MLS Regular Season
Despite a win over a tough San Jose team over the weekend, FC Dallas didn't move much in the weekly MLS power rankings, but then again there's not really anywhere to go when you're #1. The team stayed at the top in two polls, and moved up in one other poll. June will prove to be a key month for the team in regards to records and rankings as they play three of their four league games on the road. For now, Dallas still sits at or near the top of everyone's rankings.
FC Dallas remained the number one team according to MLSsoccer.com:
They weren't great vs. the Earthquakes, but Raul Fernandez sure was. After a shaky (and droppy) start to his MLS career, he's turned into something of a sure - if unorthodox - thing in net. Certainly earned his team at least two points, if not all three.
In ESPN FC’s rankings, Dallas is still sitting in the number three spot:
FC Dallas welcomed back regulars George John and David Ferreira, but it was the goalkeeping heroics of Raul Fernandez late that sealed Dallas' 1-0 win over San Jose. Rookie defender Walker Zimmerman was impressive in his first start.
ProSoccerTalk left FC Dallas at #1 noting how Raul Fernandez was key to the victory
George John was back in the lineup, but goalkeeper Raul Fernandez was the big hero in a 1-0 win over San Jose. Fabian Castillo, slowly learning how to properly deploy all that raw speed, had the Red Stripe’s goal.
Soccer America also kept FCD in the top spot:
FC Dallas rebounded from its 4-2 loss to Seattle a week ago by topping San Jose, 1-0, with a Fabian Castillo goal and another sharp game by keeper Raul Fernandez, who pulled off several big stops in the final minutes.
Avi Creditor of SI.com kept FCD #1 while giving some props to the rookie debutant.
Fabian Castillo's goal has FC Dallas back on the winning track following a one-game slip-up, with the current Supporters' Shield frontrunners taming last year's Supporters' Shield winner, San Jose. Raul Fernandez was heroic in net -- denying the Earthquakes their typical late-game shenanigans -- and rookie and U.S. U-20 center back Walker Zimmerman looked right at home in the heart of the club's defense in his first MLS start.
Finally, Yahoo Sports moved FCD up one spot from last week, putting the team at number two:
Nothing like a clean sheet to erase any memories of a 4-2 defeat. Dallas remains the best side in the MLS West.
After a strong performance in goal against San Jose, the honors are pouring in for Raul Fernandez! Not only was the goalkeeper named to the number two spot in MLSsoccer.com's weekly Castrol Index Top 20 Performers list, but he is also nominated for Save of the Week for his big stop on MLS Golden Boot-winner Chris Wondolowski late in the match!
Fernandez had six stops in the victory, including a couple late match stops to preserve the win. It was Fernandez’s fifth shutout of the season, tied for second-most in MLS.
Make sure to vote for the save by 11:59 PT on Thursday, May 30. CLICK HERE TO VOTE FERNANDEZ!
Castrol Index Week 13 Top 10 Performers
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Minutes | Opponenet | Points |
| 1 | Marco Di Vaio | Forward | Montreal Impact | 84 | Philadelphia Union | 2,430 |
| 2 | Raul Fernandez | Goalkeeper | FC Dallas | 90 | San Jose Earthquakes | 1,593 |
| 3 | Clint Irwin | Goalkeeper | Colorado Rapids | 90 | Chivas USA | 1,402 |
| 4 | Andrew Wenger | Forward | Montreal Impact | 90 | Philadelphia Union | 1,380 |
| 5 | Sean Franklin | Defender | LA Galaxy | 90 | Seattle Sounders | 1,358 |
| 6 | Sean Johnson | Goalkeeper | Chicago Fire | 90 | Real Salt Lake | 1,293 |
| 7 | Donovan Ricketts | Goalkeeper | Portland Timbers | 90 | D.C. United | 1,287 |
| 8 | Robbie Keane | Forward | LA Galaxy | 73 | Seattle Sounders | 1,195 |
| 9 | Nathan Sturgis | Midfielder | Colorado Rapids | 90 | Chivas USA | 1,155 |
| 10 | Graham Zusi | Midfielder | Sporting Kansas City | 90 | Houston Dynamo | 1,079 |
FC Dallas tied a franchise-record tonight moving their home unbeaten streak to 12 games with a gritty 1-0 win over San Jose. The win kept FC Dallas five points clear of second place in the Western Conference.
HIGHLIGHTS: FCD tops San Jose 1-0
GOAL: Ferreira's fourth assist of the season feeds Fabian Castillo for the game-winning goal
WOODWORK: Victor Bernardez hits the crossbar off a rebound
SHOT: Jackson twists and turns a pair of defenders before just missing on a hard shot
SAVE: Busch denies Castillo his second goal of the match
SAVE: Fernandez denies Salinas' shot
SAVE: Fernandez acrobatically denies Wondolowski from close range
After their key plays over the weekend, Kenny Cooper and Michel found themselves among the weekly Castrol Index Top Performers and Team of the Week honorees, respectively.
Michel’s strong play in Saturday’s game against Seattle, including his olimpico goal and his service on Cooper's goal, earned him a spot on MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week. Read what Nicholas Rosano had to say about Michel below.
MF: Michel (FC Dallas) – His prowess on set pieces was on display once more in Seattle, where he scored an olimpico and delivered an assist for Dallas' other goal on the night. Complemented this with another strong performance in the center of the park.
Meanwhile, Cooper’s goal earned him the #9 spot on the Castrol Index Weekly Top 20. The forward’s set piece goal in the 54th minute put FC Dallas on the scoreboard, setting the stage for Michel's game-tying olimpico.
Castrol Index Week 12 Top 10 Performers
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Minutes | Opponenet | Points |
| 1 | Eddie Johnson | Forward | Seattle Sounders FC | 90 | FC Dallas | 1,838 |
| 2 | Landon Donovan | Forward | LA Galaxy | 90 | Philadelphia Union | 1,683 |
| 3 | Andy Gruenebaum | Goalkeeper | Columbus Crew | 90 | Toronto FC | 1,653 |
| 4 | Lamar Neagle | Midfielder | Seattle Sounders FC | 90 | FC Dallas | 1,568 |
| 5 | Luis Robles | Goalkeeper | New York Red Bulls | 90 | LA Galaxy | 1,415 |
| 6 | Zac MacMath | Goalkeeper | Philadelphia Union | 90 | Chicago Fire | 1,317 |
| 7 | José Correa | Forward | Chivas USA | 90 | Real Salt Lake | 1,236 |
| 8 | Nathan Sturgis | Midfielder | Colorado Rapids | 90 | San Jose Earthquakes | 1,145 |
| 9 | Kenny Cooper | Forward | FC Dallas | 64 | Seattle Sounders | 1,058 |
| 10 | Tim Cahill | Midfielder | New York Red Bulls | 90 | LA Galaxy | 1,023 |
FC Dallas midfielder Michel is nominated for the AT&T MLS Goal of the Week for his olimpico againts Seattle Sounders FC Saturday night and rookie defender London Woodberry is up for MLS Save of the Week for his goal-line clearance of a Lamar Neagle header just two minutes earlier.
You can see all the nominees for Goal of the Week and Save of the Week in the videos below and vote for your FC Dallas nominees in the polls to the right.
Full match highlights from FC Dallas' 4-2 loss to Seattle Sounders FC.
GOAL: Eddie Johnson splits the defense to give Seattle the early 1-0 lead.
SAVE: Raul Fernandes comes up big one on one vs. Brad Evans.
GOAL: Lamar Neagle rounds a challenging Fernandez to double the Seattle lead.
GOAL: Kenny Cooper heads home Michel's free kick to pull FC Dallas within one.
SAVE: London Woodberry steps in for Fernandez to keep FCD within a goal.
OLIMPICO: Michel bends one in off the corner kick to equalize for Dallas.
GOAL: Seattle responds quickly as Johnson scores his second of the match.
RED CARD: Blas Perez is issued a delayed booking to put FCD down to 10 men.
GOAL: Obafemi Martins ices the game with a finish in the 83rd minute.
Let's be honest, any time George John goes on a podcast or radio show, it's a must listen.
Anyone who caught his interview with BaD Radio on 1310 The Ticket knows that one.
With FCD heading to Seattle this weekend, George John appeared on Nos Audietis, a podcast that focuses on Seattle Sounders FC. It's a great listen that touches on a lot of topics.
Click here to listen, George comes in around 39:00.
After a weekend off, it was back to work for FC Dallas in week 11 of the MLS regular season with their first double match week of the season. Despite injuries to George John, Andrew Jacobson and David Ferreira as well as the suspension of Jackson for Wednesday's game against Portland, FC Dallas racked up four points from the two home games with a 1-1 draw against the Timbers and a 2-1 victory over DC United. Due to those positive results, FC Dallas remains at the top of pretty much every MLS Power Rankings list as they head into another tough game at Seattle this Saturday night.
MLSsoccer.com retained FC Dallas as #1 overall with this comment.
Got four points from two games in four days with essentially one half from David Ferreira. Also did their work without George John and Andrew Jacobson, and missed Jackson for a bit as well. Finding a way to get results in those circumstances means it's official: Dallas are really good.
ESPN FC has FC Dallas ranked #1 and had this to say:
Perhaps FCD has more depth than previously thought. Minus Andrew Jacobson and George John, Dallas grabbed a point against Portland thanks to a contentious penalty, then disposed of D.C. United 2-1. Michel continued his stellar midfield play.
The Sporting News/Goal.com power rankings by Kyle McCarthy also has FCD at the top:
FCD just keeps churning out results week after week. The midweek draw against Portland – even with the aid of an iffy penalty decision – stands out as a particularly important result
Soccer By Ives' power rankings have FC Dallas #1 overall:
Still in the top spot, but the Hoops are showing signs of vulnerability. Playing without George John was tough enough, but if they miss David Ferreira for any length of time, FC Dallas could see their lead atop the West disappear. Rookie London Woodberry did well in place of John, while Blas Perez looked good when deputized into a playmaking role. If John and Ferreira aren’t back for Seattle, Dallas could be in for a long day.
Avi Creditor of SI.com put FCD #1:
Dallas continues to roll, turning to seldom-used players to get by struggling D.C. on Saturday night and extend its unbeaten streak to nine. There is cause for concern regarding midfield fulcrum David Ferreira, though. He was forced to leave the club's midweek bout against Portland with a leg injury and missed the weekend match as a result. His health is key for Dallas' long-term aspirations.
Soccer America has Schellas Hyndman's men at the top spot as well:
FC Dallas is 6-0-1 at home and unbeaten in nine matches (7-0-2) after tying Portland and beating D.C. United. Je-Vaughn Watson got the winner against D.C. by guiding a Michel corner kick into the net via his stomach. FCD has outscored opponents 12-4 at home this season; now comes a good road test Saturday at Seattle.
Finally, Yahoo Sports has FC Dallas #1
Dallas didn't wait long to climb back to the top of MLS power rankings. They are the undisputed best team in the league.
FC Dallas extended their unbeaten streak to nine games with a late 2-1 victory over DC United. The win moves FC Dallas to 6-0-1 at home and puts Schellas Hyndman's club seven points clear of second place in the Western Conference.
Here's the full match highlights from Saturday night's win:
GOAL: Jackson gave FC Dallas an early 1-0 lead with an 11th minute goal off a nice feed from Eric Hassli
SAVE: Dwayne De Rosario nearly pulled DC United level in the 30th minute, but Chris Seitz came up huge with a big stop
GOAL: United finally tied things up in the 44th minute as De Rosario finished an indirect free kick, the first goal allowed by FCD in the first half this season
OVER THE BAR: Eric Hassli nearly gave FC Dallas a second half lead in the 61st minute but put his header over the bar
GOAL: Je-Vaughn Watson got on the end of a Michel corner kick to put FC Dallas up for good, sealing a vital three points.
Hunt Sports Group VP Dan Hunt sat down for his weekly Facebook chat on Thursday afternoon to discuss a number of topics on a busy two-match week. Among the things discussed include Kellyn Acosta, a possible bus service and much more!
Click here to read the full chat!