FRISCO - It's a lesser-known rivalry, but it's the longest-running one in FC Dallas' history. On Saturday night, the Brimstone Cup is back up for grabs at Toyota Stadium.
Officially designated the Brimstone Cup moniker in 2001, Dallas and Chicago were one bitter foes on the field, facing each other as many as four or five times a season in the early days of MLS. Since expansion and conference re-alignment, the clubs have met once on an annual basis since 2012, but the hardware on the line remains the same.
The rivalry was the first fan-driven MLS trophy based on the season series between two clubs, with Chicago's Section 8 and Dallas' Inferno supporters groups contracting out the R.S. Owens Corporation, the makers of the Academy Awards since 1982, to make the trophy still in use today (although slightly weathered through the years).
In the early days of the officially designation (after 2001), Dallas kept the Cup for 10 straight seasons from 2002-2011, with eight outright series victories and retaining the trophy in two more years where the season series ended in a tie. Since 2012, though, it's been a Fire-led affair with Chicago taking the trophy in five of the last six seasons. The lone Dallas victory came the last time the Fire visited Toyota Stadium on July 16, 2016.
| YEAR | WINNER | FCD PTS | CHI PTS | HIGHLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Chicago Fire | 0 | 3 | There was a lot of early action in this match, where Dallas dressed seven players who were not normally in starting positions. Chicago scored in the scored minute to take a 1-0 lead, then Roland Lamah tied the game up in the sixth minute with his first MLS goal. But, David Accam scored what would be the game-winning goal in the ninth minute for Chicago. |
| 2016 | FC Dallas | 3 | 0 | For the first time since 2011, FCD was able to bring home the Brimstone Cup. They defeated Chicago 3-1 at home, with goals from Mauro Diaz, Maxi Urruti and Mauro Rosales in the midst of Dallas' best season in club history. |
| 2015 | Chicago Fire | 0 | 3 | FCD was riding a five-game winning streak in the MLS, but then fell 2-0 to Chicago on the road with David Accam and Shaun Maloney scoring for the Fire. |
| 2014 | Chicago Fire | 0 | 3 | For the first time in Brimstone Cup history, Chicago wins the season series for a third consecutive year after a 1-0 win at home against FCD. |
| 2013 | Chicago Fire | 0 | 3 | FC Dallas lost 3-2 at home against Chicago in October to be eliminated from the Western Conference playoff race. |
| 2012 | Chicago Fire | 0 | 3 | FC Dallas falls 2-1 in their lone meeting vs. Chicago to lose possession of the Brimstone Cup for the first time since 2002. |
| 2011 | FC Dallas | 4 | 1 | The teams tied 1-1 in the first meeting in Dallas, but a 2-1 win by FCD at Chicago meant the Brimstone Cup returned to Dallas for the tenth straight year. |
| 2010 | FC Dallas | 4 | 1 | Despite missing several starters, FC Dallas clinches their first playoff berth since 2007 with a 3-0 win over the visiting Fire to decide that season's Brimstone Cup. Milton Rodriguez, Marvin Chavez and Jeff Cunningham score in the rout, and Cunningham's tally ties him with Jamie Moreno for first on the all-time MLS career scoring list. |
| 2009 | None (FCD retains) | 3 | 3 | FCD and Chicago tie, with each earning 3 points on the other's home field. Kenny Cooper notches a noteworthy goal in the first leg, scoring off a long-range bomb from beyond midfield. |
| 2008 | FC Dallas | 6 | 0 | FC Dallas dominates the series, and Cunningham scores two at Chicago in the second leg to ice the overall win for Dallas. |
| 2007 | FC Dallas | 4 | 1 | FC Dallas heads into Leg 2 at home with a one goal lead, but Chicago quickly evens the score on their home turf. As the second half winds down, the series appears headed for a tie -- that is, until FCD's Carlos Ruiz nets a goal in stoppage time to seal the series win and retain the Cup for Dallas once again. |
| 2006 | FC Dallas | 6 | 0 | The Brimstone Cup opens up the 2006 season at Pizza Hut Park. Dallas wins 3-2 to take a slim lead into Chicago, where they are forced to make a come-from-behind effort to win the trophy outright for the third straight year. |
| 2005 | FC Dallas | 6 | 3 | FCD and Chicago split the regular season, making their US Open Cup matchup the deciding game. Ronnie O'Brien nets in the first Brimstone Cup held at Pizza Hut Park to give FCD the win and the trophy. |
| 2004 | Dallas Burn | 6 | 0 | Dallas dominates the regular season matchups, outscoring Chicago 6-1 overall and notching their second official Brimstone Cup victory. |
| 2003 | None (Dallas retains) | 3 | 3 | In the midst of the worst season in club history, Dallas loses the first leg but fights back in the second to tie the series and retain the Cup. The showing of heart in the Leg 2 win also marks the debut of new Dallas head coach Colin Clarke. |
| 2002 | Dallas Burn | 6 | 0 | Dallas wins at Chicago for the first time in club history, beginning the current run of nine straight years of ownership of the Brimstone Cup. |
| 2001 | Chicago Fire | 5 | 11 | The first official year of the Brimstone Cup brings high drama, with Dallas player Lubos Kubic earning a straight red card from the warm-up area during the final regular season matchup of the two teams. The Cup is decided in the playoffs, where Chicago beats Dallas 2-0-1 in the three game series to earn the victory and the first official Brimstone Cup title. |
| 2000 | Chicago Fire | 6 | 9 | Dallas and Chicago meet five times during the regular season (including one USOC match) and Chicago wins three of the five. Dallas had a chance to win the second leg, which would have been the first win in Chicago, but fell in overtime despite a 3-1 lead and being up a man for much of the match. |
| 1999 | Dallas Burn | 12 | 9 | The regular season ended with two wins apiece for the respective sides, meaning that a three-game playoff series would decide the outcome. Dallas won the first and third games to advance to the next round, but it was the second leg that is best remembered. During a 4-0 Chicago win, Fire defender Dema Kovalenko made a late challenge against Dallas defender Brandon Pollard, breaking Pollard's leg and adding considerable fuel to the future Brimstone Cup rivalry. |
| 1998 | Chicago Fire | 3 | 9 | Many consider the August 4, 1998 USOC semifinal match in New Orleans to be the beginning of the Dallas-Chicago rivalry. Dallas was the defending US Open Cup champion, and Chicago's 3-2 victory knocked them out of the tourney. The hotly contested match featured three red cards (two to Chicago and one to Dallas) and sparked the rivalry between the two sides. They would meet one more time in 1998 during the MLS regular season, where perhaps the most dramatic moment in the history of the series occurred. Down 2-0 early, Dallas fought back to tie the score at 2. With only 20 seconds left on the clock, Dallas brings the ball the length of the field, where Zarco Rodriguez scored with only two seconds left to win the game. The goal is one of the most famous in Dallas club history. |
Italics = Unofficial Brimstone Cup meeting