The MLS Cup will crown a new Champion on Sunday night when FC Dallas and Colorado go head to head at BMO Field in Toronto.
The MLS Cup Final will be contested by two wild-card teams, with Dallas being perceived as the favorites to take home their first MLS Cup title. FC Dallas will be playing in their first ever MLS Cup Final, while the Rapids will be at their second. Colorado lost the second ever MLS Cup final 2-1 to D.C. United in 1997.
It has been a long road to the Cup Final for FC Dallas. Their opening home game was played in front of only 8,016 fans, and mush discussion centered around the seeming lack of interest in the team. After Dallas went on to win only 2 of their opening 10 games, few fans would have predicted what has transpired.
FC Dallas lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 at home on May 20, but the Hoops did not lose again until October 16 when they fell at Real Salt Lake, a team they would later eliminate from the playoffs. The run of 19 games unbeaten in a single season set a new record for Major League Soccer, and helped Schellas Hyndman win the Coach of the Year award.
The biggest strength of FC Dallas is the outstanding central midfield pairing of League MVP David Ferreira and Daniel Hernandez. Hernandez is a commanding defensive presence, which allows Ferreira to push forward and cause problems for the opposition. The Rapids midfield duo of Jeff Larentowicz and Pablo Mastroeni will have a tough task containing the dynamic Ferreira.
Dallas will also be string at the back, a good defensive line is supported between the posts by Kevin Hartman. The outstanding performance of Hartman kept out the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference Final, and is a key reason for Dallas being in this game.
Colorado may be underdogs but that is not something they are unfamiliar with. The Rapids entered the playoffs as the seventh seed in an eight team field, yet still find themselves holding the bizarre geographical title of Eastern Conference Champions.
The Rapids eliminated the Columbus Crew from the playoffs before triumphing over the San Jose Earthquakes in the Eastern Conference Final. Midfielder Larentowicz will be hoping the conditions on Sunday are an advantage for the Rapids. “it will be a little different in Toronto, a bit wet. Certainly not something Dallas have been used to,” Larentowicz told the MLS website.
A constant threat for Colorado will be their impressive front pairing of the powerful Conor Casey next to the lightning fast Omar Cummings. Casey and Cummings finished the regular season with 13 and 14 goals respectively, the pair have also combined for 1 goal and 2 assists during the playoff run.
As if the talent on display wasn’t exciting enough, there appears a little added spice to this fixture in the form of some good old fashioned trash-talk. Shortly after the victory over LA, Dallas Captain Hernandez said, “no disrespect to the Eastern Conference, but tonight was the championship.”
Colorado Coach Gary Smith by saying the Rapids are capable of winning the trophy, and the eventual champions will be “the team that grits their teeth and gets on with it.”
So the battle lines have been drawn, favorite against underdog, West against (sort of) East, let battle commence.
It has been a long road to the Cup Final for FC Dallas. Their opening home game was played in front of only 8,016 fans, and mush discussion centered around the seeming lack of interest in the team. After Dallas went on to win only 2 of their opening 10 games, few fans would have predicted what has transpired.
FC Dallas lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 at home on May 20, but the Hoops did not lose again until October 16 when they fell at Real Salt Lake, a team they would later eliminate from the playoffs. The run of 19 games unbeaten in a single season set a new record for Major League Soccer, and helped Schellas Hyndman win the Coach of the Year award.
The biggest strength of FC Dallas is the outstanding central midfield pairing of League MVP David Ferreira and Daniel Hernandez. Hernandez is a commanding defensive presence, which allows Ferreira to push forward and cause problems for the opposition. The Rapids midfield duo of Jeff Larentowicz and Pablo Mastroeni will have a tough task containing the dynamic Ferreira.
Dallas will also be string at the back, a good defensive line is supported between the posts by Kevin Hartman. The outstanding performance of Hartman kept out the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference Final, and is a key reason for Dallas being in this game.
Colorado may be underdogs but that is not something they are unfamiliar with. The Rapids entered the playoffs as the seventh seed in an eight team field, yet still find themselves holding the bizarre geographical title of Eastern Conference Champions.
The Rapids eliminated the Columbus Crew from the playoffs before triumphing over the San Jose Earthquakes in the Eastern Conference Final. Midfielder Larentowicz will be hoping the conditions on Sunday are an advantage for the Rapids. “it will be a little different in Toronto, a bit wet. Certainly not something Dallas have been used to,” Larentowicz told the MLS website.
A constant threat for Colorado will be their impressive front pairing of the powerful Conor Casey next to the lightning fast Omar Cummings. Casey and Cummings finished the regular season with 13 and 14 goals respectively, the pair have also combined for 1 goal and 2 assists during the playoff run.
As if the talent on display wasn’t exciting enough, there appears a little added spice to this fixture in the form of some good old fashioned trash-talk. Shortly after the victory over LA, Dallas Captain Hernandez said, “no disrespect to the Eastern Conference, but tonight was the championship.”
Colorado Coach Gary Smith by saying the Rapids are capable of winning the trophy, and the eventual champions will be “the team that grits their teeth and gets on with it.”
So the battle lines have been drawn, favorite against underdog, West against (sort of) East, let battle commence.
