FRISCO - It's been more than two calendar years since FC Dallas last tasted defeat in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but that last loss left a bitter feeling with the team.
Dallas was eliminated from the 2015 tournament at the Round of 16 stage by a 6-2 loss at Sporting Kansas City. The loss saw Dallas go down 5-0 at one point in the match, with SKC forward Dom Dwyer producing a four-goal performance.
Sporting KC went on to win the LHUSOC in 2015, and after a run of five-straight wins in the 2016 competition, FC Dallas was able to lift the trophy last season.
Tuesday night's LHUSOC quarterfinal in Kansas City, Kansas, between the teams isn't just a meeting of the competition's last two champions, but also a chance for FC Dallas to exact revenge for that 2015 match.
Each team includes several holdovers from that last domestic cup meeting, from defender Walker Zimmerman for FC Dallas, who recently returned to match fitness, to midfielder Benny Feilhaber for Sporting Kansas City. Between the two teams, four players who featured in that last match will not be available due to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, including Dallas midfielder Kellyn Acosta, who scored his first professional goal during the 6-2 loss.
Fresh faces will also take to the field at Children's Mercy Park for Dallas with a determination to exact revenge against SKC. Midfielder Javier Morales, signed this offseason from Real Salt Lake, was eliminated by SKC in the 2015 LHUSOC semifinals.
Whether a familiar face or a new arrival, Dallas heads to Kansas City on a mission to win its eighth-straight LHUSOC match, and make amends for prior defeats.
