FRISCO, Texas (Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011) – FC Dallas will host the New York Red Bulls on NBC Sports Network at 2 p.m., CT, Sunday, March 11, during MLS First Kick presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
The match, featuring two of the league’s hottest stars in Brek Shea and Thierry Henry, as well as Mexico’s Rafa Marquez, will mark the first MLS game broadcast as part of the new, three-year partnership between MLS and NBC (PREVIEW VIDEO).
Tickets start at $15 and are available now through ticketmaster.com, FCDallas.com, by calling FC Dallas at 888.FCD.GOAL (323.4625), or clicking here.
In 2011, FC Dallas competed in three tournaments, advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, fell one point shy of advancing to the CONCACAF Champions League Championship Stage, and earned a second consecutive MLS playoff berth, all totaling a franchise-record 48 games. In the midst of the hectic schedule, the Dallas side also became the first American team to defeat a Mexican team in Mexico with a 1-0 win at Pumas UNAM. Following the season, Brek Shea and Kevin Hartman were named as finalists for the league’s MVP and Goalkeeper of the Year awards, respectively.
When a broken ankle sidelined the 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira just six games into the season, FC Dallas answered with a nine-game unbeaten streak, a franchise-record 531-minute shutout streak and a franchise-record-tying 52 points. Hartman, already the MLS career leader in nearly every major goalkeeping statistical category, picked up his 100th career shutout. Shea not only played his way onto the short list of MLS MVP candidates, the 21-year-old became a fixture in Jurgen Klinsmann’s U.S. National Team starting XI and was named the top player in MLS under the age of 24.
Following a successful 2011 season and a 2010 berth in MLS Cup, FC Dallas has high hopes for a 2012 season that will see the return of 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira, as well as stars Hartman and Shea.
Each club will play 34 games in the 2012 MLS Regular Season; CLICK HERE for details on the format.
