June 28th, 2007 . 1:24 pm . By: Buzz Carrick

I just want to begin by saying to Roosevelt E. Roosevelt, what it is, what it shall be, what it was. The weather out there today is hot and ****** with continued hot and ****** in the afternoon. Tomorrow a chance of continued crappy with a pissy weather front coming down from the north. – Adrian Cronauer

It’s hot and it’s wet.  Thankfully it doesn’t actually rain during training, so really it’s only my socks that are wet. 

Wet grass slows the ball down through so play is super crisp and fast.  That makes it fun to watch.  Unfortunately there was no drill on team tactics so the back four remains a mystery. I also got to see Adrian Serioux train full speed though and that’s a real important step.

News Notes and Observations

- Adrian Serioux went full speed in training for the second straight day.  He did not play in yesterday’s scrimmage, and word has it he was a bit frustrated by that.  FCD held a second session yesterday afternoon though and he did train.  All thing considered Serioux looks sharp, although he did tire toward the end and get slightly sloppy.  He is good on the ball and makes very crisp passes.  Clearly the only thing keeping him out at this point is fitness and the “playing it safe” mentality.  Morrow says technically Serioux is now “questionable.”  If I were a betting man I would put money on him making a sub appearance against Chivas USA next Wednesday.  Heck it wouldn’t stun me to see him on the bench this weekend.

- Alex Yi did some range of motion stuff today and is still limited by his hamstring injury.  I think it’s doubtful he will play this weekend.

- Roberto Mina came out and did a couple simple core rehab things toward he end of training. Morrow says the FCD MRIs showed the ACL repair, which means Mina is done for the year.  He’s not on season ending IR yet, but will be in the next couple of days.  I imagine as soon as Ricardinho gets his visa.  I wonder if we will ever lrean the truth about that procedure.

- Speaking of which, FCD is in the “wait for approval” stage of the visa application for Ricardinho.  This is the part that takes 10 to 14 working days.  My money is still on the July 14th game against DC for his first appearance, although the busy Tigres/USOC combo would make a ideal time for him to play.

- Nice performance from Dello-Russo today.  He was sharp, aggressive, and hustled his tail off.  For the first time I now seriously consider him as a possible starter at right back in Moor’s absence.

- Another solid day from Sandi Gbandi. He’s made a step forward since the arrival of Chase Wileman, who also continues to play well.

- Ricky Lewis isn’t going to be signed it appears.  He was in mainly to help fill out the reserve games Morrow says.

- The two trialist from last week Pablo Cuevas and Tom Ingram are also gone.

Catching up with Steve Morrow

On missing defenders:

“I’m gonna get fit. (laughs) The choices are Wagner and Wagenfuhr, I’m going to make a decision on that tomorrow. We’re waiting on Alex Yi to see if he recovers from his injury.  Obviously if he does not the choices in there are Clarence, Andrew Daniels, and Pitchkolan and that’s about it.  Obviously Drew’s gone as well, so the choices on the right become Bobby Rhine and Dello-Russo.  So we’ve still got options.”

Buzz coach speak translator: Ouch babe.

On tactical change to protect D:

“We’ll stick with the same approach with our back four, it’s not gonna be any different this weekend at all.  Whatever changes we make I know those guys are gonna step in and do a good job.  I don’t think it’s going to weaken our team at all. So I take the same approach defensively and offensively as well.  As usual I’ll take a look at Houston and see how we can best get at them.  Nothing changes this weekend for me.”

Buzz coach speak translator: My boys are good enough!  I swear!  Seriously!  No Change!

On moving someone back from midfield:

“At this moment no.  I like what we have going in the middle of the field at the moment and I don’t want to make too many changes either and move people into positions where they haven’t played for us at all.  I don’t think either of those guys [Saragosa or Ricchetti] have played very much at center back, or right back, in their careers.  So I don’t want to change things around to much and like I said I feel like the options we have of putting people into the back four are good enough.”

Buzz coach speak translator: My midfield rules.

On Ruiz since return:

“I thought just after he came back he looked very sharp in practice.  He obviously got a few decent chances against Colorado. In his first game back it didn’t go as well. I think he could have done better with the one on one, and of course he knows that, with the keeper.  He had a few other good chances as well.  The positive thing for him is the four shots on goal, that’s better than what he had done before.  Carlos just needs to score a goal. He just needs to get himself a goal, he’s a goal scorer.  And when goal scorers haven’t scored for a while I am sure their confidence suffers a little bit and I feel like he just needs to get a goal.”

Buzz coach speak translator: Ruiz is getting sharper.

On Ramon was dropped for play or injury:

“Ramon got left out of the lineup in the first place cause he had a tight groin and he just hasn’t been able to get himself back into the lineup just yet.  He’s fighting hard like everyone else to win a spot back.  I think the two things coincided at the same time.  I certainly talked to him at the time and told him the last couple game he had played I don’t think there had been quite enough production. “

Buzz coach speak translator: He got hurt when he was about to get dropped.

On signing a DP:

“I am looking at people, yeah. You wouldn’t expect me to give you names.  I am certainly looking at options.  One or two things that have came up the last couple weeks that I hoped could develop didn’t.  More so for financial reasons, it wasn’t the right fit for us.  But we’re looking hard.  I’ve had options come up from Europe and also from South America.  We’re looking hard now and I’ve got good contacts in both Europe and South American.  At this time of year with the transfer window open, especially with the European season where it is, things are hopping up a little bit.”

Buzz coach speak translator: We’re gonna sign someone.

Training

Today seemed to be about pushing up the pace and intensity rather than any real specific tactical situation.  After the warm up and run the team was divided into two groups for some cones and ropes kind of stuff.  Those same two groups did some pass and move drills until Morrow moved them in to 7v4 and 7v3 drills.  Each group would send 3 or 4 defenders across to try and win balls off of the the other 7 players form the opposing “team.”  

The two groups remained the same through the next drill, the shooting gallery, which as you will recall is a 35 yard (or so) space will full goals and keepers.  5v5 (give or take) in the middle with the rest of your team on the outside.  Two touch in the middle, outside players one touch back in.  High pressure, lots of action, and lots of fun.  It’s always a player favorite.  Training finished with some finishing drills.  Here are the two groups, which you will see don’t have any telling combinations.

Yellow: Wagner, Alvarez, Toja, Ruiz, Rhine, Ricardinho, Saragosa, Serioux, C. Gbandi, S. Gbandi, Daniels
White: Jones, Oduro, Pitchkolan, Goodson, Wagenfuhr, Ricchetti, Dello-Russo, Wileman, Núñez, Pareja, Thompson

Lineup Prediction

As much as I think Dello has improved, it’s still likely to be Rhine in for Moor.  To my eye, Yi is also gonna be out, So Pitchkolan is in for him.  At left back is the real battle Wagner vs Wagenfuhr.  It’s one game, so what the heck, let’s see Blake.  Up top it’s much more predictable since Morrow’s been pleased with that’s been happening of late.

try not to panic looking at the back four.

Thought of the Day

Based on a couple things… rumor, word of mouth, scuttlebut, reading between the lines of what Morrow says, and mainly just my gut…I think you will see two moves before the transfger window closes. 

First off it now looks very likely Morrow will bring in a DP.  But I also believe there will be a second move, possibly a trade, but more likely a discovery signing.

Ricardinho is really just a replacement for Mina, he doesn’t count in terms of improving the team.  Morrow will want to improve he team for a playoff push  A DP I expect to be either a withdrawn forward to play either one of the wing spots off Ruiz or an attacking midfielder for spot currently occupied by Toja (and formally by Núñez) that will allow Toja to move back to his primary two-way midfield position.

Then after that I think Morrow won’t be able to pass up making one more change.  Where will that be?  Right back?  Maybe, although with Serioux and Goodson in the middle Moor is certainly good enough out there.  Midfield?  Possible, McCarty or Saragosa could use a little help if Toja remains the attacking mid.  On the wing perhaps?  Perhaps, again it might depend on where a DP fits.

Primarily, knowing what I think I do about Morrow, I just believe the gaffer will make one last stab at upgrading before his roster gets frozen in mid August.

Categories: Practice Observations.

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