09/15/2005 12:11AM
Cup win energizes FC Dallas, fans
By Scott Joiner / MLSnet.com Staff

FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas is a game away from a second honor in club
history, reaching the final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 1-
0 victory against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.
Ronnie O'Brien scored the lone goal in the 20th minute. Ramon Nuñez
sent in a nice cross that O'Brien first stabbed toward goal, but it
was blocked and then mishandled by Fire 'keeper Zach Thornton, giving
the Irishman the chance to score.

"I only got my toe on it - I was surprised he dropped it," said
O'Brien. "But I'll take it."

Referee Baldomero Toledo set the tone early on with a pair of yellow
cards in the 16th and 17th minutes -- he would dole out seven cards
over the course of the match -- and one of those went to Simo
Valakari, who was ejected in the 55th minute when he had his name
taken a second time.

As a team the Hoops had 20 fouls called during the game, six of those
by way of the Finnish international's bone-crunching tackles.

"I knew when the first one came it wasn't going to be easy," said FCD
head coach Colin Clarke. "It was never going to be a three- or four-
goal cakewalk; we knew we were going to have to earn it and survive a
few moments.

"But I thought the boys were magnificent, unbelievable tonight."

Nuñez has come on in recent games, earning a starting spot recently,
and his cross that led to the game's lone goal added to his good run
of play.

"Ramon has been one of our better players the last month since he's
got in the team," said Clarke. "And he's earned that right."

The win puts the Hoops in their first final since 1997, when the then-
Dallas Burn won the U.S. Open Cup. In addition, the fan-created
Brimstone Cup stays in Big D for another year.

"Its just great for the fans," said FC Dallas interim GM John
Alper. "I know the rivalry between us and Chicago is pretty strong -
you can tell by our fans outside the locker rooms tonight how happy
they are.

"In fact I'm going to give them the Cup. I think they want to drink
out of it."

Possibly the most important accomplishment of the night was the first-
ever win at Pizza Hut Park for FC Dallas.

"It's great for that group over there (The Inferno) because I know
the Brimstone Cup means a lot to them," Clarke said. "We keep it here
against the old enemy, so to speak, and it gets us into our cup final.

"First time we've been in one of those for a long time, so a lot of
positives," Clarke added. "Now we've got to be sure we build on it."

Scott Joiner is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not
subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.