Graziani Continues to Make Their Hearts Burn With Desire

It wasn’t that the fans hated Ariel Graziani when he landed with the Dallas Burn as a result of a trade on Aug. 13. It was simply a matter of the Burn faithful loving Leonel Alvarez, whom Dallas sent to the New England Revolution in the deal.

Burn fans were in mourning and would hold up banners showing their love and support for their traded hero during the season’s final weeks.

There were no such signs Sunday, however. Credit the healing process with Graziani’s play.

The high-scoring forward’s performance in the Burn’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Galaxy at the Cotton Bowl endeared him to the Dallas fans in a way that was unthinkable two months ago. Against the Galaxy, Graziani scored two goals and made the deciding shot in the shootout, which the Burn won 4-3.

After the win, which evened the Major League Soccer Western Conference finals at one game apiece in the best-of-three series, Graziani could barely make his way up the ramp to the Burn locker room. He was mobbed by fans asking for hugs, autographs and kisses.

Graziani, who calls Empalme, Argentina, home but has played internationally for the Ecuadorean national team, obliged his Dallas fans.

“It helps to be able to score goals right away to get the fans on your side,” Graziani said. “I was able to do that and keep scoring.

“I’m just on a hot streak right now,” he added. “Strikers can get real hot, or they can go a lot of games without scoring one goal. I’m just fortunate to be on a hot streak right now.”

Indeed. Graziani, who took six of Dallas’ 13 total shots and four of the Burn’s seven shots on goal against the Galaxy, has been producing since joining the Burn, which is 11-3 since acquiring him.

In only eight MLS regular season games, he scored four goals and had an assist.

In the playoffs, he is the leading scorer with 11 points--five goals and one assist.

In the Burn’s 2-1 series victory over the defending MLS champion Chicago Fire, Graziani played 90 minutes in all three games, scoring a goal and getting an assist in the Burn’s Game 1 victory. He later scored the game-winning goal in Dallas’ Game 3 series clincher.

Against the Galaxy in Game 1 of the conference finals on Oct. 31, he scored the Burn’s lone goal in the 2-1 loss.

“Right now he’s clearly one of the elite players in this league and a guy that the league’s going to enjoy watching for a long time,” Burn Coach David Dir said. “Him alone, I could just stick him out there, take the other 10 guys off the field, and it would be worth the ticket.”

On Sunday, each of Graziani’s goals tied the score.

His first was a header past Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman that evened things up, 1-1, at the 33rd minute of the first half.

His second was a no-look shot off the back of his left heel in the 73rd minute of the second half.

Then there was his game-winning boot.

It was the first time Graziani had attempted a kick in a shootout for the Burn.

By making it, he extended a series that will continue Thursday night at the Rose Bowl without two Dallas starters, defender Eric Dade and midfielder Sergi Daniv. Each picked up his third yellow card of the playoffs and thus will have to miss the game.

“It’s going to be difficult for many reasons,” Graziani said. “But we didn’t get this far because we have one or two good players. It’s been a team effort. And that’s what it’s going to take to advance.”

That, and another strong game from Graziani.