Originally founded in 1996, the inaugural year of Major League Soccer (MLS), FC Dallas was then known as the Dallas Burn. From 1996 to 2002 the team made its home at the legendary Cotton Bowl. In an effort to save money due to the franchise's expensive lease with the Cotton Bowl, the Dallas played its 2003 home games at Dragon Stadium, a high school stadium in the Ft. Worth suburb of Southlake. At the request of its fans, the Burn moved back to the Cotton Bowl for the 2004 season; a major factor in the move back to the Cotton Bowl was the lost revenue due to the fact that there could be no alcohol sales at the public high school site.
In August 2005, the club moved into Pizza Hut Park, a 20,500-seat, soccer-specific stadium in the northern suburb of Frisco. It was also at this time, in order to celebrate the move, that the club renamed itself as FC Dallas.
In 2009, FC Dallas led the league with 50 goals scored, but unfortunately their defense gave up 47 goals of their own. Despite a breathtaking run during the second half of the season Dallas failed to make the playoffs. If FC Dallas looks to be successful in 2010 they will need another big year from forward Jeff Cunningham (23 games started, 6 assists) who led the league with 17 goals. The team also welcomes the return of forward David Arturo Ferreira (30 games started, 2 assists), who finished in the top fifteen in the MLS with eight goals of his own.
If the combination of Cunningham and Ferreira continue putting the ball in the back of the net, and FC Dallas shows any defensive improvement at all, this team should have a great shot at making the playoffs this season. The key will be starting 2010 play on a good note, since during the first half of the 2009 season Dallas accumulated only 14 points, as opposed to the 25 points they accumulated during the second half. If this team can dedicate themselves to picking up where they left off they will surprise many an MLS team this year.
Any team that can score, and prevent being scored upon, has a chance, and that could very well describe the 2010 FC Dallas squad this year. Dario Sala (7-7-1, 39 saves) and 1999 MLS Goalkeeper-of-the-Year Kevin Hartman (8-13-9, 93 saves) will battle for the goalkeeper duties. Either are capable net minders, while other than his 1999 award above, Hartman also holds the records for career saves (1,139), victories (138), and shutouts (77). He was also the first goalkeeper to have consecutive 20-win seasons and consecutive seasons with a GAA of less than 1.0, while lastly also setting the Galaxy's record for saves in a game (12) against Chicago in 2003.
