Broadcast info
TV: 8:30 PM EST
Radio: 610 WTVN, 103.1 LaMega
What's at stake?
The Crew won their season opener, 2-0 over Toronto FC on March 27 at Crew Stadium. FCD tied Houston 1-1 on the same day at Pizza Hut Park. Columbus will be looking to start the year 2-0 while FC Dallas still seek their first win of the year and three points on their home pitch before hitting the road for the first time of 2010 next weekend.
Last meeting
Last August, more than 19,000 faithful at Crew Stadium left happy as the Black-and-Gold prevailed 2-0 over FCD to sweep the season series. A 10th-minute goal by Chad Marshall put the hosts up early, and an 87th-minute tally by Eddie Gaven gave them some breathing room late.
Remember when?
In a 3-2 win by FCD in Frisco in August 2007, a goal by Marcos González six minutes in gave Columbus a lead that held until Arturo Alvarez netted an equalizer at the one-hour mark. Andy Herron put the Crew ahead 2-1 in the 74th only to see Carlos Ruiz draw things level just six minutes later. A Clarence Goodson header in the 90th was the winner for FCD.
Heroes & villains
Columbus midfielder Eddie Gaven has three goals over the last three seasons against FCD. Only one of those tallies has come at Pizza Hut Park, in a 2-1 loss in 2008. The Crew have scored at least one goal in each of their last five trips to Dallas. The last time they didn’t was on July 10, 2004, when the Dallas Burn and Columbus played to a scoreless tie at the Cotton Bowl.
FCD goalkeeper Darío Sala has never beaten the Crew. For his career, Sala is 0-4-0 against Columbus with a goals-against-average of 2.00. Other than 2010 expansion club Philadelphia, Columbus is the only club against whom Sala does not have at least one win.
Dax McCarty’s only assist against the Crew was a game-winner. The FCD midfielder assisted on Goodson’s game-winning header in that 3-2 win in 2007.
Stat that makes you go “Hmm..."
FCD forward Jeff Cunningham has scored 121 goals in his career. However, only two of those tallies have been at the Crew’s expense. Cunningham played in Columbus from 1998 until 2004, scoring 62 goals in that span. His two goals against the Black-and-Gold both came in 2008, right after being traded to FCD from Toronto FC.
He said it
“You always expect the same thing from Columbus. They won MLS Cup a few years ago. They’ve been Supporters’ Shield winners for the past few years. You know they’re always going to give you a tough game. At the end of the day, they’re definitely one of the best teams in MLS. We’re owned by the same ownership group, so there’s always a little bit more competitive fire in the game.”---FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty
