FRISCO, Texas -- When FC Dallas acquired Jeff Cunningham from Toronto FC in early August, there were some raised eyebrows among the Hoops faithful. Many wondered which Cunningham would show up in Frisco. Would it be the talented striker who in 2006 with Real Salt Lake won the MLS Golden Boot with 16 goals, or would they receive the disgruntled Cunningham who fell out of favor in the Great White North?
After his first six games in hoops, it's safe to say that FCD got the first possibility. Cunningham has scored four goals and also has a pair of assists for his new side. His best performance came on Sunday in a 4-1 win against Chicago where he had two goals and an assist.
The veteran striker, who now has netted 103 goals in his MLS career, was quick to credit his new teammates for his success.
"They're looking for me and are getting me in scoring positions. I'm just happy that the balls are going in the back of the net," Cunningham said. "It was a good team effort. We were able to get that early goal but we didn't let up. We kept playing and were able to score two more before half. Coming out in the second half, we knew they would make changes and we just kept playing. I thought that was the best team effort we have played so far this season."
FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman has been pleased with the positive impact that Cunningham has had on the side since joining the team last month.
"He has been great," Hyndman said. "There's been a reputation with Jeff all across the league. I don't think anyone doesn't get a reputation when they're in the league for 10 years. We felt that this was a good move for us, to get another striker, somebody that's an established scorer. We felt that he could take pressure off our defense.
"At the same time, I also felt that he could complement Kenny (Cooper). I think you're starting to see a little bit better understanding between the two and a little bit more acceptance of their roles," Hyndman continued. "What we had hoped from the beginning was to have two legitimate players who could score. Jeff has been successful for us putting balls in the back of the net. He's also been successful for us in unbalancing the opposition."
Early last week, Cunningham was absent from the team for the birth of his and his wife's first child, Mikayla. That was definitely a big inspiration for his performance on Sunday.
"My last visit to Chicago (on July 12) was a very low point for me with my former club," Cunningham said. "Some things took place there that were not so memorable. So, to go back with this team, having my daughter and having a good result was a great moment in my life. I can't go into too much detail about what took place in my last visit but it meant a lot to me, more than you guys even know. I was very pleased."
After the win, which put FCD back into the playoff hunt in the Western Conference, Cunningham spoke to his wife about their newest addition.
"She said the baby just kept smiling," he said. "Maybe that's the father/daughter bond because she had on her FC Dallas sweater and she was smiling a lot. Maybe she felt the joy I was feeling during the match."
In the second half, Cunningham had several chances to complete the hat trick but the veteran scorer admits that was far from his mind.
"Honestly, I wanted other guys to get on the scoresheet," he said. "I thought Kenny (Cooper) played well and was deserving of a goal. So, honestly I wasn't really pushing for the third goal as I should have. I was just happy the team played well and got a result."
Cunningham admits that after a tough first half of the season in Toronto, he is still finding his way with FCD.
"The first half of the season, I wasn't playing much football," he said. "So, I'm still trying to get my rhythm back and getting my confidence back. I think my teammates are doing a great job of looking for me, trying to get me involved in the game and putting me in goal scoring situations. A lot of credit goes to them because if they're not looking for me and forcing it at times, I wouldn't be creating as many goal scoring opportunities. I enjoy playing with these guys."
Still, his coach offered a pretty concise evaluation of his two-goal performance.
"One was what you want every striker to do, be a shark in the box," Hyndman said. "The ball was hit by Kenny after a great ball by Andre (Rocha). And as it popped loose, he was on top of it. All he did was put a toe on it, slid it and scored. The second goal was a counterattack goal where a defender was unable to keep up with him and (Jon) Busch didn't come off his line quick enough. He had the speed to run through and score.
"You also have to remember what a great assist he gave to Bruno (Guarda on the second goal). Here's a striker who goes out wide on a counterattack and serves a brilliant ball to the far post and we get a goal," Hyndman continued. "So, I've been very pleased with his performance and I'm looking for better and better things from him."
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