After one of the most thrilling games in FC Dallas history, which saw the team erase a 1-0 deficit in four minutes to advance to the Lamar Hunt Open Cup Final, the team places itself on the brink of history.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the victory, however, is that FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium will be the host of that final –– just the second time the club has ever hosted a final of any kind.
“It means a lot to the franchise,” coach Oscar Pareja said following the extra time victory. “We are going one step at a time. Today, we are one step closer.”
Those steps, of course, are on a path to winning trophies. For a club that hasn’t won one since the 1997 Open Cup, there’s no need to find motivation to win it at home, says Matt Hedges, who scored the game-tying goal.
“It’s huge, we need it.
“The last two years we’ve been one of the best teams in the league but we’ve got nothing to show for it,” Hedges said. “We need to win something and I think this is our first opportunity.”
The first time the club hosted a final featured the same matchup that this year’s will hold, as the New England Revolution will be coming to Frisco as they did in 2007 when they defeated FC Dallas 3-2.
As a rematch and opportunity to exact revenge looms, the chance of winning a title in front of home fans is something the team doesn’t want to squander.
“We have the mentality that we need to win a championship for this team,” midfielder Victor Ulloa said, who scored the game’s winning goal.
“We have a great opportunity at home in front of our fans that deserve it.”
