Practice Observations: Leap Year
February 29th, 2008 . 6:54 pm . By: Buzz CarrickFriday, February 29th, 2008, 9:30 AM, Pizza Hut Park Field #1
I wonder how many times FC Dallas has practiced on February 29th. Can’t be very many times can it? That’s a training session I just couldn’t miss. Plus the team is leaving town for a stretch so I wanted to catch one last look before they left. Roster ComplianceSo it turns out FCD is already in roster compliance. Here’s how. - Mina and Rocha are not yet on the roster and await P1 visas before they can sign. If/when they do sign someone will have to go that is an international. - Scott Jones also wasn’t on the roster, but he’s not going to be added. He wanted to try and win a spot on the 18 but he hasn’t done so. FCD is going to try and help him catch on with another MLS team or with someone in USL-1. - Aaron Pitchkolan is on the 18-man senior roster. - DouDou Toure is not yet on the roster but soon will be on the developmental squad. He’s been wearing #32. News, Notes, and Observations- Mina is not signed, FCD is trying to finalize contract details so he can go to Brazil. Mina left the session about halfway though to go do something with the trainer. - Polish defender Mariusz Mowlik is leaving today and won’t be signed. - Jorge Alvial is still hanging around and training. - Rocha was not here. PR guy says he thinks Rocha went home to Brazil early to get his visa. - McCarty left part way through the session, Alvarez stayed ’til the end. Neither player is going to Brazil. - Alex Yi seemed to be missing, I forgot to ask where he was. But he is on the Brazil travel list. - Morrow says they will be bringing two trialists into Brazil for a look. - FCD is also close to arranging for another player from CAP to come for a stint. I doubt FCD would arrange for a CAP player to come in if they were not serious about him, since they will have seen him several times. So if we see another CAP player suiting up for FCD the chances are good he will be signed. I have some ideas about who I liked from the CAP games I have seen; maybe if we don’t see a name early in Brazil I will toss out 5 or 6 I liked. Catching up with MorrowThe quotes I had from Morrow today either ended up in the two stories I wrote this afternoon or got truncated down into notes above. Sorry no Translator today. TrainingNot a wonderfully insightful session today. After warm up and some basic ball touch and passing drills, Morrow took the defensive core and ran some offensive players against them. Three defenders with a d-mid, attacked by 5 players. Four wide players would play with whoever had the ball. If the defense won it they were to try and hold the ball and keep it away from the o. Offense was to try and win it back, and score of course. The offense was in a couple shapes, indicating to me the drill was about defensive shape and coverage. Players would swap out at both offense and defense. Extra players not being used did some crossing and finishing drills on the other end of the field with Coaches Alvial and Ferruzzi. After about 20 minutes of this drill Morrow pulled in a few more players and in essence ran a half-field game, o in a flat 4 vs. the back 7 d. I think there was a little something to learn from this set of players. Again the flat 4 leads me to believe this was prep for facing a 4 this week in Brazil at some point. D: Shea as an outlet player. O: Cooper Thompson After another twenty minutes the team did some fitness running. The Box X run with 20-yard sides and 25-second intervals. Basically the players do 5 lengths in 20 seconds following a pattern where they cross up. It’s running, but you also have to think. It’s a common drill for FCD. Ibrahim, Jones, Alvial, Shea, and Toure stayed out and did some extra finishing drills. Thought of the DaySo we have a team of 28, but there is a long way to go. Both Mina and Rocha need to be added to the roster, FCD is still talking to Reinaldo Navia, plus Morrow is still looking at two more trialists, and a possible additional CAP player. That’s as many as 6 more players that hypothetically could be added to the roster, although I seriously doubt that would happen. It’s much more likely that the number will be 3- yes 3 seems like the most likely scenario. Or 4, although the odds are longer. Toja and Davino aren’t going anywhere. I’d probably add Serioux there as well, I think, since he appears to be starting at left center back these days. I would have said Ricchetti before this contract dispute. In my opinion that leaves Oduro, Ricardinho, Saragosa, and Ricchetti as being the possible names that could be outbound to make room for new players. If we look at it by position Oduro and Ricardinho would likely make way for Mina (probable) and Navia (long shot). Either Saragosa or Ricchetti might make room for Rocha (done deal), with the other as a possible sacrifice if a 4th player comes in (long shot). Dang- who would have thought at the end of last year that two or more of those four names would be making way. I certainly wouldn’t have predicted it. Morrow’s got some decisions to make. 10 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
Thanks for the report! Too bad you can’t make the trip to Brazil. Btw, I love your quote (“3 is the number . . .”).
Just curious, you noted that Shea was playing. How’s the achilles tendon? And Toja was not listed in the O group. . . how’s the knee?
As for the roster . . . wow. I am really, really hoping that it works out for Ricchetti. In fact, don’t know who I’d want to see go.
Ah, well, I know that’s how it goes with sports. I am looking forward to see Rocha and Davino play!
wow, another CAP player. so, if we happen to win the MLS Cup, do we keep it or give it to CAP? maybe we can get the parade.
Buzz, thanks for the impressions as always. I’m pretty confused as to what will happen with the roster in the next couple weeks. On the outside, it seems like signing Rocha is the definite thing to do. I’d like to see them sign Mina and Navia as well, but dropping some of those other guys is questionable. I’m glad I don’t have to make those decisions.
It will be a quiet 10 days or so without having your practice observations, but by then, the season will only be a couple weeks away.
LOL 3nOut… Maybe the CAP player that FCD is eyeing is a defensive player, and if that is the case then Serioux could be thrown in the list of possible goners. If Saragosa and Richardinho leave who’s going to keep Rocha company?… I’d hate to see Saragosa leave.
buzz, just curious about the fuss over signing Mina if he is going to sit on the bench behind Navia if we sign him? Mina isnt gonna start over Kenny or Artie, so that leaves one spot in the 3 forward system. I’m guessing that FCD wont give Navia all that $$$ to sit him on the bench, especially after watching Denilson do it last season.
So if Mina is gonna ride the pine, why all the fuss and expense when you have cheaper players like Ricky and Dom or an American player like Abe?
TT, cause Morrow doesn’t think that way. There’s no first 11, just a big squad. Morrow rotates people and changes lineup and shape based on the opponent. Morrow wants to collect talent.
Plus players get hurt, there are call ups, and other reasons why guys go missing. In general a team wants as much depth and talent as they can assemble.
Buzz, you might want to expain to the folks at home about how FCd gets dinged on the salary cap by releasing rostered players after 3-1-08. Really bad business move here by the FO.
aren’t tryouts usually to see if someone has enough to make the team? i mean, seeing them play for more than…hmmm…7mins before they collapse out on the field gaspiing for air? as far as navia, the recent pic i saw of him w/ a gut doesn’t comfort me. what’s up w/ that? i’m starting to think of him like an out-of-shape carlos ruiz w/ denilson-like projected numbers. scary.
If we trade or cut Sala, does that free up another International spot?
no Sala has a green card.