FC DALLAS vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
TOYOTA STADIUM, Frisco, Texas
March 7, 2015 (WEEK 1, MLS Game #7)
7:30 p.m. CT (KTXA-CBS21; CSN-BA)
A sign of the pecking order in the Western Conference for 2015 could be ahead when FC Dallas play host to the San Jose Earthquakes in the season opener for both clubs Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium. A year ago, FC Dallas finished fourth in the division in Oscar Pareja’s first season in charge as they returned to the postseason. Coming off a Supporters’ Shield in 2012, the Earthquakes last year missed out on the MLS Cup Playoffs for a second season running and this year have turned to former coach Dominic Kinnear to once again guide the club’s field fortunes.
REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Claudio Badea; AR2 (opposite): Jonathan Johnson; 4th: Alex Chilowicz
MLS Career: 14 games; FC/gm: 24.3; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 3; pens: 5
SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (53 meetings): FC Dallas 17 wins (3 shootout), 64 goals … Earthquakes 25 wins (4 shootout), 86 goals … Ties 11
AT DALLAS (26 meetings): FC Dallas 10 wins (1 shootout), 33 goals … Earthquakes 10 wins (0 shootout), 37 goals … Ties 6
RETURN MATCHES: 6/7: San Jose Earthquakes vs. FC Dallas, 4 p.m. PT (FS1); 10/25: FC Dallas vs. San Jose Earthquakes, tbd
LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/10: SJ 2, DAL 1 (Cato 23; own goal 73 – Michel 76)
5/31: DAL 1, SJ 2 (Perez 16 – Harris 27; Pierazzi 45)
8/16: SJ 0, DAL 5 (Castillo 30, 74; Akindele 43, 58, 86)
- FC Dallas took the final meeting between the teams a year ago, a 5-0 victory at Buck Shaw Stadium, ending a three-game Earthquakes winning streak in the series. The Quakes had won the first two meetings last year, both by 2-1 scorelines, once at each ground.
- The FC Dallas victory in the final meeting at Buck Shaw Stadium was their first on the road against San Jose since 2009, a 2-1 win in Santa Clara.
- Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. DAL: P29 W12 L6 D11 … Oscar Pareja vs. SJ: P9 W1 L7 D1
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas are coming off their first appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs in three years, a run that ended in the Western Conference quarterfinals. In their first campaign under head coach Oscar Pareja. FCD finished fourth in the division with 54 points.
TEAM NEWS
- FC Dallas concluded their preseason training with a 2-1 loss to defending NASL champion San Antonio Scorpions at Toyota Field in San Antonio on Saturday evening.
- The lone FC Dallas goal was scored by FCD Academy product Santiago Agudelo in the 89th minute.
- Here’s the FC Dallas team: Chris Seitz, Otis Earle, Moises Hernandez, Michel, Atiba Harris (Trialist 46), Kyle Bekker, Juan Toja, Tesho Akindele (Santiago Agudelo 77), Danny Garcia, Janeil Hoilett (Aaron Meyer 15 / Devin Vega 81), David Texeira.
- FC Dallas split a pair of matches with D.C. United heading into the preseason finale, winning 3-1 in Frisco after falling 1-0 in a match in Austin, Texas in the final of the ATX Pro Challenge.
- Here’s the FCD team for the Toyota Stadium friendly: Dan Kennedy, Moises Hernandez, Walker Zimmerman, Matt Hedges, Atiba Harris, Victor Ulloa, Michel, Fabian Castillo (Kyle Bekker 89), Mauro Diaz, Ryan Hollingshead, Blas Perez (Tesho Akindele 69).
- Ryan Hollingshead scored three goals in the preseason for FCD, two coming in a 3-1 win against Columbus Crew SC in the opening match of the Austin tournament.
- “Ryan has put in a lot of work in training. And the offseason for him was very important. He took it very professionally and came in the best shape I have seen him,” said FCD head coach Oscar Pareja. “So that’s what he gets: opportunities. And Ryan knows like anyone on the team, that I don’t hesitate to play the guys who deserve it. He scored and that’s good.”
- Tesho Akindele and Fabian Castillo also scored goals against MLS competition in the preseason buildup.
- While newcomer Michael Barrios signed on Feb. 21, he did not make his debut in the San Antonio friendly. Pareja said he could well feature in the first XI for the season opener. “He’s ready,” Pareja said to the Dallas Morning News. “He has been very good. He’s jelling. … He looks like he has been here for a while, and that’s impressed me.”
TRANSACTIONS IN: MF Alex Zendejas (Homegrown); GK Dan Kennedy (Dispersal Draft); MF Atiba Harris (Re-Entry Stage 2 Draft); DF Otis Earle (SuperDraft); MF Kyle Bekker (trade from Toronto); MF Michael Barrios (free)
TRANSACTIONS OUT: DF Jair Benitez (option declined); DF Walter Cabrera (option declined); MF Andres Escobar (option declined); GK Raul Fernandez (option declined); MF Peter Luccin (option declined); MF Adam Moffat (option declined); MF Hendry Thomas (option declined); FW Jonathan Top (option declined); DF Nick Walker (option declined); DF George John (Expansion Draft to NYCFC); DF Je-Vaughn Watson (out of contract); MF Brian Span (waived)
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
With Dominic Kinnear back in charge of the club’s fortunes after a decade away, the San Jose Earthquakes are looking to make their first trip to the MLS Cup Playoffs since the 2012 season. Kinnear takes over after a season that saw the Quakes finish in ninth place in the Western Conference, with 30 points for the year.
TEAM NEWS
- The Quakes inaugurated their new Avaya Stadium with a 3-2 victory against defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy on Saturday.
- Adam Jahn scored his second goal in as many preseason outings while JJ Koval also netted for the Quakes. The third goal – the opening goal in Avaya Stadium history – came through a Galaxy own goal.
- Here’s the Quakes team: David Bingham, Marvell Wynne, Victor Bernardez, Paulo Renato (Ty Harden 73), Shaun Francis, Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi (Fatai Alashe 46), JJ Koval (Adam Jahn 64), Matias Perez Garcia (Khari Stephenson 81), Sanna Nyassi (Cordell Cato 76), Chris Wondolowski (Tommy Thompson 72), Shea Salinas (Leandro Barrera 71).
- “It’s a great way to end the preseason by playing a good opponent ... I just think a couple guys got real nervous and excited about the situation and you can understand that,” said Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear. “But I thought the competitive nature of the group was really good throughout the whole 90 minutes and that’s kind of what I think kept us at zeros until we scored our goal.”
- Said defender Marvell Wynne: “It’s a very fast pitch and a great surface. That might catch some guys off guard, but not us. We’re going to come out there, we are going to ping the ball around using one touch to pass the ball into space. This is going to be quite a fortress for us.”
- The Quakes concluded their preseason preparations with a 7-1-2 record, including victories in the final five matches. The five-game run began with a 2-0 win against the Colorado Rapids in Tucson, Ariz., the second of back-to-back shutouts against MLS competition in the Desert Friendlies event (also reaching a scoreless draw with the Portland Timbers).
- “We all know our jobs and rely on the next man to do his job,” said Wynne. “Dom and his coaching staff make it clear that they want the forwards all the way back to defend. This makes it difficult for our opponents to build their momentum and work their way forward where they are getting pressure from so deep in their own half.”
- The Quakes made an addition to their backline in the days leading up to the opener, acquiring defender Paulo Renato. He spent 2013-14 with CDR Quarteirense in Portugal’s second division, before transferring to Operário and making 13 starts. Renato also played for Portugal in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
TRANSACTIONS IN: FW Kris Tyrpak (Dispersal Draft); MF Leandro Barrera (Waiver Draft); FW Mark Sherrod (trade from Orlando City); GK Andy Gruenebaum (Re-Entry Stage 1 Draft); DF Marvell Wynne (Re-Entry Stage 2 Draft); MF Sanna Nyassi (Re-Entry Stage 2 Draft); MF Fatai Alashe (SuperDraft); FW Innocent Emeghara (free); DF Paulo Renato (free)
TRANSACTIONS OUT: DF Jason Hernandez (Expansion Draft to NYCFC); GK Jon Busch (out of contract); DF Andreas Gorlitz (option declined); GK Billy Knutsen (option declined); DF Tommy Muller (option declined); FW Billy Schuler (option declined); MF Atiba Harris (Re-Entry Stage 2 Draft); MF Yannick Djalo (loan expired); MF Sam Cronin (traded to Colorado); GK Andy Gruenebaum (retired); FW Kris Tyrpak (waived)
