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Big numbers in Big D
FCD's Cunningham, Ferreira forming new partnership up front
By Steve Hunt / MLSnet.com Staff
After scoring four goals against the Wizards, Jeff Cunningham won Player of the Week honors. (Getty)
FRISCO, Texas -- Saturday night's 6-0 win over Kansas City at Pizza Hut Park was big for FC Dallas in a number of ways. Most specifically, the resounding victory against the Wizards was great for the strike partnership of Jeff Cunningham, who had four goals, and David Ferreira, who had two goals and an assist.
"Throughout my years, I have had a good stretch of goal scoring," Cunningham said. "As a striker, it's (all about) confidence and I'm getting my opportunity. I'm getting my chance playing now consistently and as a result, the goals are coming."
With the departure of Kenny Cooper to Germany, the veteran scorer is now looked upon as FCD's top scoring threat. That's just fine with Cunningham.
"I'm always under pressure," he said. "That's just the nature of the business for goal scorers. You play well this game and the next game if you don't, then you're back on the bench or in the doghouse. There's always pressure. I've just got to keep working. Hopefully my teammates continue supporting me and looking for me, then the goals will continue to come."
After Saturday's win, Cunningham addressed the media still shivering but his message was simple.
"No, (I'm) not the man," he said. "You know what's going to happen. They're going to bring in someone (else to play forward) and I'm going to have to compete for my position. That's fine with me. I'm a fighter. I come from an island full or warriors. You know the history of Jamaica? They're maroons, warriors and fighters. I'm ready to go."
With his four-goal performance, Cunningham now leads FCD with eight goals this season. However, he admitted he can't ever remember scoring four in a game before.
"I don't think that has ever happened, maybe in practice but not even then," he said. "I hear basketball players say the basket seemed huge and everything they do goes well for them. I guess it's just one of those things, even the fourth goal. I didn't strike it well, gave the goalkeeper a chance and the ball slipped under him and ended up in the back of the net. It was just one of those nights. Last week, I hit the post and missed the PK. I thought I hit the ball with some pace but the 'keeper held onto it."
After his third goal, which clinched his second career hat trick, the scorer of 112 career goals in MLS league play ventured over to The Inferno, the FCD supporters group, and laid a few grooves down on one of their drums.
"Those guys, since I've been here, have been so supportive," Cunningham said. "When we're losing, they're still beating their drums. Tonight was a celebration for our team and for them to be excited about the goals. They have had some difficult nights here. The game was enjoyable tonight and it was fitting that we go over and celebrate with them."
In a 4-2 loss at Real Salt Lake on July 24, Cunningham missed a second half penalty kick that would have broken a 2-2 deadlock. He clearly wanted redemption against K.C. and achieved that, especially after converting a penalty kick for his second goal of the night.
"Last week, I felt like I let the team down," he said. "It's like riding a bicycle as a child. When you fall off, you have to get right back on. It was important for me as a striker to get my confidence back because if I didn't take that, you never know. For the rest of my career, I might doubt myself. Tonight I feel confident that I can step up and make the next one. It was important to me to take that one. A striker lives and dies in the penalty area. If I'm afraid to do that, maybe for the rest of the season or my life I'm doubting myself. I've fought too hard to start doubting myself."
He also wanted to give a lot of credit to Ferreira.
"Coach told me a long time ago that good players make themselves look good and great players make others look good," Cunningham said. "David exemplifies that. He makes me look good and everyone around him look good. I'm happy he's getting his goals but he's been creating a lot of opportunities for us all season. I'm just happy to get on the end of some of them and some other boys. He's been doing it all season. Now we're able to put them away and things seem to be flowing well for us. He makes everyone around him look better."
FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman is clearly glad with how quickly the Colombian international has adjusted to MLS.
"Ferreira is a very good player and I think we haven't seen the best out of him," Hyndman said. "How many international players come in this league and really step up their first year? It's a different game, different officiating, different intensity and different speed."
In the locker room after the win, it was easy to see what a happy place it was and there might not have been a happier player than Ferreira.
"It is very important to me the happiness that I feel when I score because I know I am contributing to my team," he said. "At the end of the day, I step onto the field thinking that I always need to contribute to help the team. Sometimes I'm not going to score but if the team wins and gets three points, I will be as happy as if we did score.
"It's always easier when you step onto the field and are having fun. The mentality of the team was really good from the first minute. I could see that the team was organized but also very focused. This game was critical and vital. All things came together. It's time to start thinking about the next game."
And having someone like Cunningham to feed the ball to clearly makes Ferreira's job as playmaker much easier.
"It (our partnership) is something that has been progressing," Ferreira said. "The more we play together, the more we know about each other. I was extremely happy that Jeff scored four goals today. He deserves it. It makes my job easier when you have someone who can take advantage of that. He's extremely fast, a player that I'm very happy to be with. It's just going to get better. It's important that chemistry continues to build with players. Tonight was a great example of that."
FCD's Cunningham, Ferreira forming new partnership up front
By Steve Hunt / MLSnet.com Staff
After scoring four goals against the Wizards, Jeff Cunningham won Player of the Week honors. (Getty) FRISCO, Texas -- Saturday night's 6-0 win over Kansas City at Pizza Hut Park was big for FC Dallas in a number of ways. Most specifically, the resounding victory against the Wizards was great for the strike partnership of Jeff Cunningham, who had four goals, and David Ferreira, who had two goals and an assist.
"Throughout my years, I have had a good stretch of goal scoring," Cunningham said. "As a striker, it's (all about) confidence and I'm getting my opportunity. I'm getting my chance playing now consistently and as a result, the goals are coming."
With the departure of Kenny Cooper to Germany, the veteran scorer is now looked upon as FCD's top scoring threat. That's just fine with Cunningham.
"I'm always under pressure," he said. "That's just the nature of the business for goal scorers. You play well this game and the next game if you don't, then you're back on the bench or in the doghouse. There's always pressure. I've just got to keep working. Hopefully my teammates continue supporting me and looking for me, then the goals will continue to come."
After Saturday's win, Cunningham addressed the media still shivering but his message was simple.
"No, (I'm) not the man," he said. "You know what's going to happen. They're going to bring in someone (else to play forward) and I'm going to have to compete for my position. That's fine with me. I'm a fighter. I come from an island full or warriors. You know the history of Jamaica? They're maroons, warriors and fighters. I'm ready to go."
With his four-goal performance, Cunningham now leads FCD with eight goals this season. However, he admitted he can't ever remember scoring four in a game before.
"I don't think that has ever happened, maybe in practice but not even then," he said. "I hear basketball players say the basket seemed huge and everything they do goes well for them. I guess it's just one of those things, even the fourth goal. I didn't strike it well, gave the goalkeeper a chance and the ball slipped under him and ended up in the back of the net. It was just one of those nights. Last week, I hit the post and missed the PK. I thought I hit the ball with some pace but the 'keeper held onto it."
After his third goal, which clinched his second career hat trick, the scorer of 112 career goals in MLS league play ventured over to The Inferno, the FCD supporters group, and laid a few grooves down on one of their drums.
"Those guys, since I've been here, have been so supportive," Cunningham said. "When we're losing, they're still beating their drums. Tonight was a celebration for our team and for them to be excited about the goals. They have had some difficult nights here. The game was enjoyable tonight and it was fitting that we go over and celebrate with them."
In a 4-2 loss at Real Salt Lake on July 24, Cunningham missed a second half penalty kick that would have broken a 2-2 deadlock. He clearly wanted redemption against K.C. and achieved that, especially after converting a penalty kick for his second goal of the night.
"Last week, I felt like I let the team down," he said. "It's like riding a bicycle as a child. When you fall off, you have to get right back on. It was important for me as a striker to get my confidence back because if I didn't take that, you never know. For the rest of my career, I might doubt myself. Tonight I feel confident that I can step up and make the next one. It was important to me to take that one. A striker lives and dies in the penalty area. If I'm afraid to do that, maybe for the rest of the season or my life I'm doubting myself. I've fought too hard to start doubting myself."
He also wanted to give a lot of credit to Ferreira.
"Coach told me a long time ago that good players make themselves look good and great players make others look good," Cunningham said. "David exemplifies that. He makes me look good and everyone around him look good. I'm happy he's getting his goals but he's been creating a lot of opportunities for us all season. I'm just happy to get on the end of some of them and some other boys. He's been doing it all season. Now we're able to put them away and things seem to be flowing well for us. He makes everyone around him look better."
FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman is clearly glad with how quickly the Colombian international has adjusted to MLS.
"Ferreira is a very good player and I think we haven't seen the best out of him," Hyndman said. "How many international players come in this league and really step up their first year? It's a different game, different officiating, different intensity and different speed."
In the locker room after the win, it was easy to see what a happy place it was and there might not have been a happier player than Ferreira.
"It is very important to me the happiness that I feel when I score because I know I am contributing to my team," he said. "At the end of the day, I step onto the field thinking that I always need to contribute to help the team. Sometimes I'm not going to score but if the team wins and gets three points, I will be as happy as if we did score.
"It's always easier when you step onto the field and are having fun. The mentality of the team was really good from the first minute. I could see that the team was organized but also very focused. This game was critical and vital. All things came together. It's time to start thinking about the next game."
And having someone like Cunningham to feed the ball to clearly makes Ferreira's job as playmaker much easier.
"It (our partnership) is something that has been progressing," Ferreira said. "The more we play together, the more we know about each other. I was extremely happy that Jeff scored four goals today. He deserves it. It makes my job easier when you have someone who can take advantage of that. He's extremely fast, a player that I'm very happy to be with. It's just going to get better. It's important that chemistry continues to build with players. Tonight was a great example of that."
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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