MLS

• Crew to unveil new forward vs. Cooper-led FC Dallas

  
  

  Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - The Columbus Crew return from a one-week layoff in Major League Soccer action when they host FC Dallas at Crew Stadium on Saturday.

  Both teams sit in third place in their respective conference tables, but the Crew (9-6-4) have a much better record than the Hoops (6-6-7) in the much stronger Eastern Conference.

  Dallas is surging as of late, however, because of the recent form of forward Kenny Cooper, who has led his club to back-to-back victories with four goals in the last two games.

  "They're close [to the level I expected when I got here]," said Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman, who is 2-3-1 since taking over the team. "I think we're starting to get the right personnel, the right pieces. I think what they need to do now is continue to understand what their role and job description is and how their shape matters in the attack and while we're defending." The team's most recent victory was 2-0 at Toronto FC, where the Canadian club hadn't lost all season prior to last week.

  "We've come away with three points on the road in an environment that is very difficult to win," Hyndman said. "You know the surface, great fan support, a good team, so for us to come away with three points is everything we hoped for." The Hoops should have a couple new faces on the roster for Saturday's fixture with journeyman forward Jeff Cunningham and former Netherlands international Victor Sikora added to the mix.

  "Obviously, he's scored a lot of goals," Cooper said of Cunningham. "So I'm excited that he's going to be on our team now. He's a great player and is coming into a great locker room. We'll embrace him like we have every other player.

  We've got great guys here and I'm sure that he'll fit in really quickly.

  He has 99 (goals) in MLS and that's an incredible stat. Hopefully he will come here and do what he's been doing for his whole career." Sikora is listed as probable on the Hoops injury report with a knee injury.

  The Crew also have a new face at forward, after the team acquired Pat Noonan after he returned to the league from Aalesund of Norway's Tippeligaen. The Crew sent a first-round pick in the 2009 SuperDraft, allocation money and swapped allocation spots with New England for Noonan, who made 119 regular- season appearances, including 110 starts, for the Revolution, scoring 37 goals and 29 assists.

  "Pat has the ability to play on the flanks," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said. "Right now that's where we need a little more support with [Robbie] Rogers and [Emmanuel] Ekpo gone [at the Olympics]. If his style is similar to anybody it's Guillermo's because when he plays as one of the two strikers he finds that space underneath a little bit. As a flank player he'll come inside. He'll not do you down the wing for speed. He can help with our possession game a great deal and he's had a lot of experience in this league. That's why we got him here." There is a slim chance Rogers could return from Beijing after the U.S. was eliminated from Olympic play, but Ekpo will not return this week, with Nigeria advancing past the group stage.

  08/15 16:08:37 ET