28th.
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas returned home and exploded for a victory, running rampant in a 5-0 win against the Portland Timbers on Saturday evening in Frisco. FCD are in a tie for seventh place in the Western Conference with 22 points from 22 matches.
LAST MATCH
HIGHLIGHTS: DAL 5, POR 0
• The home side were in the lead in the 16th minute, when Jair Benitez sent in a low, hard cross that Portland defender Hanyer Mosquera was unlucky to deflect past goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
• FCD doubled their advantage 10 minutes later. Zach Loyd laid off a David Ferreira pass on the right side, and Andrew Jacobson ran onto the lay-off and blasted a shot past Perkins from outside the box.
• FC Dallas made it 3-0 three minutes into the second half. Ferreira fed Jackson in the center of the park and the Brazilian midfielder beat two Timbers before sending in a shot that deflected off Futty Danso and into the Portland goal.
• The score was 4-0 in the 69th minute when Scott Sealy was played through on goal by Jackson and slipped it past Perkins from the heart of the area.
• The rout was completed in the 81st minute, when homegrown forward Ruben Luna scored his second career goal, turning home a Jackson cross from close range.
• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made three changes to the team that saw the San Jose Earthquakes escape with a 2-1 win at Buck Shaw Stadium. Daniel Hernandez and Carlos Rodriguez came into the midfield for Julian de Guzman and Brek Shea, and Scott Sealy started up top for Fabian Castillo.
• FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Kevin Hartman - Zach Loyd, Hernan Pertuz, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez - Daniel Hernandez, Andrew Jacobson (James Marcelin 74) - Jackson, David Ferreira (Julian de Guzman 53), Carlos Rodriguez - Scott Sealy (Ruben Luna 76).
TEAM NEWS
• FC Dallas had not scored more than two goals in a game before the win against Portland. It was the club’s biggest offensive output since a 6-3 win at the LA Galaxy on Sept. 12, 2009 – which was the second of two six-goal games in a span of six matches.
• Making his fourth consecutive start, David Ferreira contributed his first two assists of the season. The last time Ferreira appeared on the scoresheet was in a 3-2 loss to Portland on April 17, 2011.
• “The scary part is I think [David] is only 80 percent,” FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman said. “I don’t think we’ve seen the old David yet, but what we’re seeing right now is better than most of the league as an attacking midfielder.”
• Said Ferreira: “Every game I’m feeling that I’m a little bit better. I still need to improve I still need to get to my optimum ability and play but every game that I play I feel better. Now I just want to recover next week to be ready to go out on the field and be better next time.”
WATCH: Luna scores, travels to USSDA championship
• Scott Sealy scored his first MLS goal since 2008, his first since joining FC Dallas this season.
• Ruben Luna made his first appearance since May 19, which was the last of four consecutive appearances he made, and capped it with his second career goal.
• “For me to be able to come in off the bench was a very emotional moment for me because I've been waiting for it for a while,” Luna said. “ … That's the most important thing he told me. If I want to see the field more, I have to work on both sides of the ball, helping out the team with defending and trying to score.”
• Jackson contributed two assists, his first two-assist game in MLS and the first time in his career in the league he’s been involved in multiple goals in a game. He has a goal and three assists in the last two games.
• “Jackson has worked so hard since he's been back,” Hyndman said. “ … He's wanted to help the team, and although he hasn't put himself in front of a goal as much, now that we have people who can utilize his speed, I think you'll see him as more of a threat.”
• The offensive outburst came without Brek Shea, who did not figure after making five consecutive starts following injury and suspension.
• It's been a very frustrating season for Brek. It's been combinations of being injured, the Olympic team not qualifying and missing 72 training sessions this year between injuries and national team call-ups,” said Hyndman. “ … For Brek’s best interest, to get back to the Brek that we know, the Brek that has a smile on his face, the Brek that tonight would have found a way to score goals himself, to get Brek back, and his confidence, I think right now we need to pull him away and take the pressure off of him.”
