Ain't That a Kick in the Head

In FC Dallas' 3-2 win over Chicago Saturday, the local kid made good, scoring the winning goal in the 70th minute--just five minutes after entering the game. But that kid wasn't Mario Torres, the local Latino league phenom whose story we chronicled last July. Nor was it fellow Dallas products...

By Robert Wilonsky

April 3, 2006

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In FC Dallas' 3-2 win over Chicago Saturday, the local kid made good, scoring the winning goal in the 70th minute--just five minutes after entering the game. But that kid wasn't Mario Torres, the local Latino league phenom whose story we chronicled last July. Nor was it fellow Dallas products Drew Moor or Ramon Nu�ez. Nope, it was Kenny Cooper, formerly of Jesuit High School, back home after a two-year hitch with Manchester United. His arrival means that 14 percent of FCD's 28-man roster is now homegrown.

Torres says he doesn't begrudge Cooper his spectacular debut. "I'm really happy for him and happy for the team," he says. "I think we should get more Dallas guys." For now, Torres is just happy to be back on the roster after having to defend his spot against a record 12 draft picks in the preseason. But if he or Nu�ez can break through to the first team, it might bring back the Latino fans that don't seem to be braving the 45-minute slog north to Frisco. Still, Pizza Hut Park was nearly full, and there was a raucous, red-clad group chanting and beating drums in the corner above the "Raza Latina" banner on Saturday--only it wasn't Raza Latina, Dallas' Latino booster club. It was the Barn Burners, their Chicago counterparts. --Rick Kennedy

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