and it doesn't matter what lineup we have on the field, they're producing and they scoring the goals, and getting the results."
TEAM NEWS
• Warzycha was looking at making changes in his team in the days leading to the San Jose match, but in the end decided to maintain the same group that started the 1-0 win in Colorado a week earlier.
• "I can't say I was leaning to a different lineup," Warzycha said. "I was trying to see what would motivate the players if I changed the lineup. I wanted to see how they would react to my changes, to be honest. That way I could motivate them a little bit. I'm always thinking the lineup I put on the field is going to play 90 minutes. If I don't have to change it I don't change it."
• And while his second-half changes turned the game around, it was a change he did not make - taking off Robbie Rogers - that also had an effect. A member of the MLS Best XI a year ago and in the U.S. squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Rogers had contributed just two assists in 14 games coming into the San Jose game.
• "Robbie is a good player. He is on the field to make a difference. He's on the field to beat the guy and score the goal," Warzycha said. "I felt he wasn't doing that. I told him that I was not happy with his performance and he could do better. He responded very well."
• Said Rogers: "I got yelled at pretty hard at halftime. Bobby wanted more from me. In the first half I wasn't as effective as I wanted to be. I tried to change the way I was playing and it worked. He talked to me directly and the whole team in general but he wanted me to be more dangerous, taking guys on and using my speed."
• It was the fourth consecutive game without Schelotto in the lineup, though he is expected to available for full duty this week. The Crew are 9-1-7 in the past 17 matches despite the absence of Schelotto. The team is 6-0-1 and outscored opponents 15-6 without him the past two years. "It's no rush at the moment," said Warzycha.
• "Pretty much around the same time (last season), Guillermogot hurt, and we were able to win three or four games in a row," Alejandro Moreno said. "It shows the kind of team we are, it shows the kind of personality we have, and the character that we have."
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas and Jeff Cunningham continued their hot streak, getting the only goal of the game in a victory against the Houston Dynamo last Thursday for a second consecutive victory. FCD has 23 points from 19 matches, still in seventh place in the Western Conference, and now still 15 points in arrears of division leaders Houston Dynamo.
LAST MATCH
• FC Dallas was coming off a record-setting 6-0 victory against the Kansas City Wizards where Jeff Cunningham scored four goals, one shy of the league's all-time mark. The Dynamo had put an end to a three-game winless run by holding on for a 4-3 victory against D.C. United.
• Off his stellar performance - which came the day after Kenny Cooper's transfer was approved to 1860 Munich in the 2.Bundesliga, Cunningham seemed poised to continue his rich vein of form.
• In the 13th minute, he raced past Dynamo center back Bobby Boswell into the area, and when he went to ground, referee Baldomero Toledo ruled for a penalty kick. But Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad dove to his right to stop Cunningham's effort, the second time in three games Cunningham has had a spot kick saved.
• But Cunningham came through in the 20th minute for the game's only goal. Racing forward out of midfield, he cut to his right and lashed a low drive from outside the area that beat Onstad inside his left post. It was the ninth goal of the season for Cunningham, now one off the league lead, and gave him 113 for his MLS career, one behind Chivas USA striker Ante Razov, who sits second on the all-time list.
• Having come off for a substitute eight minutes earlier, Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis was sent off while on the Dynamo bench in the 73rd minute.
• FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made one change to the team that defeated the Kansas City Wizards 6-0 the weekend before. Drew Moor came back in at right back for Daniel Torres.
• Here's Hyndman's team (4-1-4-1): Dario Sala - Drew Moor, Kyle Davies (Daniel Torres 59), Pablo Ricchetti, Jair Benitez - Dax McCarty - Atiba Harris, David Ferreira, Dave van den Bergh, Brek Shea (Andre Rocha 66) - Jeff Cunningham (Blake Wagner 78). Substitutes Not Used: Eric Avila, Ray Burse, Bruno Guarda, Steve Purdy
TEAM NEWS
• Since the transfer of Cooper and the installation of Cunningham as the lead striker, the former U.S. international has five goals in two games. Cunningham is on a three-game goalscoring streak and has eight goals in his last five games.
• "He scored the game-winning goal again. I think what is happening is that he creates a lot of havoc for the opposition because they do not know where he is half of the time. He puts himself into good scoring opportunities and I think we are starting to look for him more and more," said Hyndman. "He has a real nice combination with Atiba, Ferreira, and van den Bergh working with him so I think he has been exceptional and we hope that he will continue to do so."
• FC Dallas has posted wins and back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season, and after winning just two games out of their first 13, they've won four of their last seven. They've now gone unbeaten in four consecutive home games for the first time since 2006.
• "We are starting to take one game at a time. We really don't want to look past the next 10 games; we really have to finish it out," said Dax McCarty. "In a 12-game season we have gotten great results in our first two games. I think a lot of people rubbed us off for the playoffs; we struggled in the early part of the year, we tried to find the right formation, we tried to find the right personnel but we really struggled and now we are starting to find our stride."
• But after the consecutive clean sheets, Hyndman will once again have to rebuild his back four for the trip to Columbus. Pablo Ricchetti will miss the game on suspension for caution accumulation, and George John and Kyle Davies are still battling injuries and not expected to be available.
• "That's an area we really wanted to improve in (heading into this season)," Hyndman said. "We brought in three (center backs) -- (Steve) Purdy, George (John) and (Daniel) Torres and then because of the injuries, we brought in Kyle (Davies). Drew (Moor) can also play center back. I think we're playing really well but this is one of the reasons why Pablo (Ricchetti) is back there. He brings so much to our team in his leadership and organization. We're definitely going to be losing that. With the injuries, we just can't seem to buy any consistency."
