Soccer: Daniel Hernandez
After each season series between the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas, the Brimstone Cup is awarded to the team that earns the most points.
Chicago may not even remember what the trophy looks like.
The Fire look to claim their first Brimstone Cup since it was created 11 years ago while seeking to end a five-game winless streak against struggling Dallas on Wednesday night.
Chicago captured the inaugural award in 2001 but hasn't reclaimed it since relinquishing it the following season. Dallas has gone 14-3-3 against the Fire since 2002 and 3-0-2 in the last five meetings.
This will be the only regular-season contest between these teams, meaning the winner will claim the Brimstone Cup. If the match ends in a draw, Dallas (3-6-4) will hold it for an 11th straight year.
Chicago has never beaten Dallas at Toyota Park, going 0-5-1 since it opened in 2006. Its last home victory in the series was June 12, 2005, at Soldier Field.
The Fire (4-3-3) seemingly have a good opportunity to end that skid, though.
Dallas is 0-4-3 in its last seven after a 1-all draw with Philadelphia on Saturday, last winning April 14 over Montreal. It hasn't gone this many games without a victory since a club-record 10-game stretch July 2-Sept. 10, 2005.
"I thought we played well enough to win. It's just same old story," midfielder Daniel Hernandez told the league's official website. "We can't find a way to get three points."
Dallas is 1-7-1 in its last nine road games, winning 2-1 at Chicago on Oct. 12.
The Fire are coming off a 2-1 loss at Portland on Sunday, ending a three-game unbeaten streak. After Jalil Anibaba tied the game in the 39th minute, Chicago's Logan Pause deflected a header into his own net in the 52nd minute.
"I thought that we didn't deserve to walk away with a loss," coach Frank Klopas said. "Overall, I thought it was frustrating because I feel disappointed when we lose, but when you feel that you should have walked away with points from here it's hard to take the loss."
Inconsistency has plagued a Chicago team that hasn't won consecutive games all season with an attack that has gone dormant for stretches during matches.
"We've put very good halves together, we've played very well in 60-minute stretches," defender Dan Gargan told the team's official website. "I think we're looking for a really good 90-minute performance from start to finish. That's certainly something we need to get better at."
The same goes for Dallas, which got a goal from Blas Perez in the seventh minute Saturday but little else after that. It hasn't scored a goal in the second half other than on a penalty kick since Brek Shea's tally in the 88th minute in Dallas' most recent win.
"We created some really good chances in the first half," coach Schellas Hyndman said after Saturday's match. "And then, the game just got to the point where it unfortunately got more physical than it needed to be."
Dallas has outscored Chicago 10-3 in the last five matchups.
Chicago may not even remember what the trophy looks like.
The Fire look to claim their first Brimstone Cup since it was created 11 years ago while seeking to end a five-game winless streak against struggling Dallas on Wednesday night.
Chicago captured the inaugural award in 2001 but hasn't reclaimed it since relinquishing it the following season. Dallas has gone 14-3-3 against the Fire since 2002 and 3-0-2 in the last five meetings.
This will be the only regular-season contest between these teams, meaning the winner will claim the Brimstone Cup. If the match ends in a draw, Dallas (3-6-4) will hold it for an 11th straight year.
Chicago has never beaten Dallas at Toyota Park, going 0-5-1 since it opened in 2006. Its last home victory in the series was June 12, 2005, at Soldier Field.
The Fire (4-3-3) seemingly have a good opportunity to end that skid, though.
Dallas is 0-4-3 in its last seven after a 1-all draw with Philadelphia on Saturday, last winning April 14 over Montreal. It hasn't gone this many games without a victory since a club-record 10-game stretch July 2-Sept. 10, 2005.
"I thought we played well enough to win. It's just same old story," midfielder Daniel Hernandez told the league's official website. "We can't find a way to get three points."
Dallas is 1-7-1 in its last nine road games, winning 2-1 at Chicago on Oct. 12.
The Fire are coming off a 2-1 loss at Portland on Sunday, ending a three-game unbeaten streak. After Jalil Anibaba tied the game in the 39th minute, Chicago's Logan Pause deflected a header into his own net in the 52nd minute.
"I thought that we didn't deserve to walk away with a loss," coach Frank Klopas said. "Overall, I thought it was frustrating because I feel disappointed when we lose, but when you feel that you should have walked away with points from here it's hard to take the loss."
Inconsistency has plagued a Chicago team that hasn't won consecutive games all season with an attack that has gone dormant for stretches during matches.
"We've put very good halves together, we've played very well in 60-minute stretches," defender Dan Gargan told the team's official website. "I think we're looking for a really good 90-minute performance from start to finish. That's certainly something we need to get better at."
The same goes for Dallas, which got a goal from Blas Perez in the seventh minute Saturday but little else after that. It hasn't scored a goal in the second half other than on a penalty kick since Brek Shea's tally in the 88th minute in Dallas' most recent win.
"We created some really good chances in the first half," coach Schellas Hyndman said after Saturday's match. "And then, the game just got to the point where it unfortunately got more physical than it needed to be."
Dallas has outscored Chicago 10-3 in the last five matchups.
Head Coach Schellas Hyndman
Overall thoughts on the game… I thought our players were really focused. They were very competitive tonight from the beginning to the end. We scored a nice goal, created some very good chances in the first half, and then the game just kind of got to the point where, unfortunately, it was more physical than it needed to be. I don't think our depth is strong enough right now with the injuries to handle it. I think one key point was when [Hernan] Pertuz got hurt. I think it changed our defense. We weren't as strong in the air and we weren't as strong marking-wise. All in all, the players showed up today to play and they gave us everything they had.
On Bryan Leyva's game tonight:
What a nice performance from Bryan Leyva, a player who was coming along for us, and then picked up an injury. Now, he's coming back and getting his rhthym. I thought he played very well. He was composed and was able to make some very good passes. He's a player that, if he can continue to get more playing time, he can compete for a starting position on this team.
On how the game changed in the second half:
If you look at the number of chances that Philadelphia had late, it was from turnovers in the back third. I thought we were doing well in the first half. If you look at the beginning of the second half, I think in the first 10 to 15 minutes we were doing the things that we wanted to do. The moment Pertuz got hurt, I really think it changed.
FC Dallas forward Blas Perez
Talk about what happened during your goal It was a corner kick, so I tried to get to the far post because I was thinking that was where the ball was going to end up. I was lucky enough to have the ball pop up for me. I was even luckier to not get injured on the play. It gave us a little gas during the early part of the first half.
Was this the most physical game you’ve played so far this season?
It wasn’t been the most physical game but there were some bad fouls. There is really nothing you can do about that but go back and try and play your game and let the referees do the best job they can do.
Did getting an early goal lift the team in the first half?
It was a big goal. It gave us a confidence boost for the rest of the first half. The second we didn’t pressure Philadelphia like we needed to and we gave away a goal on a mistake. We may have had a few more chances than them but [Chase] Harrison played well. He made some big saves for Philadelphia.
FC Dallas midfielder Daniel Hernandez
On how he felt playing a 4-5-1 with Andrew Jacobson, James Marcelin and himself in the middle I thought Andrew [Jacobson], James [Marcelin] and I were very comfortable with one another in the middle. We did a good job. I felt good. We had a good rhythm going. Philadelphia likes to crowd the midfield and I felt we did a good job of containing them.
On his first time playing next to James Marcelin
It was good. There was good communication. We were in the right places. It’s a style of play we’re comfortable with, one we have been playing for years. I think we play our best soccer in that formation.
How does it feel, getting three points at home?
It doesn’t feel good, just getting a point at home. You want three points. You want to win every time at home. I thought we played well enough to win. It’s just same old story. We can’t find a way to get three points.
FC Dallas Homegrown midfielder Bryan Leyva
On his performance tonight… I haven’t talked to Schellas other than when he walked by and said that I had played well. I felt great. It was my first game back since I injured my ankle. It did not give me any trouble during the game. I hope I can continue to play and contribute to this team.
How frustrating is it to lose a lead like that?
It’s really frustrating. I know how hard each and every one of my teammates works during training. We worked hard the whole week to be able to come out here and attack the game. We did, and we were up a goal and to let the lead slip away is very frustrating. Despite the tie, the guys still have a good attitude. It gives me confidence to be amongst a positive group of guys like that.
Philadelphia Union head coach Peter Nowak
Talk about the first half vs. the second half
We talked about how we are going to start the game and we wanted to continue to play how we did against New York, but they got the goal in the seventh minute which basically cuts you off immediately.
Talk about the adjustments you made coming into this match
We had Michael Lahoud with us for the first time, so he tried to find his feet and understand the system. We made some pretty good adjustments at halftime and basically executed very well in the second half. We created chances. We scored a goal and a couple of inches of luck here and there and we could have won the game. The 45 minutes was a good continuation of what we’ve been talking about in the past weeks and months of how we want to play and is a good sign of the future. We’re not going to slow down we’re going to play like that in the future and remainder of the season.
On Chase Harrison’s performance
He was very courageous on a couple of corner kicks and crosses and the free kicks from the sides. As you can see right now, he took some hits. Some hits on the head and some on the ankle. So listen, you always keep everyone fresh and everyone on their toes because you never know what is going to happen.
Talk about the result
This is a very positive result for us after a disappointing loss against New York. Because we all felt bad thinking we had played our best game of the season, so it’s a good sign of the continuation. That the guys are starting to believe in the way we play. As I’ve said, there’s still work to do, but we are moving forward as a group and we are going to keep fighting.
What have to tried to change in the first couple games this season?
What we tried to change was just the defensive game. Which we didn’t have in the first part of seven or eight games and we’ve tried to make it better. Now we are more dangerous. People are looking at us like ‘what are we going to do?’ We made the changes and we get shots, so the backline is stepping up and creating room and creating the chances. It’s time. It’s the new guys settling in. They know each other. They play with each other, so now the understanding as a group is pretty good and we’re going to keep fighting.
Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Chase Harrison
On his first start
It’s great. It’s been a long road getting here. I’ve been on several different teams and to have the coaching staff here believe in me, that I can get the job done; it means a lot that the coaching staff has my back and I’m glad we were able to come out and get the result.
On returning to Philadelphia
It was still up in the air. There were still a lot of things that happened in the offseason that happened behind the scenes that made me feel like they might be bringing me back, but it was hard to say until it got closer to preseason and when they gave me the call and said: ‘Hey we’d like to bring you in. We think this is going to be a good opportunity for you to come in.’ I came into preseason. Did well and they ended up signing me for the season.
On Dallas’ goal
When that early goal gets in you have to say, ‘alright that’s done. There’s nothing else I can do about it, so let’s just play hard for the rest of the 82 minutes left in the game. Let’s recoup and move onto the next play of the game.’
On his ankle injury
This happened probably 60 minutes into the game. I came out onto a cross and rolled it. And then I did a kick save to my near post and it tweaked it again. And the contact there at the end, it wasn’t bad contact, but when I stepped I rolled it again. It was extremely painful. It looked like I was wasting time, but I knew the referee was going to add more time anyways. I just rolled it again at the end there.
Philadelphia Union midfielder Michael Farfan
On the second half
In the first half, we just couldn’t get a rhythm. We were not possessing the ball too well. But in the second half we came out and spread it out a little more. We adjusted well and we got a good amount of chances. I think we put more pressure and we came out a little stronger [in the second half]. We were able to get out on the flanks and create a couple chances here and there, so I think we did a lot better in the second half.
On the player changes coming into the game
We’re familiar with everyone that we’ve played with, so I think we all know our tendencies pretty well by now. I think we were prepared for this game just like any other game.
On playing with Chase
I think he as confident coming into the game. He does well in training, so I don’t think anyone was more nervous with him back there.
On locker room reaction to recent trades
We just stay positive. We just have to look forward to the next game. We can’t really dwell on the past, so I think we just look to the next game, train hard and come out strong.
Overall thoughts on the game… I thought our players were really focused. They were very competitive tonight from the beginning to the end. We scored a nice goal, created some very good chances in the first half, and then the game just kind of got to the point where, unfortunately, it was more physical than it needed to be. I don't think our depth is strong enough right now with the injuries to handle it. I think one key point was when [Hernan] Pertuz got hurt. I think it changed our defense. We weren't as strong in the air and we weren't as strong marking-wise. All in all, the players showed up today to play and they gave us everything they had.
On Bryan Leyva's game tonight:
What a nice performance from Bryan Leyva, a player who was coming along for us, and then picked up an injury. Now, he's coming back and getting his rhthym. I thought he played very well. He was composed and was able to make some very good passes. He's a player that, if he can continue to get more playing time, he can compete for a starting position on this team.
On how the game changed in the second half:
If you look at the number of chances that Philadelphia had late, it was from turnovers in the back third. I thought we were doing well in the first half. If you look at the beginning of the second half, I think in the first 10 to 15 minutes we were doing the things that we wanted to do. The moment Pertuz got hurt, I really think it changed.
FC Dallas forward Blas Perez
Talk about what happened during your goal It was a corner kick, so I tried to get to the far post because I was thinking that was where the ball was going to end up. I was lucky enough to have the ball pop up for me. I was even luckier to not get injured on the play. It gave us a little gas during the early part of the first half.
Was this the most physical game you’ve played so far this season?
It wasn’t been the most physical game but there were some bad fouls. There is really nothing you can do about that but go back and try and play your game and let the referees do the best job they can do.
Did getting an early goal lift the team in the first half?
It was a big goal. It gave us a confidence boost for the rest of the first half. The second we didn’t pressure Philadelphia like we needed to and we gave away a goal on a mistake. We may have had a few more chances than them but [Chase] Harrison played well. He made some big saves for Philadelphia.
FC Dallas midfielder Daniel Hernandez
On how he felt playing a 4-5-1 with Andrew Jacobson, James Marcelin and himself in the middle I thought Andrew [Jacobson], James [Marcelin] and I were very comfortable with one another in the middle. We did a good job. I felt good. We had a good rhythm going. Philadelphia likes to crowd the midfield and I felt we did a good job of containing them.
On his first time playing next to James Marcelin
It was good. There was good communication. We were in the right places. It’s a style of play we’re comfortable with, one we have been playing for years. I think we play our best soccer in that formation.
How does it feel, getting three points at home?
It doesn’t feel good, just getting a point at home. You want three points. You want to win every time at home. I thought we played well enough to win. It’s just same old story. We can’t find a way to get three points.
FC Dallas Homegrown midfielder Bryan Leyva
On his performance tonight… I haven’t talked to Schellas other than when he walked by and said that I had played well. I felt great. It was my first game back since I injured my ankle. It did not give me any trouble during the game. I hope I can continue to play and contribute to this team.
How frustrating is it to lose a lead like that?
It’s really frustrating. I know how hard each and every one of my teammates works during training. We worked hard the whole week to be able to come out here and attack the game. We did, and we were up a goal and to let the lead slip away is very frustrating. Despite the tie, the guys still have a good attitude. It gives me confidence to be amongst a positive group of guys like that.
Philadelphia Union head coach Peter Nowak
Talk about the first half vs. the second half
We talked about how we are going to start the game and we wanted to continue to play how we did against New York, but they got the goal in the seventh minute which basically cuts you off immediately.
Talk about the adjustments you made coming into this match
We had Michael Lahoud with us for the first time, so he tried to find his feet and understand the system. We made some pretty good adjustments at halftime and basically executed very well in the second half. We created chances. We scored a goal and a couple of inches of luck here and there and we could have won the game. The 45 minutes was a good continuation of what we’ve been talking about in the past weeks and months of how we want to play and is a good sign of the future. We’re not going to slow down we’re going to play like that in the future and remainder of the season.
On Chase Harrison’s performance
He was very courageous on a couple of corner kicks and crosses and the free kicks from the sides. As you can see right now, he took some hits. Some hits on the head and some on the ankle. So listen, you always keep everyone fresh and everyone on their toes because you never know what is going to happen.
Talk about the result
This is a very positive result for us after a disappointing loss against New York. Because we all felt bad thinking we had played our best game of the season, so it’s a good sign of the continuation. That the guys are starting to believe in the way we play. As I’ve said, there’s still work to do, but we are moving forward as a group and we are going to keep fighting.
What have to tried to change in the first couple games this season?
What we tried to change was just the defensive game. Which we didn’t have in the first part of seven or eight games and we’ve tried to make it better. Now we are more dangerous. People are looking at us like ‘what are we going to do?’ We made the changes and we get shots, so the backline is stepping up and creating room and creating the chances. It’s time. It’s the new guys settling in. They know each other. They play with each other, so now the understanding as a group is pretty good and we’re going to keep fighting.
Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Chase Harrison
On his first start
It’s great. It’s been a long road getting here. I’ve been on several different teams and to have the coaching staff here believe in me, that I can get the job done; it means a lot that the coaching staff has my back and I’m glad we were able to come out and get the result.
On returning to Philadelphia
It was still up in the air. There were still a lot of things that happened in the offseason that happened behind the scenes that made me feel like they might be bringing me back, but it was hard to say until it got closer to preseason and when they gave me the call and said: ‘Hey we’d like to bring you in. We think this is going to be a good opportunity for you to come in.’ I came into preseason. Did well and they ended up signing me for the season.
On Dallas’ goal
When that early goal gets in you have to say, ‘alright that’s done. There’s nothing else I can do about it, so let’s just play hard for the rest of the 82 minutes left in the game. Let’s recoup and move onto the next play of the game.’
On his ankle injury
This happened probably 60 minutes into the game. I came out onto a cross and rolled it. And then I did a kick save to my near post and it tweaked it again. And the contact there at the end, it wasn’t bad contact, but when I stepped I rolled it again. It was extremely painful. It looked like I was wasting time, but I knew the referee was going to add more time anyways. I just rolled it again at the end there.
Philadelphia Union midfielder Michael Farfan
On the second half
In the first half, we just couldn’t get a rhythm. We were not possessing the ball too well. But in the second half we came out and spread it out a little more. We adjusted well and we got a good amount of chances. I think we put more pressure and we came out a little stronger [in the second half]. We were able to get out on the flanks and create a couple chances here and there, so I think we did a lot better in the second half.
On the player changes coming into the game
We’re familiar with everyone that we’ve played with, so I think we all know our tendencies pretty well by now. I think we were prepared for this game just like any other game.
On playing with Chase
I think he as confident coming into the game. He does well in training, so I don’t think anyone was more nervous with him back there.
On locker room reaction to recent trades
We just stay positive. We just have to look forward to the next game. We can’t really dwell on the past, so I think we just look to the next game, train hard and come out strong.
FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman:
On the match changing with Zach Loyd's second yellow card:
“I think it was a couple things. I thought it was a very aggressive game and there was a lot of physical play going on. I'm only speaking from my side. I didn't think the right calls were being made. What I said to the boys at halftime: 'This will be a difference maker in the second half.' They will find a way to give you a red card, so be smart. That didn't take very long at all. “
On whether Zach Loyd's second yellow was deserved:
“I thought the second yellow was probably deserved, but there was two or three hits that went on that could've stopped the whole play. Those are the things that don't occur. Those are the things that aren't called that eventually come into something else. The first yellow I really questioned. Looking at the replay, I think that was a questionable call. “
On the change in mentality being up 1-0 and having a man sent off:
“It changes on the other team more than yours. The other team is going to be throwing more people forward and will be more aggressive and try to get something on the break.
On your team, you're trying to figure out your shape and if you remember, I had just made a sub before they scored. I had put in another forward and all of a sudden we had too many attacking people and we just lost someone. We had to lose somebody in the midfield. We had to make some adjustments and I had to make another sub, take the guy off that I put on. “
FC Dallas defender Daniel Hernandez:
On the match changing with Zach Loyd's second yellow card:
“I just thought the second half, we dropped back a little too deep like we had done a lot in the past. We weren't really keeping the ball. We knew Columbus was going to come out in the second half and put pressure on us anyway. We lost the ball in the midfield and it went kind of on a counter attack and they shot. We already were kind of struggling a bit to get possession. Obviously that hurt us after the red card. Unfortunately, we’ve had to deal with that for the last couple of weeks. I think after the red card, we were tied and trying to figure out a way to still pick up our game and get a goal, but at the very least, hold the 1-1 tie. I thought we did a decent job defending. It was just the same old story for us: one simple lazy mistake of not marking up at the top of the box. It was a great header, but the guy never should've been free. “
On Sebastian Miranda's game-winning goal:
“It was an unbelievable header for him, a great goal. But again, it's the little things that have been costing us games all season. Whether it's making a mistake and getting a red card, or ending the game slipping up and making a mistake and letting the opponent back in the game. This was a game I think we could've held on with a tie. It was just one simple assignment that somebody wasn't marking up at the top of the box where they should've been and it cost us the game.”
Crew head coach Robert Warzycha
General thoughts on the game
“We played against a very good team to be honest with you. They came out strong in the first half. I don’t think we had much rhythm in the beginning. They were connecting more passes and they came out stronger. In the second half it was a different story. We came out strong, creating chances and moving the ball well. The red card, obviously, changed the game. After they got the red card they bunkered in, we created more chances and scored two goals.”
On what led to Dallas’ goal
“You have to play until the whistle and that was a mistake by [Tony Tchani] that led to a goal. I think he [Tchani] played very well in the second half; he was winning 50/50 balls and running forward making crosses. It seemed like he wanted to be the best player on the field.”
On Justin Meram making the difference when subbed in
“I felt that Meram’s speed could hurt them [Dallas] on the left side. I think he did very well today, he was very quick, didn’t hold the ball too much and that’s how we wanted him to play. If he keeps playing that way he can be very effective.”
On Josh Williams play
“I think [Williams] was a beast today in the back. He was winning every header, his passing was good and he was vocal on the field. I think he was very good.”
Crew defender Sebastian Miranda
On his goal
“We practiced some plays and corners and the idea was maybe to find Milo [Mirosevic]. I was outside the box unmarked and I headed the ball and scored. It was my first time scoring with a header in my career. I headed it as hard as I could and it went in. The important for me was not the goal but that we won. This was good for our confidence.”
Crew midfielder/forward Justin Meram
On the goal
“I was trying to read the play and the ball went by me. I saw Eric [Gehrig] step up and win the ball back. I had a good position looked up and saw an opening. I took the shot and luckily it went in.”
On needing the spark
“We needed it. It has been over 200 minutes without a goal and we finally got the monkey off our shoulders and we were able to get the first goal. Once you get the first one the others will come”
On the match changing with Zach Loyd's second yellow card:
“I think it was a couple things. I thought it was a very aggressive game and there was a lot of physical play going on. I'm only speaking from my side. I didn't think the right calls were being made. What I said to the boys at halftime: 'This will be a difference maker in the second half.' They will find a way to give you a red card, so be smart. That didn't take very long at all. “
On whether Zach Loyd's second yellow was deserved:
“I thought the second yellow was probably deserved, but there was two or three hits that went on that could've stopped the whole play. Those are the things that don't occur. Those are the things that aren't called that eventually come into something else. The first yellow I really questioned. Looking at the replay, I think that was a questionable call. “
On the change in mentality being up 1-0 and having a man sent off:
“It changes on the other team more than yours. The other team is going to be throwing more people forward and will be more aggressive and try to get something on the break.
On your team, you're trying to figure out your shape and if you remember, I had just made a sub before they scored. I had put in another forward and all of a sudden we had too many attacking people and we just lost someone. We had to lose somebody in the midfield. We had to make some adjustments and I had to make another sub, take the guy off that I put on. “
FC Dallas defender Daniel Hernandez:
On the match changing with Zach Loyd's second yellow card:
“I just thought the second half, we dropped back a little too deep like we had done a lot in the past. We weren't really keeping the ball. We knew Columbus was going to come out in the second half and put pressure on us anyway. We lost the ball in the midfield and it went kind of on a counter attack and they shot. We already were kind of struggling a bit to get possession. Obviously that hurt us after the red card. Unfortunately, we’ve had to deal with that for the last couple of weeks. I think after the red card, we were tied and trying to figure out a way to still pick up our game and get a goal, but at the very least, hold the 1-1 tie. I thought we did a decent job defending. It was just the same old story for us: one simple lazy mistake of not marking up at the top of the box. It was a great header, but the guy never should've been free. “
On Sebastian Miranda's game-winning goal:
“It was an unbelievable header for him, a great goal. But again, it's the little things that have been costing us games all season. Whether it's making a mistake and getting a red card, or ending the game slipping up and making a mistake and letting the opponent back in the game. This was a game I think we could've held on with a tie. It was just one simple assignment that somebody wasn't marking up at the top of the box where they should've been and it cost us the game.”
Crew head coach Robert Warzycha
General thoughts on the game
“We played against a very good team to be honest with you. They came out strong in the first half. I don’t think we had much rhythm in the beginning. They were connecting more passes and they came out stronger. In the second half it was a different story. We came out strong, creating chances and moving the ball well. The red card, obviously, changed the game. After they got the red card they bunkered in, we created more chances and scored two goals.”
On what led to Dallas’ goal
“You have to play until the whistle and that was a mistake by [Tony Tchani] that led to a goal. I think he [Tchani] played very well in the second half; he was winning 50/50 balls and running forward making crosses. It seemed like he wanted to be the best player on the field.”
On Justin Meram making the difference when subbed in
“I felt that Meram’s speed could hurt them [Dallas] on the left side. I think he did very well today, he was very quick, didn’t hold the ball too much and that’s how we wanted him to play. If he keeps playing that way he can be very effective.”
On Josh Williams play
“I think [Williams] was a beast today in the back. He was winning every header, his passing was good and he was vocal on the field. I think he was very good.”
Crew defender Sebastian Miranda
On his goal
“We practiced some plays and corners and the idea was maybe to find Milo [Mirosevic]. I was outside the box unmarked and I headed the ball and scored. It was my first time scoring with a header in my career. I headed it as hard as I could and it went in. The important for me was not the goal but that we won. This was good for our confidence.”
Crew midfielder/forward Justin Meram
On the goal
“I was trying to read the play and the ball went by me. I saw Eric [Gehrig] step up and win the ball back. I had a good position looked up and saw an opening. I took the shot and luckily it went in.”
On needing the spark
“We needed it. It has been over 200 minutes without a goal and we finally got the monkey off our shoulders and we were able to get the first goal. Once you get the first one the others will come”
FC Dallas has been shut out in two straight matches, part of a lengthy victory drought since its best stretch of the season.
That mirrors what's happened to the Columbus Crew.
Meeting for the only time this season, Dallas and Columbus will each try to snap a five-game winless streak Saturday night at Crew Stadium.
"It's going to be two desperate teams looking to get a result," Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum told the club's official website. "They're a very dangerous team and very potent offensively."
That hasn't been the case lately, as Dallas (3-5-3) has scored just twice -- both on penalty kicks by Brek Shea -- since its last victory, 2-1 over expansion Montreal on April 14. That was the team's second consecutive win after defeating New England 1-0 on April 5.
Dallas is 0-2-3 since those victories, but the team has reason for optimism heading into Saturday. Daniel Hernandez and Blas Perez will return from red-card suspensions, and Shea likely will be back in a starting role after being a second-half substitution Wednesday due to turf toe.
"I think the biggest thing we can do is to come together as a team and continue to believe in one another," defender Zach Loyd told Dallas' official website following Wednesday's 2-0 loss to Seattle. "For the next game, we'll have Daniel back, we'll have Blas back, and we will have Brek back in the lineup, so I think we're going to see a huge improvement with the team. Hopefully going forward we can see better results."
FC Dallas' last single-season, six-game stretch without a win was an 0-3-7 slide July 2-Sept. 10, 2005.
The Crew (2-4-2) are trying to avoid their first winless skid of that length since going 0-1-5 from Aug. 27-Sept. 28.
Columbus is 0-3-2 since winning back-to-back matches to close March.
"I've been very happy with the last three games, to be honest with you," coach Robert Warzycha said after Sunday's scoreless draw at Portland. "We were unlucky last week (a 1-0 loss to Vancouver), but overall, we're playing pretty good, pretty solid and steady games. We're making progress."
The Crew, though, have been shut out in three of their last four matches and have scored six times all season. With midfielder Dilly Duka and forward Olman Vargas questionable due to injuries, Columbus could get a boost Saturday if midfielder Chris Birchall makes his debut. He was signed this week after making 18 starts during Los Angeles' run to the 2011 MLS Cup.
Both sides could be without their captains as Dallas' Ugo Ihemelu and Columbus' Chad Marshall are dealing with concussion symptoms. Rookie Matt Hedges will likely get a second straight start if Ihemelu can't go, while Eric Gehrig could get the call again if Marshall is a scratch.
Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, a native of Athens, Ohio, made five saves in a 2-0 home win July 2 to end the Crew's four-game point streak in this series. Hartman's teams have not won in 13 consecutive games in Columbus since the Galaxy's 4-2 win there May 17, 1998.
Warzycha was playing for the Crew at the time.
That mirrors what's happened to the Columbus Crew.
Meeting for the only time this season, Dallas and Columbus will each try to snap a five-game winless streak Saturday night at Crew Stadium.
"It's going to be two desperate teams looking to get a result," Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum told the club's official website. "They're a very dangerous team and very potent offensively."
That hasn't been the case lately, as Dallas (3-5-3) has scored just twice -- both on penalty kicks by Brek Shea -- since its last victory, 2-1 over expansion Montreal on April 14. That was the team's second consecutive win after defeating New England 1-0 on April 5.
Dallas is 0-2-3 since those victories, but the team has reason for optimism heading into Saturday. Daniel Hernandez and Blas Perez will return from red-card suspensions, and Shea likely will be back in a starting role after being a second-half substitution Wednesday due to turf toe.
"I think the biggest thing we can do is to come together as a team and continue to believe in one another," defender Zach Loyd told Dallas' official website following Wednesday's 2-0 loss to Seattle. "For the next game, we'll have Daniel back, we'll have Blas back, and we will have Brek back in the lineup, so I think we're going to see a huge improvement with the team. Hopefully going forward we can see better results."
FC Dallas' last single-season, six-game stretch without a win was an 0-3-7 slide July 2-Sept. 10, 2005.
The Crew (2-4-2) are trying to avoid their first winless skid of that length since going 0-1-5 from Aug. 27-Sept. 28.
Columbus is 0-3-2 since winning back-to-back matches to close March.
"I've been very happy with the last three games, to be honest with you," coach Robert Warzycha said after Sunday's scoreless draw at Portland. "We were unlucky last week (a 1-0 loss to Vancouver), but overall, we're playing pretty good, pretty solid and steady games. We're making progress."
The Crew, though, have been shut out in three of their last four matches and have scored six times all season. With midfielder Dilly Duka and forward Olman Vargas questionable due to injuries, Columbus could get a boost Saturday if midfielder Chris Birchall makes his debut. He was signed this week after making 18 starts during Los Angeles' run to the 2011 MLS Cup.
Both sides could be without their captains as Dallas' Ugo Ihemelu and Columbus' Chad Marshall are dealing with concussion symptoms. Rookie Matt Hedges will likely get a second straight start if Ihemelu can't go, while Eric Gehrig could get the call again if Marshall is a scratch.
Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, a native of Athens, Ohio, made five saves in a 2-0 home win July 2 to end the Crew's four-game point streak in this series. Hartman's teams have not won in 13 consecutive games in Columbus since the Galaxy's 4-2 win there May 17, 1998.
Warzycha was playing for the Crew at the time.
Fredy Montero scored twice in a 3-minute span to lead the Seattle Sounders to their fifth consecutive victory, 2-0 over FC Dallas on Wednesday night.
Seattle improved to 6-1-1. Dallas is 0-3-2 in its last five games and 3-5-3 overall.
After Dallas controlled the ball for most of the first 68 minutes, Seattle's Cordell Cato won a battle in the home team's end and sent the ball toward the right corner of the goal.
Montero maneuvered around defenders Matt Hedges and Hernan Pertuz and shot just inside the right post to beat goalkeeper Kevin Hartman on his short side from 15 yards out.
Montero's second goal came in the 71st minute on a short right-footed shot from in front of the net.
Montero, the Sounders' career leader with 37 MLS goals, entered the game with one goal and one assist in eight games this season. The team has scored only 13 goals this season, but has allowed a league-low three.
Seattle goalkeeper Bryan Meredith recorded his second shutout in his second start this season.
Despite missing injured starters Carlos Rodriguez and Ricardo Villar -- along with Daniel Hernandez, out after receiving a red card Sunday -- Dallas outplayed the Sounders in the first half.
FC Dallas' first-half advantage in shots was just 6-5, but the home team put four shots on goal to only one by Seattle. Dallas also had two corner kicks to one for the Sounders.
That one Seattle shot on goal was a good scoring chance. Hartman allowed a rebound with the net open, but the subsequent shot hit the post and the Sounders kicked the ball over the goal.
Meredith thwarted Dallas' best first-half chance by punching a header into the crossbar, then covering up the loose ball in front.
Seattle improved to 6-1-1. Dallas is 0-3-2 in its last five games and 3-5-3 overall.
After Dallas controlled the ball for most of the first 68 minutes, Seattle's Cordell Cato won a battle in the home team's end and sent the ball toward the right corner of the goal.
Montero maneuvered around defenders Matt Hedges and Hernan Pertuz and shot just inside the right post to beat goalkeeper Kevin Hartman on his short side from 15 yards out.
Montero's second goal came in the 71st minute on a short right-footed shot from in front of the net.
Montero, the Sounders' career leader with 37 MLS goals, entered the game with one goal and one assist in eight games this season. The team has scored only 13 goals this season, but has allowed a league-low three.
Seattle goalkeeper Bryan Meredith recorded his second shutout in his second start this season.
Despite missing injured starters Carlos Rodriguez and Ricardo Villar -- along with Daniel Hernandez, out after receiving a red card Sunday -- Dallas outplayed the Sounders in the first half.
FC Dallas' first-half advantage in shots was just 6-5, but the home team put four shots on goal to only one by Seattle. Dallas also had two corner kicks to one for the Sounders.
That one Seattle shot on goal was a good scoring chance. Hartman allowed a rebound with the net open, but the subsequent shot hit the post and the Sounders kicked the ball over the goal.
Meredith thwarted Dallas' best first-half chance by punching a header into the crossbar, then covering up the loose ball in front.
The Seattle Sounders are off to the best start in their four-year history, recently overcoming a packed schedule and the loss of their starting goalkeeper.
The depth of their defense has helped in both situations.
Seattle looks to match a franchise record with its fifth consecutive victory when it visits struggling FC Dallas on Wednesday.
The Sounders (6-1-1) will be playing their fourth game in 12 days, then they'll return home for a Western Conference showdown with Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
Fredy Montero assisted on Mauro Rosales' goal in the 63rd minute this past Saturday to give Seattle a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia and its fourth straight win.
Seattle won a team-record five in a row Sept. 18-Oct. 15, 2010.
"Three games in a week is not an easy task, but we came out with nine points which is something that we are very happy about," coach Sigi Schmid told the team's official website. "I thought we had chances to get more than one goal and we were a bit unlucky. One day those floodgates will open up."
The Sounders haven't had to score much given how well their defense has played. They've outscored opponents 6-1 during their winning streak and they've posted five shutouts this season.
Schmid has used a rotation of seven defenders, allowing him to keep the defense somewhat fresh during a tough stretch of games. He's started six different four-player combinations, and the Sounders have allowed a league-low three goals.
"I really think we have seven starters," Schmid said regarding the depth of the defense. "It's a team effort when you get a shutout. It's not just the defenders, it's everyone together."
Bryan Meredith earned a shutout in his first MLS start Saturday in place of the injured Michael Gspurning, who will miss at least the next two games after aggravating a right hip injury in the first half of a 2-0 win over Los Angeles last Wednesday.
"I thought Meredith did a great job in goal and dealt with the things he needed to deal with," Schmid said. "Our defense did a good job of keeping things away from him."
He'll be in net again versus Dallas (3-4-3), which dropped to 0-2-2 in its last four with a 2-0 loss to Colorado on Sunday.
As if the recent struggles weren't enough, Dallas went down two men in the first half when Daniel Hernandez got his second yellow card in the 34th minute before Blas Perez was given a red card for what the referee deemed a reckless play in the 36th minute.
Each will serve a one-game suspension Wednesday for a Dallas team that's allowed 14 goals -- tied with Los Angeles for most in the West.
"We won't be putting our best team on the field because of the red cards and the injuries," coach Schellas Hyndman told the team's official website. "But I know I have a lot of guys in the locker room looking for an opportunity, and so they'll be given that opportunity."
Seattle is 1-0-2 all-time at Dallas, winning 1-0 in the most recent meeting Aug. 20 when Montero assisted on Rosales' goal in the 16th minute.
The depth of their defense has helped in both situations.
Seattle looks to match a franchise record with its fifth consecutive victory when it visits struggling FC Dallas on Wednesday.
The Sounders (6-1-1) will be playing their fourth game in 12 days, then they'll return home for a Western Conference showdown with Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
Fredy Montero assisted on Mauro Rosales' goal in the 63rd minute this past Saturday to give Seattle a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia and its fourth straight win.
Seattle won a team-record five in a row Sept. 18-Oct. 15, 2010.
"Three games in a week is not an easy task, but we came out with nine points which is something that we are very happy about," coach Sigi Schmid told the team's official website. "I thought we had chances to get more than one goal and we were a bit unlucky. One day those floodgates will open up."
The Sounders haven't had to score much given how well their defense has played. They've outscored opponents 6-1 during their winning streak and they've posted five shutouts this season.
Schmid has used a rotation of seven defenders, allowing him to keep the defense somewhat fresh during a tough stretch of games. He's started six different four-player combinations, and the Sounders have allowed a league-low three goals.
"I really think we have seven starters," Schmid said regarding the depth of the defense. "It's a team effort when you get a shutout. It's not just the defenders, it's everyone together."
Bryan Meredith earned a shutout in his first MLS start Saturday in place of the injured Michael Gspurning, who will miss at least the next two games after aggravating a right hip injury in the first half of a 2-0 win over Los Angeles last Wednesday.
"I thought Meredith did a great job in goal and dealt with the things he needed to deal with," Schmid said. "Our defense did a good job of keeping things away from him."
He'll be in net again versus Dallas (3-4-3), which dropped to 0-2-2 in its last four with a 2-0 loss to Colorado on Sunday.
As if the recent struggles weren't enough, Dallas went down two men in the first half when Daniel Hernandez got his second yellow card in the 34th minute before Blas Perez was given a red card for what the referee deemed a reckless play in the 36th minute.
Each will serve a one-game suspension Wednesday for a Dallas team that's allowed 14 goals -- tied with Los Angeles for most in the West.
"We won't be putting our best team on the field because of the red cards and the injuries," coach Schellas Hyndman told the team's official website. "But I know I have a lot of guys in the locker room looking for an opportunity, and so they'll be given that opportunity."
Seattle is 1-0-2 all-time at Dallas, winning 1-0 in the most recent meeting Aug. 20 when Montero assisted on Rosales' goal in the 16th minute.
Schellas Hyndman comfortable with James Marcelin filling in
May, 8, 2012
May 8
3:26
PM CT
By Todd Date | ESPNDallas.com
FC Dallas’ newest player, James Marcelin, didn’t have to wait long to make his club debut. The Haitian midfielder was pressed into duty at halftime of Sunday night’s 2-0 loss to Colorado.
FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman needed someone to play defensive midfielder in the wake of starter Daniel Hernandez being ejected with about 10 minutes remaining in the open half, so Hyndman called on Marcelin, and by all accounts he did well.
“I think he showed us a little bit yesterday. I think he’s not match fit, so that’s a concern. He’s been up with Portland, went through preseason but once the season started, he wasn’t getting games. They decided to go in a different direction. That’s why they waived them. Now all of a sudden here’s a waived player that’s going to be starting for us a week after he got here,” Hyndman said. “Yeah, I’m OK with it, comfortable with it because you have to always think about what’s the other options?”
Marcelin agrees that he’s not match fit, but added that he does feel like he can contribute to his new club.
“I think I’m 75 [percent] right now because of that game [on Sunday],” he said after training Monday. “I worked hard. I wasn’t ready because I had a hamstring injury and then I came here. I already played a half in a reserve game.”
However, he admits that playing 45 minutes in a reserve game for FCD last Tuesday did help him out on Sunday night.
“I didn’t play the whole game because I didn’t want to force it with my (hamstring) injury,” Marcelin said. “I didn’t know where I was at because of the injury. I didn’t practice before I came here. I just came in and played the reserve game without knowing (about my injury).”
He admits that when Hyndman asked him to go in at the start of the final half of play, he didn’t know what to expect, but after shaking his initial feelings of discomfort, he felt better even though he didn’t come on in the most ideal of circumstances for his club debut.
“At first, I wasn’t comfortable because it was different. When we had the ball, we had to run into spaces to make plays so we can have the ball,” Marcelin said. “We couldn’t do anything but defend but we had to do what we had to do.”
So, is he ready to possibly make his first start with FCD as soon as Wednesday against Seattle Sounders FC, a game which Hernandez will miss on suspension. “It’s not physical right now (for this team),” Marcelin said. “The team lost two men in the game. It’s all about mental right now. We have to focus on that.”
He didn’t know anybody on the Dallas roster prior to arriving but was familiar with many of the players after spending 2011 with Portland and playing FCD twice. “I played them twice last year, at home and then here. But I didn’t have any friends here.”
But the affable Haitian did say that he was pretty good friends with a pair of Portland teammates who had Dallas ties in midfielder Eric Alexander, who came over in a trade for Jeremy Hall last summer, and ex-FCD striker Kenny Cooper.
FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman needed someone to play defensive midfielder in the wake of starter Daniel Hernandez being ejected with about 10 minutes remaining in the open half, so Hyndman called on Marcelin, and by all accounts he did well.
“I think he showed us a little bit yesterday. I think he’s not match fit, so that’s a concern. He’s been up with Portland, went through preseason but once the season started, he wasn’t getting games. They decided to go in a different direction. That’s why they waived them. Now all of a sudden here’s a waived player that’s going to be starting for us a week after he got here,” Hyndman said. “Yeah, I’m OK with it, comfortable with it because you have to always think about what’s the other options?”
Marcelin agrees that he’s not match fit, but added that he does feel like he can contribute to his new club.
“I think I’m 75 [percent] right now because of that game [on Sunday],” he said after training Monday. “I worked hard. I wasn’t ready because I had a hamstring injury and then I came here. I already played a half in a reserve game.”
However, he admits that playing 45 minutes in a reserve game for FCD last Tuesday did help him out on Sunday night.
“I didn’t play the whole game because I didn’t want to force it with my (hamstring) injury,” Marcelin said. “I didn’t know where I was at because of the injury. I didn’t practice before I came here. I just came in and played the reserve game without knowing (about my injury).”
He admits that when Hyndman asked him to go in at the start of the final half of play, he didn’t know what to expect, but after shaking his initial feelings of discomfort, he felt better even though he didn’t come on in the most ideal of circumstances for his club debut.
“At first, I wasn’t comfortable because it was different. When we had the ball, we had to run into spaces to make plays so we can have the ball,” Marcelin said. “We couldn’t do anything but defend but we had to do what we had to do.”
So, is he ready to possibly make his first start with FCD as soon as Wednesday against Seattle Sounders FC, a game which Hernandez will miss on suspension. “It’s not physical right now (for this team),” Marcelin said. “The team lost two men in the game. It’s all about mental right now. We have to focus on that.”
He didn’t know anybody on the Dallas roster prior to arriving but was familiar with many of the players after spending 2011 with Portland and playing FCD twice. “I played them twice last year, at home and then here. But I didn’t have any friends here.”
But the affable Haitian did say that he was pretty good friends with a pair of Portland teammates who had Dallas ties in midfielder Eric Alexander, who came over in a trade for Jeremy Hall last summer, and ex-FCD striker Kenny Cooper.
Obviously the turning point in the Colorado Rapids win over FC Dallas was the quick red cards FC Dallas received putting them down two men.
Coach Oscar Pareja, being Colorado's coach, of course said after the game he felt both cards were the correct call.
Coach Schellas Hyndman, being FCD's coach, didn't think they were as legit saying, "I think it’s real easy for me to sit here, bicker and complain about the obvious. But I would ask you to take a look at the videos. The first play of the game, Jackson gets taken down by [Tyrone] Marshall on the first breakaway. That was the tone, that was the tempo and I think that was probably Daniel’s comment. So I challenge you to take a look at the video and you come up with your own judgments."
So here's the video, what do you think? Are you with Coach Pareja or Coach Hyndman?
Coach Oscar Pareja, being Colorado's coach, of course said after the game he felt both cards were the correct call.
Coach Schellas Hyndman, being FCD's coach, didn't think they were as legit saying, "I think it’s real easy for me to sit here, bicker and complain about the obvious. But I would ask you to take a look at the videos. The first play of the game, Jackson gets taken down by [Tyrone] Marshall on the first breakaway. That was the tone, that was the tempo and I think that was probably Daniel’s comment. So I challenge you to take a look at the video and you come up with your own judgments."
So here's the video, what do you think? Are you with Coach Pareja or Coach Hyndman?
Scoring Summary:
COL – Jamie Castrillon (Brian Mullen) 61
COL – Martin Rivero (Mullen) 74
FC Dallas – Kevin Hartman, Jair Benitez, Ugo Ihemelu, George John, Zach Loyd, Scott Sealy (Hernan Pertuz 46), Daniel Hernandez, Andrew Jacobson, Jackson (Ruben Luna 82), Fabian Castillo (James Marcelin 46), Blas Perez.
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Seitz, Bruno Guarda, Matt Hedges, Victor Ulloa.
TOTAL SHOTS: 1 (Blas Perez 1);
SHOTS ON GOAL: 0;
FOULS: 7 (Jackson, Daniel Hernandez 2);
OFFSIDES: 0;
CORNER KICKS: 3 (Daniel Hernandez 3);
SAVES: 7 (Kevin Hartman 7).
Colorado Rapids – Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor, Tyrone Marshall (Conor Casey 45), Luis Zapata, Brian Mullan, Jeff Larentowicz, Jaime Castrillon (Wells Thompson 87), Martin Rivero, Omar Cummings (Kamani Hill 14), Tony Cascio.
Substitutes Not Used: Steward Ceus, Hunter Freeman, Joseph Nane, Scott Palguta.
TOTAL SHOTS: 23 (Jeff Larentowicz 5);
SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Jeff Larentowicz, Martin Rivero, Tony Cascio 2);
FOULS: 8 (Kouke Kimura, Tony Cascio 2);
OFFSIDES: 4 (Conor Casey 2);
CORNER KICKS: 11 (Martin Rivero 11);
SAVES: 0.
Misconduct Summary:
DAL – Daniel Hernandez (caution) 25
DAL – Daniel Hernandez (caution) 34
DAL – Daniel Hernandez (ejection; second caution) 34
DAL – Blas Perez (ejection) 36
COL – Tony Cascio (caution) 38
COL – Jaime Castrillion (caution) 44
Referee: Mark Geiger
Referee’s Assistants: Steven Taylor, James Conlee
4th Official: Armando Villareal
Attendance: 11,702
Time of Game: 1:57
Weather: Cloudy, 89 degrees
Is a diamond four in FCD’s future? Quite possibly says Schellas Hyndman
April, 17, 2012
Apr 17
10:24
PM CT
By Todd Date | ESPNDallas.com
Schellas Hyndman has never made any affronts about his strong affinity for the 4-4-2 formation, specifically such a look with a diamond midfield. Of course, with FC Dallas currently lacking in the depth department that just isn’t possible. But when asked for his thoughts on the performance of ex-captain Daniel Hernandez so far this season after a Monday morning recovery session in Frisco, he might have offered a glimpse into his crystal ball.
“When you go with two central midfielders, your hope is that you have one that’s very attacking and one that is very defending. With A.J. and Daniel, they’re basically the same. They’re both holding midfielders, so you need that second striker there that can almost drop back to be of a 4-5-1 formation and we didn’t have that. Blas [Perez] wasn’t that guy and Fabian [Castillo] wasn’t that guy, so A.J. and Daniel had to do a lot of work, a lot of work,” Hyndman said.
He added: “I think players like Daniel play better when you’ve got three central midfielders. Now you can always go in a 4-4-2 with a small diamond, much like what Real Salt Lake does, and we may eventually go in there once David [Ferreira] comes back, Villar’s back and we get all these quality players on our field, Jackson and now you say we can go into a small diamond because we have quality players that are going to keep the ball more.”
“When you go with two central midfielders, your hope is that you have one that’s very attacking and one that is very defending. With A.J. and Daniel, they’re basically the same. They’re both holding midfielders, so you need that second striker there that can almost drop back to be of a 4-5-1 formation and we didn’t have that. Blas [Perez] wasn’t that guy and Fabian [Castillo] wasn’t that guy, so A.J. and Daniel had to do a lot of work, a lot of work,” Hyndman said.
He added: “I think players like Daniel play better when you’ve got three central midfielders. Now you can always go in a 4-4-2 with a small diamond, much like what Real Salt Lake does, and we may eventually go in there once David [Ferreira] comes back, Villar’s back and we get all these quality players on our field, Jackson and now you say we can go into a small diamond because we have quality players that are going to keep the ball more.”
The last thing FCD needs more of right now are injuries
April, 15, 2012
Apr 15
11:39
AM CT
By Todd Date | ESPNDallas.com
It was a solid win by FC Dallas on Saturday night, beating the expansion Montreal Impact 2-1 at FC Dallas Stadium in a game that was eventful to say the least.
When Dallas gaffer Schellas Hyndman made two changes to start the second half, bringing on Bruno Guarda and Bobby Warshaw for Andrew Jacobson and Hernan Pertuz, respectively, few thought it was anything more than a tactical adjustment. And since those changes signaled a shift from the 4-4-2 formation that FCD had employed in the opening 45 minutes to more of a 4-1-4-1 in the final half of play, no one thought that those two substitutions could be injury-related.
However, injuries are exactly what had happened, something Hyndman discussed after the game.
It turns out Jacobson was having some issues in his back and leg after getting kicked more than a few times by the hard-fouling boys from Montreal. As for Pertuz, he had a foot swell up and was unable to answer the bell for the second half.
“Pertuz got kicked over on the sideline and just wasn’t able to go. He fought his way through the first half but we knew something was wrong,” Hyndman said. “When we brought him up here [to the locker room at halftime], the foot was swollen and he just couldn’t go. AJ took a few hits, more of the back and leg that was bothering him.”
Obviously, if these injuries keep one or both of these guys off the field for any significant period of time they are big negatives for Dallas. No matter whether it’s been at left back or at right back, where he has started each of the last two weeks in Hyndman’s 4-4-2, the Colombian defender Pertuz has been a rock-solid addition to the FCD backline.
Some might have questioned why Jair Benitez, who normally starts at left back for Dallas, wasn’t back in the first 11 for the Montreal game, but the answer is simple. If Hyndman is anything, he’s consistent, especially when it comes to winning. When a formation and a lineup works, if all of those same 11 players are available the following week, it’s a safe bet he’ll employ the same look barring something unforeseen.
That’s why Pertuz was in the starting lineup against the Impact and Benitez was on the pine. Pertuz has earned his playing time and will be until he slips up or Jair plays his way back into the first 11 through a string of strong performances in training... pending injury of course. Pertuz might be relatively new to MLS and to this club, but he’s already more than shown his value and if he’s not available for a while, it would definitely be a big loss.
Ditto for Jacobson, who after a rough start to the season, seems to have found himself and is no longer trying to do too much in the middle of the field. Some feel he might best serve this team as the holding mid with Warshaw possibly starting in the linking role but that’s a whole other discussion. The fact of the matter is that he and Daniel Hernandez form a steady if not a bit nard-nosed tandem in the middle of the yard and if A.J. is out for a while, that too would be a big loss.
Of course, the Dallas midfield is already a bit thin with David Ferreira out for about the next two months, as is Andrew Wiedeman, after both of them underwent recent surgeries. Ricardo Villar is week to week. Help is on the way as Jackson is thought to be arriving this week but it’s unknown what his current fitness level is, but if he’s ready to roll, he can definitely provide help in very short order.
We’ll find out more about the condition of Jacobson and Pertuz on Monday. Hopefully the news is good.
When Dallas gaffer Schellas Hyndman made two changes to start the second half, bringing on Bruno Guarda and Bobby Warshaw for Andrew Jacobson and Hernan Pertuz, respectively, few thought it was anything more than a tactical adjustment. And since those changes signaled a shift from the 4-4-2 formation that FCD had employed in the opening 45 minutes to more of a 4-1-4-1 in the final half of play, no one thought that those two substitutions could be injury-related.
However, injuries are exactly what had happened, something Hyndman discussed after the game.
It turns out Jacobson was having some issues in his back and leg after getting kicked more than a few times by the hard-fouling boys from Montreal. As for Pertuz, he had a foot swell up and was unable to answer the bell for the second half.
“Pertuz got kicked over on the sideline and just wasn’t able to go. He fought his way through the first half but we knew something was wrong,” Hyndman said. “When we brought him up here [to the locker room at halftime], the foot was swollen and he just couldn’t go. AJ took a few hits, more of the back and leg that was bothering him.”
Obviously, if these injuries keep one or both of these guys off the field for any significant period of time they are big negatives for Dallas. No matter whether it’s been at left back or at right back, where he has started each of the last two weeks in Hyndman’s 4-4-2, the Colombian defender Pertuz has been a rock-solid addition to the FCD backline.
Some might have questioned why Jair Benitez, who normally starts at left back for Dallas, wasn’t back in the first 11 for the Montreal game, but the answer is simple. If Hyndman is anything, he’s consistent, especially when it comes to winning. When a formation and a lineup works, if all of those same 11 players are available the following week, it’s a safe bet he’ll employ the same look barring something unforeseen.
That’s why Pertuz was in the starting lineup against the Impact and Benitez was on the pine. Pertuz has earned his playing time and will be until he slips up or Jair plays his way back into the first 11 through a string of strong performances in training... pending injury of course. Pertuz might be relatively new to MLS and to this club, but he’s already more than shown his value and if he’s not available for a while, it would definitely be a big loss.
Ditto for Jacobson, who after a rough start to the season, seems to have found himself and is no longer trying to do too much in the middle of the field. Some feel he might best serve this team as the holding mid with Warshaw possibly starting in the linking role but that’s a whole other discussion. The fact of the matter is that he and Daniel Hernandez form a steady if not a bit nard-nosed tandem in the middle of the yard and if A.J. is out for a while, that too would be a big loss.
Of course, the Dallas midfield is already a bit thin with David Ferreira out for about the next two months, as is Andrew Wiedeman, after both of them underwent recent surgeries. Ricardo Villar is week to week. Help is on the way as Jackson is thought to be arriving this week but it’s unknown what his current fitness level is, but if he’s ready to roll, he can definitely provide help in very short order.
We’ll find out more about the condition of Jacobson and Pertuz on Monday. Hopefully the news is good.
FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman
On injuries forcing second-half subs for Jacobson and Pertuz…
As it turns out Bobby Warshaw came in and Bruno Guarda came in and Carlos [Rodriguez] went back to left back. I thought they all did a good job with it. What it did was it got us back to a 4-1-4-1, where we are a little bit more comfortable. The game changed for us in positive ways because we started controlling the midfield a little bit better. Again, excellent goals. When you put balls in the box, good things happen. George [John] had a great header that gave us a chance to get the rebound, which Blas did to make it 1-1. And then you think do we keep pushing? Do you sit back and say, hey, we’re happy to have the one point? Well these guys want to push, so we kept going and created more opportunities. Fabian [Castillo] had a great chance. He missed it, but what a wonderful ball he wound up giving to Brek [Shea] for the game-winner.
So, a very good result for us playing a very good team that is still trying to find their way. [Montreal] is a team that you can see the expressions on their faces after the game that this is something they hate and it’s happening more and more to them. Hopefully, they’ll bounce on and get it back.
On the penalty kick call…
It’s a tough place for me to be because I’m sitting 50-yards away and I don’t have a really good view. I thought they had a couple of players against George [John] and I thought George really worked hard getting to the ball. If there was any contact, I didn’t see it, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any contact.
On Blas Perez…
You can imagine what it would have been like for us to have had him on the team last year. We worked awfully hard trying to get him. Finally, it worked out and he just got his third goal. What you see is a really talented player, getting good balls. He gave that ball for Castillo to go through, the one that he missed. He holds the ball very well. Usually when you’re the lone striker, you’ve got two people on top of you. He’s strong in the air. He has an unbelievable work ethic. You put all of these qualities together. He’s a pretty special player.
On Brek Shea’s first goal of 2012…
He’s been working really hard in training. It was really great to see him with that energy and what a great finish.
Talk about your goal Zach [Loyd] threw it in to Blas [Perez]. Blas laid it off to Fabian [Castillo]. Fabian slipped me a ball inside, I just took a touch and passed it into the goal.
On the team’s second gear late in the matches recently
This team wants to win every game. When opposing teams get tired, our fitness level allows us to push a bit harder. It really just has to do with having the desire to win.
On getting his first goal of the season
It doesn’t really matter who is scoring the goals, as long as the team is getting wins. I am just glad the team won.
On the team not scoring until the second half in the past two games…
It is a little bit too much suffering for my liking, not being able to put anything together until the second half. That’s something that we need to work on. We need to be better there and get results in the first half.
On his goal…
It was a little bit of luck. I was just in the right spot to get the rebound when the ball came back off the crossbar. There was a very tight space there to put the ball, but fortunately I was able to fit it in there and get the ball into the back of the net. That goal gave us the energy and motivation to get back in the game and to push harder to try and get the win.
On getting two late game-winners in a row
Good thing we got Ugo [Ihemelu] on the team. He scored that late goal against New England. Tonight really just showed the fight and heart of this team. We went down a goal in the second half, despite going against the wind. We played a better second half than the first. The most important thing is that we are finding ways to win. I was really proud of the guys for showing a lot of heart.
On coming out of halftime tied 0-0…
We felt that we were in a good position because we were going to go with the wind in the second half and we got the go-ahead goal, but unfortunately we didn’t get to keep the lead.
On playing with the lead…
It’s something we need to work on. When we get the lead we just need to concentrate and keep our cool and relax. We got the lead and we were still in a rush and we didn’t settle down and take control of the game and we let Dallas back in the game.
On the first goal…
It was a good header. It hit the crossbar and they were quick on the rebound, so it was a good goal.
His general thoughts on the team
It’s a work in progress. We’re a new team with different players. We have quality players. We just need to settle down and focus and get the job done. I think we are improving every game and we just need to improve a few things and we’ll be okay.
Montreal midfielder Davy Arnaud
On the foul to set up the penalty kick
The ball went wide and I tried to make a run to the back post in behind George John, the center back, and I looked like I was going to get to it. I don’t know who was behind me. I guess the defender was behind me. I didn’t see him. I never saw him. I felt contact. I felt the contact from behind and I went down and he made the call, but like I said I didn’t see the defender. I can’t tell you whether it was a bad call or not. I felt contact in the back and I was going to have a play on the ball and after the contact it took me off my run.
On giving up a late goal…
Once you score away from home and especially if you go up you know the home team is going to get after it a little more and press a little more. And they got a little momentum, but I still think we were pretty organized and we didn’t give away a ton of clear-cut chances. They had chances here and there, but I thought we played well enough to if not get three points, at least get a point. We just had a let down on a couple of set pieces and it killed us.
On the team’s position…
I don’t know if I’ve been a part of a team that has had so many good performances on the road and not gotten anything out of games. We’ve had some really good performances and I think anybody who watches us play knows that we’re very close. We know we still have work to do, but we believe in our group, man. We know that and people who watch us play know that we’re a tough team to play against. We just got to be better in important moments in the game.
Montreal defender Matteo Ferrari
General thoughts on the match
We played a great game for 75 minutes. We did what we have to do in the field. No good chance for them. Maybe no good chance for us, but I think when you are winning 1-0 after the first 75 minutes, you have to take points. We played 75 very good minutes and 15 went crazy. Very frustrating.
On suffering a late defeat…
When things happen like that it’s better to play very fast, very quick. Because like this you don’t have time to think about it. Tomorrow we start to think about the next game. The season is long. We have time to get points. For sure our position in the league is not our true position. I believe our team is much better than the points we have. We are close to do what we want. To be a good team. We are working for that.
Montreal defender Tyson Wahl
General thoughts on the match…
Obviously we were up to the task in the first half. We came out and played well. They were forcing balls because the wind was so strong and they weren’t really getting much out of it. We were pretty calm and worked hard to win a lot of balls and we had a good first half. On the flip side, our second half was actually okay. Just we got punished on a couple of bad plays. You have to be able to close out games. I think it’s just being mentally sharper in the final third in our own box where the game counts. That’s where games are won and lost. I think it’s just being sharper at those right moments and those important moments.
How close is the team to being where you want them to be…
I think we are really close. The last couple of games we’ve played really well. Last week we got the result against Toronto. We could have done better tonight. I thought we probably could have had the result. We just didn’t have it in the end. We are very close though.
On injuries forcing second-half subs for Jacobson and Pertuz…
As it turns out Bobby Warshaw came in and Bruno Guarda came in and Carlos [Rodriguez] went back to left back. I thought they all did a good job with it. What it did was it got us back to a 4-1-4-1, where we are a little bit more comfortable. The game changed for us in positive ways because we started controlling the midfield a little bit better. Again, excellent goals. When you put balls in the box, good things happen. George [John] had a great header that gave us a chance to get the rebound, which Blas did to make it 1-1. And then you think do we keep pushing? Do you sit back and say, hey, we’re happy to have the one point? Well these guys want to push, so we kept going and created more opportunities. Fabian [Castillo] had a great chance. He missed it, but what a wonderful ball he wound up giving to Brek [Shea] for the game-winner.
So, a very good result for us playing a very good team that is still trying to find their way. [Montreal] is a team that you can see the expressions on their faces after the game that this is something they hate and it’s happening more and more to them. Hopefully, they’ll bounce on and get it back.
On the penalty kick call…
It’s a tough place for me to be because I’m sitting 50-yards away and I don’t have a really good view. I thought they had a couple of players against George [John] and I thought George really worked hard getting to the ball. If there was any contact, I didn’t see it, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any contact.
On Blas Perez…
You can imagine what it would have been like for us to have had him on the team last year. We worked awfully hard trying to get him. Finally, it worked out and he just got his third goal. What you see is a really talented player, getting good balls. He gave that ball for Castillo to go through, the one that he missed. He holds the ball very well. Usually when you’re the lone striker, you’ve got two people on top of you. He’s strong in the air. He has an unbelievable work ethic. You put all of these qualities together. He’s a pretty special player.
On Brek Shea’s first goal of 2012…
He’s been working really hard in training. It was really great to see him with that energy and what a great finish.
Midfielder Brek Shea
Talk about your goal Zach [Loyd] threw it in to Blas [Perez]. Blas laid it off to Fabian [Castillo]. Fabian slipped me a ball inside, I just took a touch and passed it into the goal.
On the team’s second gear late in the matches recently
This team wants to win every game. When opposing teams get tired, our fitness level allows us to push a bit harder. It really just has to do with having the desire to win.
On getting his first goal of the season
It doesn’t really matter who is scoring the goals, as long as the team is getting wins. I am just glad the team won.
Forward Blas Perez
On the team not scoring until the second half in the past two games…
It is a little bit too much suffering for my liking, not being able to put anything together until the second half. That’s something that we need to work on. We need to be better there and get results in the first half.
On his goal…
It was a little bit of luck. I was just in the right spot to get the rebound when the ball came back off the crossbar. There was a very tight space there to put the ball, but fortunately I was able to fit it in there and get the ball into the back of the net. That goal gave us the energy and motivation to get back in the game and to push harder to try and get the win.
Midfielder Daniel Hernandez
On getting two late game-winners in a row
Good thing we got Ugo [Ihemelu] on the team. He scored that late goal against New England. Tonight really just showed the fight and heart of this team. We went down a goal in the second half, despite going against the wind. We played a better second half than the first. The most important thing is that we are finding ways to win. I was really proud of the guys for showing a lot of heart.
Montreal head coach Jesse Marsch
On coming out of halftime tied 0-0…
We felt that we were in a good position because we were going to go with the wind in the second half and we got the go-ahead goal, but unfortunately we didn’t get to keep the lead.
On playing with the lead…
It’s something we need to work on. When we get the lead we just need to concentrate and keep our cool and relax. We got the lead and we were still in a rush and we didn’t settle down and take control of the game and we let Dallas back in the game.
On the first goal…
It was a good header. It hit the crossbar and they were quick on the rebound, so it was a good goal.
His general thoughts on the team
It’s a work in progress. We’re a new team with different players. We have quality players. We just need to settle down and focus and get the job done. I think we are improving every game and we just need to improve a few things and we’ll be okay.
Montreal midfielder Davy Arnaud
On the foul to set up the penalty kick
The ball went wide and I tried to make a run to the back post in behind George John, the center back, and I looked like I was going to get to it. I don’t know who was behind me. I guess the defender was behind me. I didn’t see him. I never saw him. I felt contact. I felt the contact from behind and I went down and he made the call, but like I said I didn’t see the defender. I can’t tell you whether it was a bad call or not. I felt contact in the back and I was going to have a play on the ball and after the contact it took me off my run.
On giving up a late goal…
Once you score away from home and especially if you go up you know the home team is going to get after it a little more and press a little more. And they got a little momentum, but I still think we were pretty organized and we didn’t give away a ton of clear-cut chances. They had chances here and there, but I thought we played well enough to if not get three points, at least get a point. We just had a let down on a couple of set pieces and it killed us.
On the team’s position…
I don’t know if I’ve been a part of a team that has had so many good performances on the road and not gotten anything out of games. We’ve had some really good performances and I think anybody who watches us play knows that we’re very close. We know we still have work to do, but we believe in our group, man. We know that and people who watch us play know that we’re a tough team to play against. We just got to be better in important moments in the game.
Montreal defender Matteo Ferrari
General thoughts on the match
We played a great game for 75 minutes. We did what we have to do in the field. No good chance for them. Maybe no good chance for us, but I think when you are winning 1-0 after the first 75 minutes, you have to take points. We played 75 very good minutes and 15 went crazy. Very frustrating.
On suffering a late defeat…
When things happen like that it’s better to play very fast, very quick. Because like this you don’t have time to think about it. Tomorrow we start to think about the next game. The season is long. We have time to get points. For sure our position in the league is not our true position. I believe our team is much better than the points we have. We are close to do what we want. To be a good team. We are working for that.
Montreal defender Tyson Wahl
General thoughts on the match…
Obviously we were up to the task in the first half. We came out and played well. They were forcing balls because the wind was so strong and they weren’t really getting much out of it. We were pretty calm and worked hard to win a lot of balls and we had a good first half. On the flip side, our second half was actually okay. Just we got punished on a couple of bad plays. You have to be able to close out games. I think it’s just being mentally sharper in the final third in our own box where the game counts. That’s where games are won and lost. I think it’s just being sharper at those right moments and those important moments.
How close is the team to being where you want them to be…
I think we are really close. The last couple of games we’ve played really well. Last week we got the result against Toronto. We could have done better tonight. I thought we probably could have had the result. We just didn’t have it in the end. We are very close though.
Jair Benitez, Daniel Hernandez look good in training
April, 13, 2012
Apr 13
5:22
PM CT
By Todd Date | ESPNDallas.com
FC Dallas will have left back Jair Benitez and holding mid Daniel Hernandez again available for Saturday’s visit from Montreal. It almost seems like a lock that Benitez will return to his old spot and it wouldn’t surprise many to see Hernandez starting alongside Andrew Jacobson, who filled in nicely for the ex-Dallas captain at the d-mid spot in last Thursday’s 1-0 win over New England.
Head coach Schellas Hyndman has been happy with how Benitez and Hernandez have performed in training this week, much less how his entire squad has shown thus far.
“They’ve both looked good. We’ve really had a good week of training. A lot of that is we had the reserve game,” Hyndman said. “The first team played on a Thursday, had recovery on Friday. So they worked hard Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Today [Thursday] we back off a little bit and then the reserve players had a game, so they had to train on Monday, game day on Tuesday and recovery day on Wednesday. I was training basically with 10-11 players and I think we got a lot of things done, a high level of intensity and a high level of play.”
Head coach Schellas Hyndman has been happy with how Benitez and Hernandez have performed in training this week, much less how his entire squad has shown thus far.
“They’ve both looked good. We’ve really had a good week of training. A lot of that is we had the reserve game,” Hyndman said. “The first team played on a Thursday, had recovery on Friday. So they worked hard Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Today [Thursday] we back off a little bit and then the reserve players had a game, so they had to train on Monday, game day on Tuesday and recovery day on Wednesday. I was training basically with 10-11 players and I think we got a lot of things done, a high level of intensity and a high level of play.”
With Ricardo Villar out, Hyndman has several options for #10 role
April, 11, 2012
Apr 11
10:41
AM CT
By Todd Date | ESPNDallas.com
Even with Ricardo Villar out for this Saturday’s game with Montreal, FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman has options when it comes to who could fill in for him at the No. 10 role. Of course, he could plug homegrown player Bryan Leyva in there, even Bruno Guarda or Bobby Warshaw would be a possibility. We’ll just have to wait and see which option he chooses come Saturday.
“Yeah, Bruno’s a possibility. Warshaw’s a possibility but we’re also getting Daniel [Hernandez] back. If we stay in the 4-4-2, it could be Daniel and AJ side-to-side holding midfielders and then we’ll add on another striker, which now gives us what we’ve had before as that attacking midfielder,” Hyndman said. “So we’ll just have to wait and see. Right now with the reserve game, you’ve seen the last few practices we’re lower numbers. Today the boys really got a good workout in, a good hour-45 minutes of good work and I was really pleased with that.”
“Yeah, Bruno’s a possibility. Warshaw’s a possibility but we’re also getting Daniel [Hernandez] back. If we stay in the 4-4-2, it could be Daniel and AJ side-to-side holding midfielders and then we’ll add on another striker, which now gives us what we’ve had before as that attacking midfielder,” Hyndman said. “So we’ll just have to wait and see. Right now with the reserve game, you’ve seen the last few practices we’re lower numbers. Today the boys really got a good workout in, a good hour-45 minutes of good work and I was really pleased with that.”
FC Dallas scattershooting: Castillo back, 4-4-2 switch?
April, 4, 2012
Apr 4
8:35
AM CT
By Todd Date | ESPNDallas.com
FC Dallas returns to the field at FC Dallas Stadium on Thursday night against New England. Dallas gaffer Schellas Hyndman was asked about a wide array of subject matter on Tuesday afternoon and here’s what he had to say.
How rusty did you feel Carlos Rodriguez and Brek Shea were in the 4-1 loss at D.C. United on Friday?
Hyndman: I think Carlos was probably a little bit more ready to go. Brek, we talked about it, I think he had a lot more mental frustration because U.S. was expected to go through where I don’t think anybody expected Panama to go through. So I think there was a little bit anguish in there and frustration. As far as fatigue, I think it showed more in Brek than in Carlos.
With Daniel Hernandez suspended for the New England game, do you go with either Bruno Guarda or Bobby Warshaw in his place or do you have other options at d-mid?
Hyndman: I think those are good options. Going to a 4-4-2 is another option. Whether it’s Pertuz, George John or somebody else that can go in there, I think we need a ball winner there because that what Daniel Hernandez does. We’ve been trying different things in training and we’ll finish it up tomorrow.
Fabian Castillo looked like his old self in training on Monday. Is he ready to return?
Hyndman: Yeah, I think he’s an important piece of the strike force. He’s a player that we’re counting on to help us on one of the flanks. Whether it’s the speed that he brings, the quickness that he brings, the speed from the flank, I think what it does is it helps us with a lone striker to have another two players that are attacking from the flanks whether it’s Brek [Shea] or it’s Fabian. I think he’s important for Blas to play better and our strike force to play better. I thought he looked a lot better as far as coming off that injury.
You put your guys through the vaunted tunnel of love drill on Monday. Was that done as a way to punish them or did you feel they needed some extra fitness work?
Hyndman: I never use punishment to motivate. I think there’s a lot better ways of motivating players than punishing. I’m not sure how much you get out of it if you’ve got everybody upset. Nobody wants to be punished, especially adults. That was purely a fitness thing. There was a game coming up on Thursday. I think there has been some characteristics that have been repeating-late in the game getting scored on, second half struggling, end of the first half struggling. I think we’ve done a really good job in preseason but if you look at our schedule, a lot of teams have had breaks, off weeks and very few teams have had so many games back-to-back. We played late on a Sunday but then we turn around on the road on a Friday. Then you come home. There’s not a lot of rest time, so there’s not a lot of recovery time or opportunities to do a little bit more work. So I took that opportunity to work us a little bit. We’ll go through some physical testing on Friday for the guys who didn’t play on Thursday. Then we’ll go through physical testing on Monday for the guys who did play on Thursday. So I think we need to know where we are on fitness level.
How rusty did you feel Carlos Rodriguez and Brek Shea were in the 4-1 loss at D.C. United on Friday?
Hyndman: I think Carlos was probably a little bit more ready to go. Brek, we talked about it, I think he had a lot more mental frustration because U.S. was expected to go through where I don’t think anybody expected Panama to go through. So I think there was a little bit anguish in there and frustration. As far as fatigue, I think it showed more in Brek than in Carlos.
With Daniel Hernandez suspended for the New England game, do you go with either Bruno Guarda or Bobby Warshaw in his place or do you have other options at d-mid?
Hyndman: I think those are good options. Going to a 4-4-2 is another option. Whether it’s Pertuz, George John or somebody else that can go in there, I think we need a ball winner there because that what Daniel Hernandez does. We’ve been trying different things in training and we’ll finish it up tomorrow.
Fabian Castillo looked like his old self in training on Monday. Is he ready to return?
Hyndman: Yeah, I think he’s an important piece of the strike force. He’s a player that we’re counting on to help us on one of the flanks. Whether it’s the speed that he brings, the quickness that he brings, the speed from the flank, I think what it does is it helps us with a lone striker to have another two players that are attacking from the flanks whether it’s Brek [Shea] or it’s Fabian. I think he’s important for Blas to play better and our strike force to play better. I thought he looked a lot better as far as coming off that injury.
You put your guys through the vaunted tunnel of love drill on Monday. Was that done as a way to punish them or did you feel they needed some extra fitness work?
Hyndman: I never use punishment to motivate. I think there’s a lot better ways of motivating players than punishing. I’m not sure how much you get out of it if you’ve got everybody upset. Nobody wants to be punished, especially adults. That was purely a fitness thing. There was a game coming up on Thursday. I think there has been some characteristics that have been repeating-late in the game getting scored on, second half struggling, end of the first half struggling. I think we’ve done a really good job in preseason but if you look at our schedule, a lot of teams have had breaks, off weeks and very few teams have had so many games back-to-back. We played late on a Sunday but then we turn around on the road on a Friday. Then you come home. There’s not a lot of rest time, so there’s not a lot of recovery time or opportunities to do a little bit more work. So I took that opportunity to work us a little bit. We’ll go through some physical testing on Friday for the guys who didn’t play on Thursday. Then we’ll go through physical testing on Monday for the guys who did play on Thursday. So I think we need to know where we are on fitness level.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Buzz Carrick
Buzz Carrick has been the owner and publisher of 3rd Degree since it was founded in 1997. A graduate of Texas A&M and Boston University, Carrick has been in television production since 1992, primarily in the field of live sports. For two years Carrick was the co-host of Inside Soccer with Brad Sham. While 3rd Degree is mostly focused on FC Dallas, Carrick has also written MLS SuperDraft Rankings for ESPN Soccernet.
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