The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl moved from Fort Worth to Dallas this year as TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium undergoes renovations.  This year’s game at SMU’s Ford Stadium featured the Army Black Knights and the SMU Mustangs.  A record crowd of 36,742 watched as Army prevailed 16-14.

Cole Beasley TD

For those of you that don’t know, HDR imaging is a process of taking multiple images of the same subject and then combining those images into one.  You can take anywhere from 3-7 images of the same subject and then combine them.  This is a really basic explanation, but generally, you take one photo at “normal” exposure and then you take some over and some underexposed shots.  When you combine the images into one it gives you a full range of colors and you get all of the shadows and highlights from all of the images.  Then you use a software program to “tonemap” the image to bring out the colors and give it its final look.  I was using Photomatix, but I have found a new software called Dynamic Photo HDR that I like a little more.

The Old Red Courthouse in downtown Dallas

Cowboys Stadium

SMU’s Dallas Hall in the snow

FC Dallas must have been wondering where the offense was going to come from after the sold striker Kenny Cooper to 1860 Munich earlier in the week, but they didn’t have to wait long for an answer.  Jeff Cunningham scored the first of his four goals in the 39th minute which was followed three minutes later by the first of David Ferreira’s two goals. 

The halftime score was the same as the previous weekend, but in that game FC Dallas conceded four second half goals to lose to the Colorado Rapids.  FC Dallas were out to make sure that would not happen again.  They dominated play in the second half and got three more goals from Cunningham starting with one from the penalty spot in the 66th minute and then again in the 75th minute and 89th minute and one more from Ferreira in the 78th. 

The margin of victory was the largest in club history and the six goals tied for the most in club history.  All in all, a dominant performance by FC Dallas. 

The match went scoreless late into the second half, but both teams had chances.  Franco Di Santo, a second half substitute, scored the first of Chelsea’s two goals on a cross from Florent Malouda.  A couple of minutes later Di Santo assisted Malouda on the second goal.  The final score was 2-0 and Chelsea was the winner of the inagural World Football Challenge.

Columbus took the lead in the 17th minute when Eric Brunner’s header deflected off Pablo Richetti of FC Dallas and past goalkeeper Ray Burse.  FC Dallas mounted a strong comeback and tied the game in the 80th minute when substitute Eric Avila placed a shot into the top corner.  Then, in the 87th minute, FC Dallas’ David Ferreira was taken down in the box and Kenny Cooper calmly converted the penalty  to give FC Dallas the win.

 Kyle Davies’ first MLS start