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FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire will renew their rivalry on Wednesday, October 12 when they play the second leg of the 2011 Brimstone Cup in Chicago (7:30 p.m. CT, FSSW). Created by the supporters of both teams, the Brimstone Cup is FCD’s oldest rivalry.
LEG ONE: FCD 1, CHI 1
The first leg of this year’s Brimstone Cup was the season-opener in Dallas. It was a physical 1-1 tie that saw seven total cards handed out, the majority in the second half. A 17th minute goal off a rebound by Diego Chaves gave the Fire the early lead. Less than a minute later, defender
Zach Loyd
made a run down the sideline and served a low cross into the box that Milton Rodriguez (who has since been waived) back-heeled into the net.
Brek Shea
, who started the season as a center back, was given a straight red card in the 55th minute when he collided with Fire forward Gaston Puerari in the midfield. Puerari went down and referee Terry Vaughn flashed the red card to put Dallas down to 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Since that first leg of the Brimstone Cup, both teams have seen different paths of their 2011 seasons unfold. The Fire started the year 2-7-14, scoring one goal or less in 18 matches. But over the past six weeks the Fire have been rekindled, posting a 5-1-2 record and scoring two or more goals five times in that stretch of games.
FC Dallas, on the other hand, started the year strong despite losing 2010 MLS MVP
David Ferreira
to injury just five games into the season. Dallas started the year 12-5-6 with the help of the versatile Shea, who started the year at center back, but was eventually pushed up top and began producing like a veteran winger.
Dallas will be looking to get back on track after going 1-6-1 in their last eight league matches and going on a goal scoring drought that has lasted 360 consecutive minutes.
Both teams could use a hand from their potential 2011 MLS MVP candidates to help break down the opposition. The Fire will count on 26-year-old striker – and former FC Dallas man – Dominic Oduro, who leads the Fire in goals with 12 while chipping in two assists. Oduro’s efficient play has seen 34 percent of his shots on goal find the back of the net.
FC Dallas will hope for a return to form for 21-year-old winger Brek Shea to break down defenders out wide and serve quality crosses into the box. Shea, who has scored 10 goals while adding in three assists, has stepped up as the catalyst for FCD while Ferreira recovers from his early season injury.
While Chicago’s playoff hopes may be smoldering, they haven’t been snuffed out quite yet. The Fire sit six points out of the final Wild Card spot with three games to play and three teams to leapfrog before the postseason begins. They’re currently the lowest seeded team not to have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
The path out of the regular season isn’t quite as complicated for FCD. A win over the Fire will clinch a Wild Card spot, while a tie with their Brimstone rivals will require a winner from the Houston vs. Portland match AND a New York loss to Kansas City in order to punch Dallas’ postseason ticket.
VISIT THE FCDALLAS.COM 2011 PLAYOFF HEADQUARTERS
Both teams have just three games remaining in the regular season and desperately need three points from this matchup. With playoff ramifications fanning the flames, leg two of the 2011 Brimstone Cup is sure to be as heated a display of this rivalry as ever before.
