Kenny Cooper is returning to FC Dallas Stadium again, something FCD fans experienced last summer when he returned as a member of the Portland Timbers. For whatever reason, things didn’t work out for him with John Spencer’s club, so he the former Dallas forward and Jesuit High School product now finds himself with the New York Red Bulls.

Not only is Cooper now playing for one of the more high-profile sides in Major League Soccer, but he’s also reunited with former Dallas teammate Dax McCarty, who joined the Red Bulls last summer and was on the pitch for their road win at FCD in the regular season and again in the first round of the playoffs.

One thing that’s abundantly clear is that he’s elated to be teammates with McCarty once again.

“It’s great to be back up with him. We were friends back in the Dallas days. It was nice coming to a new team to have not just a former teammate, but also someone that I consider a friend on the team,” Cooper said. “He was really helping me the first couple of days, first couple of weeks and I’m really appreciative of him for that. Along with being a great player, he’s really a great guy. It’s great to be teammates with him again.”

And after things didn’t go so well during his short time with the Timbers, Cooper’s also glad to be in a much better situation with the Red Bulls.

“I’m really excited to be here. I feel really fortunate that this is where I’ve landed,” Cooper said. “This is a great organization and a very talented team. I feel very privileged to be a part of this group.”

The big striker was pretty much a non-factor in the Timbers’ 4-0 loss in Frisco last summer, so much so that his now former head coach in Spencer pretty much called him out in his postgame remarks to the media.

How will Cooper fare this time around in his return to the stadium he called home from 2006 through 2009? There shouldn’t be any shortage in terms of motivation for Cooper, especially with around 100 friends and family in the stands.