Last Thursday, Kenny Cooper converted a penalty kick in the 89th minute that allowed FC Dallas to finish in a 1-1 tie with San Jose and remain in the Western Conference playoff picture. That tally was Cooper's 16th of the year, just two from the FCD club-record 18 that Jason Kreis netted in 1999.
With three games left, tying or breaking Kreis' mark is certainly within reach. However with the Hoops still looking to secure a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, that is the Dallas native's primary focus.
"First of all, the important thing in the next three things is to win and get as many points as we can," Cooper said. "(The) playoffs are the goal right now and if I'm able to score some goals to help the team or get some assists, that would be great. I want to make positive contributions to the team no matter what it is. I feel fortunate to have scored 16 goals this year. I've been getting incredible service from my teammates and they've let me take penalty kicks."
However, Cooper does consider it special being mentioned in the same breath as Kreis.
"It's such an honor," he said. "I grew up here in Dallas and Jason (Kreis) was someone that I looked up to. He was always scoring a lot of goals and doing his backflips. I remember that obviously. I feel so fortunate to have scored close to the number that he has scored."
FCD veteran Bobby Rhine was a rookie on that 1999 Dallas team and sees a lot of similarities between Kreis and Cooper.
"At that time, Jason (Kreis) was the first American player to accumulate those types of numbers," Rhine said. "In that season, he won the MVP and deservedly so. Looking back on it, I remember as a rookie just seeing Jason, the way he trained and the way he stayed after most days just working on his finishing at the end of training.
"At that time, I was a forward and one of the guys that did that with him," Rhine added. "Kenny is the exact same way. He's out there striking balls, working on technique and on finding certain parts of the net to finish chances. He's a terrific finisher. If he gets a chance, it's usually put away."
To have his work ethic compared to that of Kreis is something Cooper also considers a big honor.
"Jason has set a standard here," he said. "Everyone knows the work ethic that he had, his discipline and how much work he put into his career as a player. It obviously served him well because he had a lot of success and scored a lot of goals. He's a great example for guys like myself to follow."
FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman would definitely like to see Cooper break Kreis' mark for goals in a season.
"I'd like to see him set a new standard here and a new record for FC Dallas. He has the capability of scoring a lot of goals and these three games coming up are big games for us," Hyndman said.
Like Rhine, Hyndman sees many similarities between the two accomplished scorers.
"I recruited Jason (Kreis) out of high school," he said. "He was a gifted player out of high school. When he went to Duke, he excelled and a lot of that was personal drive and I think Kenny (Cooper) has a lot of that. He's very focused and very driven.
"I don't think they go and try to set records, they just go and perform. They hold themselves to a very high standard every day in training and I think that's the greatest similarity between those two besides just being great strikers," Hyndman continued. "It's interesting because they both have a lot of similar qualities -- good work ethics, strong confidence and team-oriented. It doesn't surprise me how well either of them has done in this league."
Several factors could help Cooper's chances. For one, he and strike partner Jeff Cunningham, who has scored five times in seven games since joining FCD, look more comfortable paired together.
"Jeff is a great player and I'm sure he can play with anybody," Cooper said. "He has so many qualities. He's extremely fast, quick and has great touch on the ball. His statistics speak for themselves. He's scored lots of goals in this league. He's done it everywhere. I feel fortunate to play alongside him and feel more and more comfortable with him."
Cooper also could benefit from the likely return of left-sided midfielder Victor Sikora this weekend against Toronto FC.
"It's nice to see Victor (Sikora) back out here in training and working hard," Cooper said. "I know he's put a lot of work in to try and get back. He's had a quick recovery. To have another dangerous attacker for coach to choose from will only benefit us. I'm excited to have him back."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
