Practice Observations: Jinx
April 15th, 2008 . 2:52 pm . By: Buzz Carrick
Wonderful temperature for training but a very stiff wind from the south. Not that these guys have trouble with wind. No losses yet on the season, that’s a good sign… wait, did I just jinx it? Dagnabit. News, Notes, & Observations- Ray Burse will be in LA to back up Sala. - Brek Shea, Abdus Ibrahim, and Anthony Wallace will all fly into Planet LA on Saturday and be available for the FCD game on Sunday and reserves on Monday. - Arturo Alvarez has some tightness in his hammy. He was held out as a precaution today and isn’t really hurt. Morrow says he should be fine to play. AA came out and jogged for about 30 minutes and did some rehad stuff with Trainer Watts. - Juan Toja got what I call a Charlie Horse, and Morrow called a “dead leg,” and also was held out today as a precaution. He’s just sore and will play this weekend. Juan worked inside on unknown stuff. - Bobby Rhine should start running at the end of this week. - David Wagenfuhr is still not passing the mental test the league requires to practice, but all other scans are looking good. He’s seeing a specialist today and Morrow will sit down with David and the team medical staff this afternoon to determine which direction to go. It may be that Wags requires a extended time out, hopefully not as long as Josh Gros’s year absence. Hopefully the answer will not be the end of David’s career. - Adrian Serioux had some personal business that required he return to Trinidad. Morrow says he will be back Thursday and his absence is excused. - Pablo Ricchetti left training halfway through with some kind of groin problem. No word on how serious it is. - Josh Lambo is still a week away from being able to do any kind of physical rehab or work. - Morrow says McCarty’s back is better. But he also said McCarty, like many young players, needs to improve his core strength. I’m quite sure Morrow is right about that. Advice to young players, if you are serious about playing this game at a high level don’t undersell developing your core. The amount of training and games piles up and core strength becomes vital. - Jamie Watson is back again. Morrow says he’s in competition for a developmental spot. For those of you who don’t know Watson’s game, he’s a small but energetic and hard working striker/midfielder. He works hard and creates chaos by his energy. A very direct player, he also is quite adept at getting into the opposition’s head and is annoying as hell to play against. Up top he’s opportunistic goal poacher, but is most likely being looked at for the Rhine/McCarty spot as a backup. He’s a former US U17 and U18 out of the Bradenton Academy, spent a couple years in Salt Lake as a Generation adidas player and is a Dallas local. He also just turned 22 so still has potential. If I have the current rules right, since RSL waived him they no longer retain his rights and Watson can be signed directly by FCD without compensation. - With Wagenfuhr out and Brek Shea and Anthony Wallace getting to LA late, I was curious who might play left wing as a hypothetical if Wagner got hurt. Morrow said Dello-Russo probably. - Looks like Saragosa’s green card will now happen sometime “this summer.” It can be hard to tell with these things as it’s a government question. - Sheldon Emmanuel is still on the list of interest, although FCD would need an international spot to add him. His addition would be complicated if it doesn’t happen today (the close of the transfer window). - Morrow says two teams have contacted FCD about acquiring Roberto Mina’s rights, but no team has made an offer. He also says what they have asked for comes from their valuation of the player and that they asked for some allocation money and a couple other things as well. So cash and a pick? Cash and an international spot? Don’t believe the DP spot request. What in the world would a Hunt team do with a second DP slot? They can barley use one. Catching up with MorrowThe translations are a bit. I don’t speak for Morrow. On the improving defense:
Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator: It’s a start, but we ain’t there yet. On Dax McCarty playing wide:
Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator: We need Dax on the field. Is the team solid start a good thing?
Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator: Coulda been better. Will be better. What happened with Toure?
Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator: We got hosed. TrainingAfter warming up and stretching Morrow divided the team into two to play a large 40 x 20 possession game. Each corner had a goal of flags, and goals could be scored by ten passes or by passing to a player through the goal. Chase Wileman was a two way neutral player until Ricchetti dropped out and Chase took his place. Green: Pitchkolan, Saragosa, Dello-Russo, Oduro, McCarty, Davino, Watson, Cooper After the possession game the team did a light hearted relay race involving poles, ball, and shooting. Green won twice, Orange once. Lineup PredictionAlvarez and Toja should be fine, but Ricchetti worries me a bit. A groin isn’t something to mess with. So Saragosa in for him I think. Otherwise with the team playing fairly well Morrow would be very unlikely to change anything.
Thought of the DayThe transfer window closes today, which just means that after today FCD can’t add a player that is under contract with another team. Any player that is out of contract as of today can be added at any time over the next few months. Any player under contract can’t be added till the next window June 15 – August 15. I mention it because FCD clearly needs to add defensive cover with the loss of Alex Yi. So keep an eye out for some kind of move to add a defender in that 18th senior roster spot, either by getting an international spot and adding Sheldon Emmanuel or by acquiring a green card or domestic player. FCD is also still looking for a striker, presumably one with experience. Someone who will not necessarily a DP level player might at least be in the neighborhood. That most likely means no striker till the next window. That’s ok, FCD has plenty enough to get through up top till then. 22 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I didn’t know there was a required mental test to practice.
The Toure situation is dumb IMO. The league needs to make a rule or what ever stating that each team can sign 2 players between 16-18 if the league feels that the kid can handle it. Toure seems like a very mature kid and he has the size needed.
“…the league didn’t feel like it was the right situation to do that unless it’s a very, very special case. ”
Yeah, like Galaxy or NY needing the guy. You just know that would somehow be a very special case. Bastards!
I can understand the leagues position on Toure, but there better be some protection for FC Dallas in this thing. They spent time and resources scouting and training with this kid, do they at least have first rights if he decides to join the league at a later date? I’m going to be sick if this kid signs with LA in a year.
I dont understand why you are so high on this watson kid. he isnt wanted by any team in this league or in the lower leagues.
Josh Gross is out for the rest of his life…maybe buzz was thinking of Esky who basically was away for a year with a concussion.
What was their position when Adu was originally signed to DC United?
I know some people are unhappy about the Toure thing, but it should be noted that this actually WAS an unprecedented situation.
MLS has required teams signing very young players (<18) to demonstrate that they have a suitable living situation for such players. Adu lived with his mother in the DC suburbs. When Columbus got Szetela, who at age 16 lived with his mother in New Jersey, the Crew arranged for Danny to live with Robert Warzycha, essentially as a member of his family. These are situations where players lived with their families or with responsible adults who acted as family.
The reason FIFA restricted international transfers of minors in the first place was because of situations where young players from Africa were signed by European clubs at low wages who then were negligent in their responsibility and long-term commitment to said players. I’m sure Dallas had diligently arranged for a good situation with Toure, but the key point is that MLS hasn’t done this sort of thing before, and it’s historically a very tricky issue for FIFA.
As far as the allegation that the league would have bent over backwards had Toure wanted to sign for New York: any “favoritism” that may have been shown to New York when Doug Logan was commish stopped when he left. Setting aside the fact that no one would want that kind of “help” (in which the Metrostars were required to send their best players packing off to other teams so the league could get some publicity for Lothar Mattaeus, and thereby created the worst single season any MLS team has ever had), the unsubstantiated (read: lying) charge of favoritism undermines the entire league.
I’m open to hear evidence that NY gets unfair advantages from the league. If you don’t respond, I’ll take that as tacit acknowledgement that you were misinformed, and would expect you to post correct information in the future.
If I were an owner in MLS (which apparently only crazy people want) and this happened to me I’d drop hints about talking to the U.S. Trust Dept. if he signed with any other MLS club.
jsig – I guess Adu wasn’t signed to a developmental contract but a project 40 or Adidas GA. He made a lot of money right off so that is where the special player language is coming from. FCD will get hosed because if he is determined to be special he will go in the draft.
USvI, there is when you have had a concussion. They do a baseline mental test prior to the season. Part of the process of head injury is passing the test before you can take the field again. not like it’s an IQ exam or something like that.
why cant FCD just move him to Dallas and put him with FCDYouth or on this special FCD team tha tthe winner of Sueno just got with? that might be a better option than signing him to a contract and turning him pro. he can move to Dallas, train, go to school, stay with a surrogate/host family, and be the same. something like Alejandro Moreno, Bruno Guarda, etc that moved from other countries to play in the States with the Texans.
Ric, I was thinking of Gros. Most people in MLS seem to think he is just sitting out a year.
Tony, cause Watson is better than some of the players on the FCD developmental roster.
TT, Morrow talked about trying to get him into the system. Unfortunately it looks like Toure is on trial in Mexico right now.
thinking back, wasnt Eddie Johnson staying with Brian Haynes at some point in his first few years in Dallas?
Haig,
Very well thought out and written post. I have never really been of the opinion that NY gets unfair treatment, but you have stated you position on that matter well. But, am I to take the fact that you failed the mention the LA Galaxy in you rebuttal as a “tacit acknowledgment” that you agree with the opinion of many that the league has shown favoritism in dealing with the LA Galaxy?
The league can never be accused of showing favoritism for LA Galaxy after allowing AEG to move Alexi Lalas from NY and hire him in LA. Thats the biggest curse the league could bestow upon any club.
With the Toure situation, it seems like FCD should be able to get some sort of first option rights to sign toure once he is able to join the league. That seems like it would be fair, but i am skeptical about it happening. Most people seem to be thinking along those same lines.
What is “core strength” exactly?
Core strength is strength through your torso, abdomen, and groin area. Trunk, waist, mid section… the core of the body.
That area is surprisingly important for soccer and often goes without attention in younger non-pro players.
Ask Oscar about “core” strength.. He has a ton of it….
Yes, he does. Both kinds.