FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow praised his players' 2-0 win against Chivas USA as his team's best performance of the nascent 2008 season. "We created some great opportunities and defended well when we had to," Morrow said. "We want to build on good, strong defensive displays." With two wins and two draws, FCD is the only team left in Major League Soccer without a loss.
Morrow was faced with some tough decisions ahead of Saturday's win, as midfielders Juan Toja and Pablo Richetti were forced out of the lineup due to injury. With a depleted midfield, Morrow opted to play three forwards up front, giving Ricardinho his first start up top alongside Kenny Cooper and Arturo Alvarez. The move paid off as Ricardinho provided an assist on Cooper's fifth-minute opener. "I think his speed and Arturo's speed was important for us," Morrow said. "We wanted to get behind the back line of Chivas, and I thought we did that."
Cooper opened the scoring after a beautiful crossfield ball from Dax McCarty found Ricardinho, who directed his header into the path of the onrushing Cooper to tap home from three yards. Dallas held its lead until the 80th minute, when Alvarez stole the ball in midfield and fed Abe Thompson on the right. Thompson outran the Chivas defense and then cut the ball back to slot home coolly passed keeper Brad Guzan.
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