The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup returns to Toyota Stadium on Wednesday night as the top two teams in the MLS standings meet in the Round of 16. Amazingly, this is the first LHUSOC meeting between these two sides since July 20, 2004, a 3-0 win for the then-Dallas Burn at the Cotton Bowl. The Burn and Rapids have met twice in the Open Cup with Dallas coming out on top both times. FC Dallas has never faced Colorado in the Open Cup at Toyota Stadium.
This is the 12th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match dating back to the 2005 opening of Toyota Stadium with FC Dallas advancing in seven of those 11 matches, though they are just three for six against MLS teams. With a win-or-go-home mentality, the LHUSOC typically brings some of the most memorable games of the year every season so let's take a walk down memory lane and look back at the five most memorable Open Cup matches at Toyota Stadium ahead of Wednesday's encounter.
Don't have your $18 GA tickets yet? Better get on that!
5. First-ever win at Toyota Stadium is a big one
FC Dallas moved into Toyota Stadium in August 2005, but it took Colin Clarke's side a while to finally notch a win. Despite finishing 2nd in the Western Conference, FCD didn't win any of their first five home games in Frisco.
Their first win came on September 14, 2005 in the LHUSOC semifinal against the Chicago Fire. Irish winger Ronnie O' Brien scored in the 20th minute to seal a 1-0 win against their Brimstone Cup rivals sending Dallas to their second-ever final. Dallas would fall 1-0 in the final at Los Angeles but went on to go undefeated for the rest of the season at Toyota Stadium...sounds familiar.
4. Cup final heartbreak
Toyota Stadium has hosted one final featuring FC Dallas in the 10+ year history and it was the 2007 LHUSOC Final matching FC Dallas up against the New England Revolution.
Arturo Alvarez and Abe Thompson found the back of the net for Dallas, but they fell in a 3-2 heartbreaker. Hey, at least the USOC run, which featured wins at the then-USL Seattle Sounders, Charleston Battery and Atlanta Silverbacks brought us this brilliant highlight package which will have you ready to charge the field 300-Style on Wednesday night.
3. Thriller vs Timbers
FC Dallas advanced to the quarterfinals of the LHUSOC in 2013 where they hosted the Portland Timbers in a match that had it all. Great goals, goalkeeping blunders and everything in between.
Portland jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second half, but a furious FCD comeback saw Blas Perez make it 3-2 and FCD with multiple chances to tie the match late including David Ferreira hitting the post with the last kick of the game. Dallas would fall 3-2 but this one had everything that makes the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup unforgettable.
2. Castillo sends semifinal to Extra Time
The farthest FCD has gone in the Open Cup since that 2007 final was in 2014 when Dallas advanced all the way to the semifinal hosting the Philadelphia Union.
In front of a raucous crowd at Toyota Stadium, FCD fell behind to Philly. Time after time goalkeeper Zac MacMath came off his line dangerously to snuff out Dallas attacks, but finally FCD caught up. In the 81st minute, Fabian Castillo latched on to a wonderful header from Perez, finally beating the onrushing MacMath to send the crowd wild and the match into extra time.
After 120 grueling minutes, Dallas fell on PKs to Philadelphia, but no one at that match will forget the drama.
1. Dynamo Dominance
Who doesn't love a good beat down of FCD's in-state rivals to the south?
Kenny Cooper tallied a couple of goals while Zach Loyd scored a rare strike to give Dallas a 3-0 win over Houston in their only home Open Cup meeting at Toyota Stadium. Sit back, relax and enjoy these highlights and join us on Wednesday night as FCD looks to advance to the quarterfinals where they would face the winner of Sporting Kansas City vs Houston!
