Before Petar Musa was scoring braces for FC Dallas, Jason Kreis was the King of Goals. Before Maarten Paes protected Dallas’ net, Mark Dodd was the league’s inaugural Goalkeeper of the Year. Before Paxton Pomkyal wore number 19, Bobby Rhine made it famous.
Before FC Dallas, there was the Dallas Burn.
FC Dallas honored its 30th season last Saturday by hosting some its early legends. Dallas Burn stalwarts Jorge “Zarco” Rodríguez, Richard Farrer, Jeff Cassar joined Kreis, Dodd and Bevan Rhine Liverman – wife of the late, great Bobby Rhine – at FC Dallas’ match against St. Louis in which the club debuted its Legacy Kit, a throwback jersey inspired by the team’s original branding.
“It's amazing to think about 30 years, that’s so, so long,” mused Kreis, who scored the club’s first-ever goal back on April 18, 1996, the first of his club-record 91 regular season strikes. “I couldn't be happier about coming back, couldn't be happier that the club has invited us back. When you think about how many MLS clubs actually started in 1996, it's not that many. It should be relished and appreciated by everyone at the club because there's a long legacy here. There's a lot of history to draw on and I think it's so important for everybody to recognize, understand and appreciate.”
Kreis owns a unique legacy having become MLS’s first American-born MVP after an 18-goal, 15-assist campaign in 1999 and was at one point the league’s all-time top scorer. He, along with Dodd, Zarco, Rhine and Farrer helped the Dallas Burn capture its first major trophy: The 1997 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating MLS’s first dynasty D.C. United in penalty kicks.
“With these teammates you pick right back up, you know,” said Dodd, a Dallas native who represented the city in Burn colors over 100 times. “Because when you're forged and bonded in this common goal that you've had, and certainly when you've had success, like the Open Cup championship and all that, those are friendships that’ll just never, never fade away.”
Reunited after decades, the six Burn representatives performed the ceremonial Lighting of the Shield just before kickoff. Bathed in Toyota Stadium’s applause, together they set the FC Dallas crest alight.
“It’s an honor for us to be part of this celebration, that even after 23 years since we left here, we are still remembered,” said Zarco, who scored the title-winning penalty in the ’97 Open Cup. “I am very happy, very emotional and grateful to FC Dallas. I’m thankful for all the people who supported us, both the fans, the team and all the people who were close to us, the coaching staff, the teammates that we shared together. I think we are all happy to have shared it with all of them.”
Of Major League Soccer’s 30 teams, just eight have been there from the very start – and only seven have been playing continuously through all 30 seasons. The Dallas Burn/FC Dallas are one of them. While the league is bigger, glitzier and more celebrated than ever before, it’s important to honor where it all began.
“You feel like time hasn't passed but yet it's been decades,” Dodd said. “It's unbelievable to see where this league has come and to know that we were the first step in it.”
Burn Legends Bios
Jeff Cassar: Selected in the first round of the 1996 MLS College Draft, Cassar went on to make 34 appearances for the Dallas Burn/FC Dallas across two stints with the club. In total, Cassar played 79 MLS regular season games before hanging up his boots to become FC Dallas’ goalkeeper coach in 2007. Cassar also served as Real Salt Lake’s head coach from 2013 to 2017.
Mark Dodd: Selected by the Dallas Burn in the inaugural MLS Player Draft, Mark Dodd made his MLS debut in the Burn’s first-ever game on April 14, 1996 and went on to become the league’s first Goalkeeper of the Year. A Dallas native, Dodd played over 100 times for the Burn and helped the club win its first trophy: the 1997 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Richard Farrer: Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Richard Farrer played seven seasons with the Dallas Burn and made 185 appearances across all competitions. A member of the 1997 U.S. Open Cup winning side, Farrer later captained the club before retiring midway through the 2002 season to attend The University of Texas School of Law. Farrer now serves as a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Jason Kreis: Simply the greatest player in Dallas Burn history, Jason Kreis joined the club from the inaugural MLS Player Draft and went on to score 91 regular season goals – including the club’s first-ever goal on April 18, 1996. Although Kreis also helped the club lift the 1997 U.S. Open Cup, his finest moment was the 1999 season when he became the first American-born MLS MVP after recording a league0high 18 goals and 15 assists. In all, Kreis made over 270 appearances for the Burn and – 30 years later – is still the club’s all-time leading scorer.
Bevan Rhine Liverman & Bobby Rhine: Bevan Liverman was in attendance for Saturday's match in honor of her late husband, Bobby Rhine. Rhine, who tragically passed away in 2011, will forever be a club legend having played 10 seasons with the Dallas Burn/FC Dallas from 1999 to 2008. Although he contributed 28 goals and 24 assists in 229 career appearances, Rhine’s impact goes beyond the pitch as he was a fan-favorite for his work in the Dallas community, front office and broadcast booth. The Dallas Burn/FC Dallas faithful will always graciously remember BR19.
Jorge “Zarco” Rodriguez: A captain of El Salvador’s national team, Jorge “Zarco” Rodríguez lined up for the Burn for six seasons from 1997 to 2002. A three-time Burn Defender of the Year, Zarco memorably scored the winner in the 1997 U.S. Open Cup final shootout to hand the Burn its first-ever major title. In all, Zarco made 155 regular season appearances and scored 25 goals.
