FC Dallas 2 - 2 Red Bulls
Final
  for this game

Struggling New York play host to in-form Dallas

Jul 22, 2011 - 7:26 PM Harrison, NJ (Sports Network) - After being trounced by the Colorado Rapids 4-1 on Wednesday, Red Bull New York will return home to Red Bull Arena hoping to get its season back on track.

Trying to regain form will not be an easy task for the Red Bulls, as they will face a team that is currently on fire.

FC Dallas (11-5-5) are racking up points at the moment and playing some great soccer to go along with it. They are 4-1-1 in their last six Major League Soccer matches with the lone loss coming to Real Salt Lake on July 9th at the fortress that is Rio Tinto Stadium.

New York (6-5-11) has struggled lately. It looked to be heading on a tear after dismantling Toronto FC 5-0 at home on July 6th, but it has gone 0-2-1 since then, conceding a total of five goals in those three matches while only managing to score one.

Thierry Henry, who leads the league in scoring with 10 goals on the season, was the player who scored that one goal in the loss to Colorado. He feels that the Red Bulls are going up against the toughest team in the league at the moment.

"Right now, the best team in the league," Henry said of FC Dallas. "For me, right now, they've got the best team."

Leading FC Dallas in its terrific run of form is Brek Shea, who sits just one goal behind Henry with nine goals so far in 2011.

"The guy is amazing right now," Henry said of Shea. "He can take the ball by whoever he wants."

Shea provided a spectacular goal to give his team a 1-0 win over Toronto on Wednesday night at BMO Field, helping to build his confidence in his stellar season thus far.

"Every time you score, you get more confidence and then you play with more confidence and that's how my season's been," Shea said. "I keep building on what I've been doing and it's helped my success."

New York will look to an experienced player returning to the lineup to put a stop to Shea.

Designated player Rafa Marquez returned to training after missing about a month with a hamstring injury sustained during the Gold Cup. Head coach Hans Backe indicated that the Mexican national team captain should be available for the whole match.

"I think [Rafa] should be ok for 90," Backe said.






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