October 31st, 2007 . 7:22 am . By: Viking

I have been searching for the moment to return to the virtual bleachers for FC Dallas.  As Dario Sala brought the end of the 2006 season to the head of Hunter Freeman, just a year ago this week, I heaved a sigh of relief that someone on the team “gets it.”  The hard cores don’t come to games to be entertained. We pay our hard earned money to bring home victory.  We throw our lot in with the team because we want to feel victory.  The cost of that yearning for victory is to feel the pain of losing when the team does not earn the win.  And that pain is enough to make you want to punch someone.

Just last Saturday, as FC Dallas hosted the MLS squad formerly known as the Earthquakes, I wanted to see whether the players remembered just how painful last year was, especially against a team with a serious entitlement complex.  Based on the one to nothing victory over the Orange, I would say yes, that FC Dallas learned from their unfortunate playoff experiences over the last few years to win, even if the table is set against them.

FC Dallas played composed, if not emotionally enough for me.  Maybe they were burning inside, but it did not show too much on the field.  Against a team they have had difficulty with for two years, they played defensive, steady, and purposeful.  For most of the first half Houston played around the midfield and didn’t pose much danger.  A couple of crosses came in, but until 28 minutes they didn’t get the ball into the area to pose much of a threat.  Even that ended up being nothing to get excited about.  It was not until the final minutes that H-Town even had a clear chance on goal, and were stuffed by our man Sala.   The best way to put it, is that FC Dallas played defense for 120 yards, and attacked when it was safe.  Smart, if not exhilarating.

Houston played an even more whiny game than usual, even with Stott calling a homer’s game (I know it was a homer’s game because most of the Houston fans I read commenting on the game, said Stott did a good job.  I don’t need any more evidence than that to know that my eyes were not deceiving me; Stott slanted the field).  As is their custom, they egged on the opposition to get a reaction that earns a card. The card that Ruiz earned was vintage “I’ll jump your back and hope you take a swing at me.”  Ruiz, even after all these years, is dumb enough to fall for it, though he did his best to disguise it.  Houston dished out their share of ankle-clipping tackles to keep FC Dallas on edge, perhaps hoping to get a man advantage in this game, and a suspension for the next. They got slapped with far fewer fouls than they earned, something I hope FC Dallas remembers as they approach a second game.  Honestly, if Jaqua isn’t going to earn a yellow card for an elbow to the face in the 84th minute, what can you expect in the second game? 

I like the lineup Morrow put on the field, but would like to see Dax in earlier in any case.  Although he’s a younin’, he has the game advantage of youth and a game to that rocks.  Looking to Friday, the team’s victory will hinge on Ricchetti having a better game (or getting pulled even sooner for Dax), Ruiz scoring early, and some attitude.  And the attitude is, we can be the inferior teams that took us down in the past.  This time it will be us who tanked the season away, and came away winning in the playoffs over a team with a better record, just because.  No reason, just because that is the way it happens in MLS.  The team’s post game comments give me tremendous optimism for victory, something even I am astounded to say.  I would not have said it until I read that almost every player who made a comment to the press said essentially one thing–we remember last year.

Parting Shot: No prediction, glad to be back in the stands.  Dario Sala Rocks.

Categories: Fan the Passion.

12 Comments

Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI

Leave a comment