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FC Dallas

Frank Fleming
Author: 
Frank Fleming
16 mins
October 27th, 2023
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Historical Moments

1996: In front of 27,779 fans at the Cotton Bowl on April 14th, 1996, the Dallas Burn would earn a shootout win over the San Jose Clash. The Burn, with their superstar Jason Kries and coach Dave Dir, would quickly become one of MLS’s better teams as they used a midseason 5-game winning streak to earn their first playoff berth with a record of 17-15. The playoffs, however, would be short-lived for the Burn as the Kansas City Wiz in three games beat them.

1997: Looking to build on the success of their inaugural season, the Burn started the season with mediocre results. But again, they used a midsummer 4-game winning streak to make the playoffs although they also had a midsummer 4- game-losing streak. They ended the season with a .500 record of 16-16. In the playoffs, the Burn looked like just that as they swept the Los Angeles Galaxy without conceding a goal. But in the next round, they would fall victim to the Colorado Rapids in a sweep. The Burn would find solace as they later beat MLS Cup Champion DC United to win the US Open Cup.

1998: Going into their third season, the Burn would struggle out of the gate and in the middle of the season. Despite a poor record of 15-17, the Burn would qualify for their third straight playoff berth. In the playoffs, the Los Angeles Galaxy would sweep them in the first round.

1999: At the end of May, the Burn was in the middle of the pack of the Western Conference with an even record of 5-5. From then on, the Burn, thanks in large part to Jason Kries’ breakout year, would surge to second place by the end of the year with a record of 19-13. In the playoffs, Burn fans would see their team fly high as they knocked off the defending champions Chicago Fire. In the West Final, they would lose to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first game and then beat them in the next game. In the end, the Galaxy would have the last laugh and would eliminate the Burn.

2000: After coming within one game of the MLS Cup, the Burn hoped to go even further. In the middle of the spring and into the summer, they went through a slump and made the playoffs third in the realigned Central Division and the sixth seed on the league table with a record of 14-14-6. In the playoffs, the Burn wouldn’t go anywhere as the MetroStars swept them in two games. At the end of the year, coach Dave Dir would be let go and replaced by Mike Jeffries.

2001: In their first full season under Mike Jeffries, the Burn would continue to play mediocre soccer and finish the season 10-11-5 after the final weekend was cut short as a result of the September 11th attacks. In the playoffs as the 7th seed, the Burn wouldn’t put up much of a fight as they lost in three games to the Chicago Fire.

2002: The Burn would surprise their rivals and have a much better season from start to finish. Jason Kries would continue to lead the club as they finished with a 12-9-7 record, their best in three years, and they earned the fifth seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs, though, the Colorado Rapids on a series-tiebreaking by Mark Chung would upset the Burn in Game 3.

2003: Unable to maintain the momentum of the previous year, the Burn would suffer through a bad year. Mike Jeffries was fired in September and replaced by Colin Clarke as the Burn finished the season with a record of 6-19-5, missing the playoffs for the first time in club history.

2004: In a one-year return to the Cotton Bowl, and the team’s final year being known as the “Burn,” the club would carry over some of their frustrations from the previous year. By late July, the Burn would creep back into the playoff picture, but it would not be enough as they missed the playoffs for the second year in a row with a dismal 10-14-6 season. In August, club owner Lamar Hunt revealed that the club in 2005 and beyond would be known as “FC Dallas” to be more of a soccer team and to coincide with their new stadium in Frisco, Texas.

2005: Whether it was the name change or the acquisition of Carlos Ruiz, FC Dallas would fly out of the gates, losing only two of their first 17 games. On August 6th, FC Dallas played their inaugural match at Pizza Hut Park and tied the MetroStars, 2-2. The new stadium seemed to bring a bad spark to Dallas as they went on a six-game winless streak. Then they went on a three-game winning streak. That streak helped them into the playoffs as the second seed in the West with a record of 13-10-9. Against the Colorado Rapids in the playoffs, the teams would play a scoreless first game. After playing to a 1-1 tie in regulation, the two teams were level again, 2-2, after the first overtime period. Carlos Ruiz then had a penalty kick attempt but hit the goalpost. In the shootout, the Rapids outscored and defeated FC Dallas, 5-4 on penalties. After converting his penalty kick, Ruiz looked skyward as if to say, “Why can’t I do that when it matters?”

2006: Regaining the momentum they had from the year before, FC Dallas again took the West by storm. In their first full season at Pizza Hut Park, Carlos Ruiz led the way with 13 goals on the way to helping his team to a 16-12-4 record and the top seed in the West. In the playoffs, though, the Hoops’ proud season would come to a screeching halt as they were again were knocked out in penalties by the Colorado Rapids.

2007: Early on, FC Dallas played delightful soccer and held a firm grip on the top spot in the West for much of the first half, winning six of their first ten matches. Come the second half, though. The Hoops were in for a tailspin as they only won five games after the All-Star break, limping into postseason play with a record of 13-12-5, good enough for third in the West. The season for the Hoops would come to a crashing halt in the playoffs, losing 4-2 on aggregate to eventual champions, Houston Dynamo.

2008: It was a season of disappointment in Dallas, as FC Dallas, stumbled from the start of the season, and slipped to the bottom of the Western Conference, which led to the firing of Coach Steve Morrow. Under his replacement Schellas Hyndman, they would show some slight improvement, but they had dug themselves too deep of a hole as they missed the playoffs while finishing in fifth place with a record of 8-10-12.

2009: A bad start to the season, losing six of their first eight matches, threatened to put FC Dallas out of playoff contention early. A mediocre summer didn’t help them much, and they finished out of the playoffs with a record of 11-13-6. A loss in the final game to Seattle was their nail in the coffin.

2010: “It doesn’t matter how you get there; it’s that you get there period.” This might as well have been the motto for FC Dallas as they started the year with four ties and two losses. From May 27th to October 16th, the team did not lose a game; they either tied or won, and they found themselves in the playoffs with a record of 12-4-14. Against defending champion Real Salt Lake in the first round, Dallas made a first game win count as they knocked off the champs 3-2 on aggregate. Against the LA Galaxy in the conference final, the Hoops did not let two power failures deter them, shutting the Galaxy out 3-0 on their way to MLS Cup for the first time.

2010 MLS Cup: In Toronto’s BMO Field, FC Dallas went up against their conference rival Colorado Rapids in an attempt for their first domestic championship. Early on in the match, the Hoops controlled the flow of the match, and league MVP David Ferreira gave Dallas a 35th-minute lead. But in the second half, the Rapids came back as Conor Casey scored a goal sitting down in the penalty area in the 57th minute. During the first extra-time session, a shot by the Rapids’ Macoumba Kandji was deflected by Dallas’s George John and landed in the back of the net. The Hoops were unable to equalize and watched the Rapids celebrate at their expense.

2011: After coming so close to a championship, FC Dallas showed no signs of letting up. Despite a 1-3-1 start to the year, the Hoops played better and started putting the ball in the back of the net more and shrugged off a late four-game losing streak to finish in fourth place with a record of 15-12-7. But that would only get them a spot in the wild card playoff game and the New York Red Bulls in that game would shut them out 2-0.

2012: Looking to get back to the playoffs and improve, FC Dallas struggled badly through many untimely injuries and a 13 match winless streak that jeopardized any chances they had of making the playoffs. Though they would play better and lose only twice after July, the Hoops finished in sixth place at 9-13-12, four points out of the final playoff spot.

2013: The Hoops started on an 8-2-3 stretch and looked to be well on their way to good things as they led the West early on. But then an eleven-match winless streak conspired to prevent FC Dallas from making the playoffs as they finished the year in eighth place at 11-12-11.

2014: Under new boss Oscar Pareja, FC Dallas started the year well, going 5-1-1 in their first seven games and remained in the top half of the West for most of the year. Despite a nine-match unbeaten streak during the summer that propelled them to the playoffs, the Hoops would wind up in fourth-place with a record of 16-12-6. In the knockout game at home, FC Dallas would take care of the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1, thanks to a goal from the penalty spot by Michel Garbini Pereira. Against Supporter’s Shield winning Seattle Sounders FC, the Hoops would tie them in aggregate 1-1, but lost out on away goals courtesy of a goal by each team in Dallas and a scoreless draw in Seattle.

2015: Perhaps feeling jobbed by being the first-ever victim of away goals in the playoffs, FC Dallas started the year with three straight wins to take early command of the West. The Hoops used ten goals from Fabian Castillo and eight goals from Mauro Diaz to keep up their solid start, which included a five-game winning streak in the summer. After finishing the season winning three in a row, the team finished on top of the West with an 18-10-6 record, losing out to the Red Bulls on goal differential for the Supporter’s Shield. Looking for revenge against the Seattle Sounders in the semifinals, FCD did not start well, losing 2-1. They appeared to be on their way when Tesho Akindele scored in the second leg with six minutes to go, but a 90th-minute corner kick goal by Chad Marshall put a dent in those plans, and the Hoops seemed to be defeated. Instead, they were rescued by a corner kick goal by Walker Zimmerman in stoppage time. Following extra time, the home side beat the visitors 4-2 in a shootout to move onto the West Final. There would be no saving the Hoops in that round as the Portland Timbers knocked them off 5-3 on aggregate.

2016: Looking to go one step further into the playoffs, FCD started well, embarking on a 5-1-2 stretch to move to the top of the West. Captain Mauro Diaz continued to be the face of the team with his 13 assists and five goals. The club’s consistent play in the summer also carried them to the championship of the US Open Cup on September 13th, beating the Revolution in the final 4-2 boosted by two goals by Maximilliano Urruti. Thanks to a five-match unbeaten streak to end the season, FCD finished with the best record in MLS at 17-8-9 for their first Supporter’s Shield. Seattle Sounders FC was not intimidated in the playoffs and dismantled the Hoops 4-2 on aggregate.

2017: After winning the Supporter’s Shield and US Open Cup, the season would get off to a roaring start for FC Dallas, winning five and drawing four of their first nine matches and firmly in contention atop the West. Maximiliano Urruti and Kellyn Acosta were the key cogs in the machine, scoring a total of seven goals, and a stellar defense helped them along. But it would all unravel in the second half of the year as a taxing schedule and regression of performances took their toll. FCD stumbled terribly down the stretch, finishing the year winning only two games after July 29th to end up in seventh place at 11-10-13, losing out on a playoff spot to San Jose on a tiebreaker.

2018: Determined to leave their late-season implosion in the rear-view mirror, FCD would come flying out of the gate, losing only one of their first fourteen matches and catapulting themselves to the top of the West. Maxi Urruti’s eight goals and eleven assists throughout the year was a big help to the team during this stretch. That hot streak would cool off in the tail end of the year as other teams in the West caught up to them, but FCD was able to withstand that to end the season with a 16-9-9 fourth place record. A three-game losing streak to close the year out hung over the club’s head in the Knockout Round as they fell 2-1 at home to the Portland Timbers.

2019: In hopes of building on their solid season the year before, FCD got off to a good start as they began with a 5-2-2 run. A total reconstruction of the front office oversaw some retooling of the roster that endured a five-match winless run in May, which gave way to alternating wins and losses through much of the summer. Another four games without a win throughout September left the Hoops in need of a win in their final match against Sporting Kansas City. And they delivered, blanking their opponents 6-0 to clinch the seventh seed in the West with a 13-12-9 mark. In their playoff matchup with Seattle Sounders FC, Dallas would concede two goals in the first 20 minutes, before Reggie Cannon scored just before halftime. Matt Hedges would tie the game with a header off a corner kick at the hour mark before Jordan Morris put the Sounders back in front ten minutes later. Bryan Acosta would level the game at three with a goal off a corner kick to send the game into extra time. There, Jordan Morris completed his hat trick to finish off the visitors.

F.C. Dallas Stadiums

Cotton Bowl

1996 - 2002, 2004

Dragon Stadium

2003

Toyota Stadium

2005 - Present

F.C. Dallas Favorites

Lawrence Lozzano

1996

Hugo Sanchez

1996

Diego Sonora

1996-1997

Daniel Peinado

1997

Gerell Elliott

1996-1998

Jansuz Michalik

1996-1997

Leonel Alvarez

1996, 1998-1999

Mark Dodd

1996-1999

1996 Goalkeeper of the Year

Dante Washington

1996-1999

Temoc Suarez

1997-1999

Jason Kreis

1999 Scoring Champ & MVP

Brian Haynes

1996-2000

Brandon Pollard

1996-2000

Mark Santel

1996-2000

Todd Eck

1996-2001

Eric Dade

1997-2001

Aleksey Korol

2000-2001

Rich Farrer

1996-2002

Jorge Rodriguez

1997-2002

Matt Jordan

1998-2002

Chad Deering

1998-2003

Paul Broome

1999-2003

Antonio Martinez

2000-2003

Joselito Vaca

2001-2003

Tenywa Bonseu

2002-2003

Ronald Cerritos

2002-2003

Steve Morrow

2002-2003

Jason Kreis

1996-2004

1999 Scoring Champion

Brad Davis

2003-2004

Oscar Pareja

1998-2005

Eddie Johnson

2001-2005

Ronnie O’Brien

2002-2005

Toni Nhleko

2003-2005

Scott Garlick

2004-2005

Steve Jolley

2004-2005

Casey Talley

2004-2005

Jeff Casser

1996-1997, 2003-2006

Simo Valakari

2004-2006

Richard Mulrooney

2005-2006

Greg Vanney

2005-2006

Chris Gbandi

2002-2007

Clarence Goodson

2004-2007

Ramon Nunez

2004-2007, 2013

Carlos Ruiz

2005-2007

Bobby Rhine

1999-2008

David Wagenfuhr

2004-2008

Arturo Alvarez

2005-2008

Roberto Mina

2005-2008

Abe Thompson

2005-2008

Alex Yi

2005-2008

Dominic Oduro

2006-2008

Adrian Serioux

2007-2008

Drew Moor

2005-2009

Aaron Pitchkolan

2005-2009

Ray Burse

2006-2009

Marcelo Saragosa

2006-2009

Blake Wagner

2006-2009

Andre Rocha

2008-2009

Dave van den Bergh

2009

Dario Sala

2005-2010

Dax McCarty

2006-2010

Pablo Ricchetti

2007-2010

Jeff Cunningham

2008-2010

2009 Scoring Champion

Heath Pearce

2009-2010

Eric Avila

2008-2011

Eric Alexander

2010-2011

Milton Rodriguez

2010-2011

Marvin Chavez

2011

Bruno Garda

2008-2012

Brek Shea

2008-2012

Daniel Hernandez

2009-2012

Ugo Ihemelu

2009-2012

Kevin Hartman

2010-2012

Ricardo Villar

2011-2012

Robert Luna

2010-2012

Hernan Pertuz

2012

Kenny Cooper

2006-2009, 2012-2013

David Ferreira

2009-2010, 2012-2013

2010 MLS MVP

Jackson

2010-2013

Bobby Warshaw

2011-2013

Jair Benitez

2009-2014

George John

2009-2014

Andrew Jacobson

2011-2014

Raul Fernandez

2013-2014

Blas Perez

2012-2015

Michel

2013-2015

Je-Vaughn Watson

2013-2015

Moises Hernandez

2010-2016

Zach Lloyd

2010-2016

Fabian Castillo

2011-2016

Atiba Harris

2009-2010, 2015-2017

Chris Seitz

2011-2017

Walker Zimmerman

2013-2017

Kellyn Acosta

2013-2018

Mauro Diaz

2013-2018

Tesho Akindele

2014-2018

2014 Rookie of the Year

Maximiliano Urruti

2016-2018

Roland Lamah

2017-2018

Matt Hedges

2012-Present

2016 Defender of the Year

Jesse Gonzalez

2013-Present

Ryan Hollingshead

2014-Present

Michael Barrios

2015-Present

Reggie Cannon

2017-Present

Jesus Ferreira

2017-Present

Santiago Mosquera

2018-Present

Reto Ziegler

2018-Present

Zdenek Ondrasek

2019-Present

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Author

Frank Fleming
Frank Fleming founded the Sports Ecyclopedia in 2001 & is a passionate Devils fan.