FRISCO, Texas – It would go down as one of the greatest nights in FC Dallas history—possibly the greatest.
September 13, 2016, FC Dallas claimed its first major trophy in nearly two decades with a victory in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final over the New England Revolution. Looking back, it’s hard to imagine a more special occasion. It was FC Dallas’ first final since its heartbreaking defeat in the 2010 MLS Cup, and their first chance to win a major title in front of the home fans at Toyota Stadium.
“It was a special moment,” said defender Ryan Hollingshead, who played the full 90 minutes that evening. “Being in front of our fans, it was a moment to really celebrate with them. Being able to add a trophy to the trophy case is a huge deal. Being a part of the squad that was able to do that is what you spend your whole life pursuing. We’re playing soccer every day and the whole purpose is to win trophies.”
While it was ultimately a victorious night in Frisco, FC Dallas started the game on the backfoot when Revolution forward Juan Agudelo opened the scoring in the first few minutes. But fear not, Maxi Urruti grabbed Dallas’ equalizer less than 10 minutes later – setting the tone for an entertaining, back-and-forth contest.
“This game was really exciting,” Hollingshead remembers. “They scored in the first six minutes and that really opened up the game. We had to push to get the equalizer and that led to why it was so high scoring.
“I love that they’re replaying it. They picked a good game, there was a ton of action and a lot of ups and down and lead changes. It’s going to be a fun one to watch and I’m excited to tune in.”
It was the culmination of a long journey when FC Dallas eventually lifted the Open Cup that September night. The club had twice fallen in the competition’s final hurdle under the ownership of Lamar Hunt, finishing as runner's up in '05 and '07. Then in 2016, nearly 10 years after his passing, FC Dallas was finally able to raise the old trophy on home soil at Toyota Stadium; the house Lamar built.
“The Open Cup is also named after Lamar Hunt, so it made it even more special to us as an FC Dallas family,” Hollingshead added. “It was just exciting and a great game to be a part of. And ultimately, the reason you play is to win trophies. To be able to win that one was just perfect.”
