FC Dallas 2 - 3 Red Bulls
Final
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FC Dallas-Red Bulls Preview

Aug 22, 2009 - 5:34 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

FC Dallas (6-10-5) at New York (2-16-4), 3:00 p.m. EDT

FC Dallas still believes it can secure a playoff berth. It will have to improve its play on the road if that's going to happen.

Dallas goes for its first road victory in nearly three months on Sunday when it faces a slumping New York Red Bulls club that will be playing its first game under interim coach Richie Williams.

FC Dallas (6-10-5) had its two-match winning streak snapped and fell to 1-7-2 on the road with a 2-0 loss at Columbus on Aug. 15. Dallas trails Real Salt Lake by four points for sixth place in the Western Conference standings.

"We are convinced we can do better than this," defender Daniel Torres told Dallas' official Web site. "There's still a chance to make the playoffs. That's our main goal."

FC Dallas, though, is 0-3-1 on the road since a 3-0 victory at Chicago on May 31. Dallas plays three of its next four matches away from home.

Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham looks to add to his team-high nine goals after his three-match streak of finding the back of the net ended versus the Crew.

Cunningham, who needs one goal to tie Chivas USA's Ante Razov for second all-time with 114, scored twice in a 2-1 win over the visiting Red Bulls on July 4 when he started in place of Kenny Cooper.

Juan Pablo Angel had New York's goal in that matchup, but he could miss his second straight match Sunday due to a concussion suffered in a CONCACAF Champions League game.

Juan Carlos Osorio, meanwhile, will not be on the Red Bulls' sideline at Giants Stadium. A season after leading New York to the MLS championship game, Osorio resigned as coach Friday with the team mired in a club-record 13-match winless streak.

"It has been a difficult season for Juan Carlos and he felt that it was in the best interest of the team to step aside," Red Bulls managing director Erik Stover said.

Williams will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. He served in the same capacity from June 27-Aug. 12, 2006, when he replaced the fired Mo Johnston.

The Red Bulls (2-16-4), who have lost six straight matches, are looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat to visiting Chivas on Aug. 15 when they clinched their worst record since going 7-25 as the MetroStars in 1999.

"To be honest and not joking, I haven't lost this many games in my whole career," said rookie defender Jeremy Hall.

New York is 0-11-2 since a 4-1 victory at San Jose on May 8.

Red Bulls defender Mike Petke will serve a one-game suspension Sunday for yellow-card accumulation. New York could also be without midfielder Albert Celades (right thigh contusion) and defender Carlos Johnson (lower back contusion), who both left during the Red Bulls' last match.






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