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FC Dallas-Fire Preview

May 26, 2010 - 7:15 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

FC Dallas (2-2-5) at Chicago (2-3-3), 8:00 p.m. EDT

FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman was disappointed with his team's effort in its last game. A matchup with the Chicago Fire could help put him in a better state of mind.

Looking to bounce back from a rare home loss, FC Dallas tries to stay perfect at Toyota Park when it faces the Fire for the first of two meetings this season Thursday night.

Even with Los Angeles stars Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan training with the U.S. national team, Dallas (2-2-5) was unable to extend its five-game unbeaten streak last Thursday, falling 1-0 to the Galaxy.

The defeat also snapped Dallas' 12-match home unbeaten streak.

"I thought it was really a poor performance on our part," Hyndman told the club's official website. "It might have been in my opinion, the worst performance since I've been here."

Hyndman has pulled Jeff Cunningham, Dallas' leader with four goals, in the 63rd minute of the last two games due to poor play.

A game against the Fire (2-3-3) could help Cunningham get back on track. He found the back of the net three times as Dallas won its last two visits to Chicago by a 7-1 margin, and he has 19 goals in 30 games versus the Fire.

Cunningham scored the first goal in a 3-0 victory at Toyota Park on May 31 as Dallas snapped Chicago's franchise-record 11-match unbeaten streak to open the season.

That allowed Dallas to retain the Brimstone Cup after a 3-1 loss to the visiting Fire last March 21. Given annually to the winner of the season series between these former Central Division rivals, the cup has not been held by Chicago since the award's inaugural year of 2001.

The Fire, 0-4-0 at home in this matchup since moving to Toyota Park in 2006, will be playing their first league game since a 2-all draw at Kansas City on May 15. Julio Martinez scored his first MLS goal and Brian McBride put Chicago up 2-0 in the 48th minute, but the Wizards salvaged the tie with two second-half goals.

"For us we felt like the draw to Kansas City was a loss," defender Logan Pause told the Fire's official website. " ... When you lose like that, you want to get back out there and pick up points."

The Fire should have midfielder Justin Mapp in the lineup Thursday for his first MLS game since injuring his hamstring against Chivas USA on May 1. Mapp returned to action Saturday in a Chicago Sister Cities International Cup game.

Chicago is opening a three-game homestand. Dallas, 1-0-2 in its last three on the road, hosts the Fire on Oct. 2.