FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew resume MLS action at Crew Stadium on Saturday with both sides looking to return from the World Cup break with three points.
Columbus has been held to successive draws in its last two outings, while Dallas earned a 2-2 draw at Portland in its last league match, although the team kicked away a 2-0 lead in the final 15 minutes.
The Crew has claimed just one win from its last 12 games, and after a 0-0 draw with D.C. United in its last league fixture, Columbus was bounced from the U.S. Open Cup by a 4-2 defeat against Chicago in extra time.
Chicago leveled the match in the final 15 minutes to send the game to extra time, and the Crew yielded two more goals in the extra 30 minutes.
The result was disappointing for Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter, but he is eager to put that match in the past and focus on Columbus attempting to put together a few wins to climb the Eastern Conference table.
"The focus on the league resumes today, right now," Berhalter said after the team's exit from the U.S. Open Cup. "Now all the attention is paid to the league and having a good push toward the end of the season."
Dallas turned in a good effort for 75 minutes against the Timbers, taking a 2-0 lead on Portland with goals from Fabian Castillo and Blas Perez.
But things fell apart in the last 15 minutes when Will Johnson converted a penalty kick before two Dallas players were sent off in the final few minutes.
Pa Modou Kah then scored in the dying moments to prevent Dallas from taking maximum points, but FCD midfielder Adam Moffat still felt positive about the result.
"For us to be disappointed to take a draw here is a positive sign for us," Moffat said, referring to the squad's mentality toward settling for a point on the road.
Dallas had a better experience in the U.S. Open Cup this past week, claiming a 3-2 win over the Houston Dynamo in extra time thanks to a goal in the 98th minute from Tesho Akindele.
The team will now face the Carolina RailHawks in the quarterfinals of the competition, and will look to keep that positive momentum going against the Crew, who will be missing defensive duo Waylon Francis and Giancarlo Gonzalez with the two playing for Costa Rica at the World Cup.
[SportsNetwork.com]
