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US Open Cup Preview: FC Dallas v Chicago [Thu Sep 15th, 2005]
Ed Johnson and FC Dallas hope a US Open tie with the Chicago Fire is the cure to their winless blues.
FC Dallas v Chicago Fire
When: 8 pm ET, Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Where: Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas
This is the semifinals. No more of the second-string get-the-reserves-a-match stuff. This counts now. If the FC Dallas can’t win in MLS — 9 games winless and counting — they might as well go for broke in the US Open Cup. Unfortunately, they face a Chicago Fire team who reached last year’s final and has won three straight road Cup ties.
Call it a string of bad luck. Or a case of too much of a good thing. Whatever it is, FCD can’t win in their new digs. They’ve tied two and lost four since the Deep Dish opened on August 6. But Eddie Johnson is finally healthy after a long layoff, and Carlos Ruiz, the last-gasp hero of the Hoops’ Cup win in DC last month, continues to pump goals in.
Expect Ramon Nunez to get the starting nod after his fine performance on the weekend. If FCD stay compact and structured defensively, they’ll be able to contain Chicago’s counterattacking offense. But containing the expectations of FCD fans might be another story if they keep dropping games.
Chicago have been sitting on their rumps for 10 days, so they should be nice and rested. And their confidence will be flying high following their last game, a 2-1 win over the Galaxy in Los Angeles.
Justin Mapp was the man on that night, and he should be the centerpiece of the Fire attack again. His flank battle with Ronnie O’Brien will be an epic contest of two all-out forward-thinking midfielders. We’re out of breath just thinking about it. But the key to the game may come down to goalkeeping. Both teams can create chances, but the Fire have the edge between the pipes with Zach Thornton.
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