FRISCO, Texas -- You could have cut the nostalgia with a knife on Saturday at Pizza Hut Park. Dallas homecomings are springing up everywhere as the countdown continues toward Sunday's MLS Cup 2006.
Dallas ties run deep for some Dynamo and Revolution team members. There's a former youth player who participated in the Dallas Cup. There's a former SMU placekicker, another ex-SMU student, a guy who played high school football at nearby Southlake High School and a former member of the Dallas Burn.
For New England's Daniel Hernandez, Kyle Brown and T.J. Tomasso and Houston's Alejandro Moreno and Brad Davis, the bonus about being at the MLS Cup is that it is being staged in a city where they all cultivated fond memories and set a foundation for their future endeavors.
Hernandez was once the placekicker for SMU. Tomasso is also an SMU product. Moreno fondly recalls his amateur soccer days in Dallas. Brown's high school years were spent in the Dallas suburbs and Davis gained two years of pro experience with the Burn.
"Being a young player here in Dallas, it opened some doors for me," said Moreno, who played in the Dallas Cup in 1991, 1994 and 1997. "I got the opportunity to come and play with the Dallas Texans. That helped me get a college scholarship for soccer. I got drafted into the MLS and here I am.
"I met some nice friends here. There are people in Dallas who care a lot about me. The only troublesome thing is trying to find enough tickets for everybody, but we're managing that. It would be great if we could win the Cup here and I could celebrate it not only with my team but with my Dallas friends."
Davis spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the Dallas Burn before joining the San Jose Earthquakes before the start of the '05 season.
"It would definitely feel good to win it here and hold up the trophy in front of some of the fans that I still have here," Davis said. "Being back in Dallas just gives me some peace of mind."
Hernandez is originally from Tyler, Texas. His ability to kick a ball in expert fashion landed him the job of SMU placekicker in 1995 and 1996.
"It's great whenever you can play before family and friends, but especially so when you are going for a championship," Hernandez said.
Hernandez was a soccer and football player for the Mustangs when Tom Rossley served as head football coach.
"I did fairly well," Hernandez recalled. "My longest field goal was 48 yards. I tried one longer than that -- 56 yards -- but it got blocked."
Instead of kicking for tuition and room and board, Hernandez is now kicking for a chance to hoist the Cup. He estimates there will be 30 to 40 family member and friends in the stands on Sunday.
Brown, the former Southlake product who went on to Tulsa University and was a third-round draft pick in this year's SuperDraft, also anticipates seeing a lot of familiar faces at Pizza Hut Park.
"I'm so excited to be back home," Brown said. "I got to see some of my friends on Friday and my family is coming up. Being on a team in the final is a tremendous experience. But to have it happen in your hometown makes it that much more special."
Brown graduated from football power Southlake High School. in 2001. He didn't go out with a state football championship, but now he's back with a chance to be part of an MLS championship.
"I've got like 10 people coming," Brown said. "Hopefully, we'll give them the result that they want. I can't imagine a better place to celebrate a championship."
Robert Falkoff is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subect to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
Garber on Desig. Player: 
Nov. 11 show archive: 
