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One of the true surprises when the first 11 for Saturday's match between D.C. United and FC Dallas was revealed was that Chris Seitz and not Raul Fernandez would be between the posts for FCD.

Fernandez had started six straight games, but Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman had good reason for giving Seitz the nod against the Black-and-Red.

FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman

That was a great result for us. We started off the game very well, scored a very nice goal. We went into a 4-4-2 formation so we could play Eric [Hassli] and Blas [Perez] together. We had speed on both flanks with Jackson and Fabian [Castillo].

Five changes to the lineup, a new twist on the formation and a focus on attacking the game early. Ben Olsen finally threw the kitchen sink at D.C. United's six-game losing streak on Saturday night. But it wasn't enough, as the Black-and-Red dropped a 2-1 result to FC Dallas in Frisco, Tex.

United started well enough, controlling possession through the midfield trio of Perry Kitchen, Raphael Augusto and Dwayne De Rosario and pressing Dallas all around the field.

We have in the past here at 3rd Degreeplayedthe occasional April Fools joke on the site. Fake ex-boxer signing, check. Owner taking over as technical director, check. The return of Carlos Ruiz, check.

Being a the Dallas Morning News for such a short period of time, it justseemedlike a April Fools joke was out of order this year.

With Raul Fernandez playing for Peru in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and likely not rejoining FC Dallas until Saturday, when FCD will face New England at Gillette Stadium, Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman's original plan was to give Chris Seitz, who performed well in goal in FCD's 2-0 blanking of Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in Frisco, a second straight start between the posts and evaluate where his goalkeeper race stood after facing the Revolution.

FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman
Thoughts on the game...
It was a good game. I think the players might have been a little bit flat coming out, and we were concerned about that before the game started. I had a strong talk with them that they needed to be ready to go because we knew Salt Lake would be.

CORBETT SMITH /Staff writer /corbettsmith@dallasnews.com

FRISCO — FC Dallas goal keeper Chris Seitz is doing a fantastic job of compartmentalizing.

While his fiancée is nine months pregnant, due any day to give birth to the couple's first child, Seitz had the second shutout of his career in a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake — his first since 2009.

FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman is no different than any other coach at any level of competition in that he wants strong competition at every position. But no position has been more contested so far this year than goalkeeper, where Chris Seitz, the backup each of the last two seasons, has battled it out with newcomer Raul Fernandez.

Chris Seitz has been with FC Dallas since the 2011 season, when he came over in a trade with Seattle Sounders FC, who had taken him in the MLS Re-Entry Draft after he spent the '11 campaign with Philadelphia, where he was not only the starting goalkeeper for the Union but he was also a teammate of current FCD midfielder Andrew Jacobson.

One of the more pressing questions surrounding FC Dallas this preseason was who would emerge as the starting goalkeeper? Both Chris Seitz, who has been FCD's backup each of the last two seasons and newcomer Raul Fernandez, somewhat of a wildcard from Peru, battled it out and it was surprising for some to see Fernandez earn the starting nod for the March 2 season opener against Colorado.

Raul Fernandez (FCD Communications)

Those hoping that FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman would name a starting goalkeeper in advance of Saturday's season opener with Colorado will be sorely disappointed to hear that FCD won't announce whether it will be Chris Seitz or Raul Fernandez between the posts against the Rapids until gameday.

BY DARRELL LOVELL

FC Dallas had a 2012 the club would rather forget. Injuries and a lack of consistent form made for a challenging campaign that left the club with more questions than answers.

Making matters worse was a strong run at the end that fell just short of the last spot in the playoffs once stars like David Ferreria and Blas Perez made their way into the starting XI.

The post Chris Seitz Welcoming Battle for Starting Keeper Gig appeared first on 3rd Degree.

After three seasons with FC Dallas, goalkeeper Kevin Hartman looks to be on his way out of Frisco. His agent, Ron Waxman, commented tonight that the club has not offered Hartman a contract, and will not be doing so.

Waxman stated "FC Dallas have decided not to offer star GK Kevin Hartman a new contract.

FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz has made 102 saves during a six-year career that has seen him play for three different teams, mostly as a back-up after entering Major League Soccer as one of the best young American goalkeeping prospects in college history. Some of those 102 saves have been astounding, such as the handful of jaw-dropping stops he made at the end of the 2011 season to deny Chris Wondolowski the Golden Boot.

Playing a few days after a trip to Trinidad in 100-degree heat without being entirely at full strength is not exactly a recipe for success. No, this was not a standout performance from the Seattle Sounders, but it was the result they needed. A 1-1 tie against FC Dallas keeps the Sounders in good position to get a Top 3 seed in the Western Conference and sets them up nicely for the stretch run.

Philadelphia Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz clarified in the press conference earlier this week that Peter Nowak was responsible for all personnel decisions during his reign. With nearly every journalist, blogger, tweeter, fan, or casual observer of the league scratching their heads over why he chose to part ways with the most successful and recognizable players on his young team, it's not a surprise his days were numbered.

Corey Gibbs' retired after battling a knee injury he couldn't overcome.

Austin Berry won Rookie of the Year

The contract with Branko Boskovic was mutually terminated due to the players need to return to Europe and deal with family matters.

I love watching games on Univision, among other reasons because the game starts off with the announcer yelling ¡ESTE . . . ES TIEMPO DE NUESTRO FUTBOL! Don't you think every soccer broadcast should start that way? I do, though it's hard to imagine, say, Martin Tyler or Ian Darke getting it just right.