Monday Morning Gaffer: FC Dallas vs Real Salt Lake
May 12th, 2008 . By: Buzz Carrick
Well it certainly wasn’t the most graceful performance on either team’s part. I’d like to blame some of that on the turf, but clearly the recent trend against FCD is to muddy up the midfield and not let FCD play the ball about. The Red Stripes can be dangerous if they get some pretty passing going and no one is letting them do that of late. FC Dallas 1, Real Salt Lake 2El Bueno (The Good)Well Morrow went and used my suggested 3-4-3, that can’t be good. Ok kidding aside, I liked having an in-the-box striker out there. When Cooper and Alvarez would go running all over there was someone to play it to up top. That’s something I think FCD should explore a bit more.
Cooper is in terrific form, Man of the Match. What can’t we say about his goal scoring? But dang, what would he be with better care of the ball and less checking so far back, fixing those would make him MLS MVP level player. Without that he’s in terrific form anyway and along with Sala has to be FCD MVP to this point. Cooper’s attitude and work rate are infectious and his knack for hitting the net is uncanny. He’s playing really well and might be getting close to a US camp recall. Those same two trouble spots I mention will always hurt him at the next level. RSL plays like the old Burn teams, moving the ball around the mid field to switch the point of attack. They keep the shape solid, look for a holes, and then go forward. Not a shock given who their coach is. They have the makings of a solid team. Some day, just as with Oscar Pareja, I want Jason Kreis to coach FC Dallas.
Again credit to Morrow for rolling the dice and throwing on offensive players to chase the tie/win.
El Camino Central (Middle of the Road)I like what Rocha is bringing wide, he’s a little more capable of getting end to end than Dax. (More on Dax below.) With Dax out for a while I want to see Rocha get a long run out there. He’s not as good with the dead ball but in a player for player swap with Dax he’s doing fine. Thing is though I’ve seen Rocha play so much better and with much more intensity. I still think he could be a MLS Best XI player if he is in top mental form.
Toja had a good, not great, first half; but did nothing after he got hacked down in minute 54′. I’m sure it hurts to get hacked like that, perhaps even more when you have a sore thigh. But he’s gotta get tougher. Both in this game and overall he needs to fight through whatever is bothering him. Time to be a real professional and not a kid with potential. Dallas didn’t lose from lack of possession. Shots were 18 to 16 and shots on goal 8 to 6, both in favor of the home team of course. That’s a sold amount of chances on the road though. So really it was a 50/50 game and it could have gone either way. I’ll take that against a improving RSL squad on the road early in the season.
No Tan Bueno (It’s Not Good)One problem FCD is having stems from it’s slight lack of pace in the back. As a consequence Dallas plays deep defense to prevent over the top attacks. That means to get forward FCD needs to build out and that takes patience and possession skill. Cooper and Alvarez play a slashing attacking game. So there is a disconnect from front three when Cooper, Alvarez (and Toja usually, but Thompson today) are not able to hold the ball enough and play patient enough to build out. So FCD never gets forward and up to midfield as a team. Let’s not dwell on the stadium, but shame how close the wall is, we can’t see the near touch line on TV. As much as I bashed other TV guys on pronunciation, I have to call out Ray Canevari on Rimando. RSL’s goalkeeper is named Rih-MAHN-doe not Rah-MIN-doe. FCD played way to deep off Beckerman, you can’t give him space or he will kill you. You have to be in his hip pocket. Both Saragosa and Ricchetti were not anywhere near active enough to track him. One can’t help but wonder if a more active and mobile player like Wallace, even if he is a rookie, might not have done better in this one. Just tell Wally to stay within 2 feet of Beckerman all game and take the dreaded one out of it. Both goals against were about a moments lack of concentration. The first one by about 5 different players, the second by three. Young team? Maybe, but the defense is the experienced part of the team. Not sure I have an excuse. It’s gotta improve down the line.
Let’s not under sell how much this team misses Dax McCarty both in possession and on free kicks/corners. I don’t mean that as in his specific position, as Rocha is playing well. But the drop off with Dax not in there is noticeable. Not to beat a dead horse, but Cooper’s great form underlies the missing other forward. Imagine if a DP level, Angel like striker was in that front 3 between Cooper and Alvarez. One last comment from Davino, which doesn’t back up some point I had to make, I just love it so I’m putting it in here.
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The team just had 2 horrible results against the two worst teams in MLS and you see a lot of good that no lese does. Cooper score a goal from the idiot angle when Nick R. didn’t cover his near post. That was all he did all night. Rocha best 11? He was perhaps our worst player on the night, continually losing the ball and getting beaten in his defensive responsiblities. WE are comitting so many players back to cover a slow backline that we have no attack. C A couple of half chances is not an attack.
Buzz, excellent report, imho. Thanks for providing some level-headed perspective.
As for SJE and RSL being “the two worst teams” . . . did anyone notice that SJ came close to beating Columbus (they led for over half the game)? I think that speaks to SJ’s potential. And I think most everyone is saying that RSL has the potential for growth this season, too.
Which is why I REALLY like your articles, Buzz. You are as balanced and as objective as one can be, usually (as opposed to the “oh, it’s great / oh everything sucks!” view that some seem to have). Thanks.
Ray also pronounced Rick-ar-deen-yo as Rick-ar-deen-o. Not really understandable for anyone who watches and covers soccer as there are hundreds of Brazilians with inho at the end of their name. FO needs to decide whether A-mid or forward is the need spot and get to work as something is missing.
Well, if RLS and SJ are realizing their potential, it’s at the expense of teams like FCD. FCD needs to punish them on the 24th.
Anyone COULD be best XI if they played like a superstar…
Agree 100% about your comments about Ricchetti and Saragosa. Beckerman did whatever he wanted to almost the entire game.
I’m beginning to think this is a case of the players not wanting to play well for this coach. We know that there’s no love lost between Morrow and Ricchetti for promises broken, and Cooper can’t be a Morrow fan either for the same reasons. I’m beginning to think Morrow must have yanked Toja’s chain because he’s been playing like a guy who just doesn’t care, and has been since the start of the season. Could I be on to something?
buzz, with the Eurpean season ending in the ocming weeks, are their any players that you can inquire about (out of contract or not) that SM might be interested in? maybe a target striker like Jan Koller or Sibierski. Even someone like Marioni or Borgetti that can fill the DP spot we desperately need in the front.
Buzz,
I have to disagree that another forward is the way to fix the offense. Cooper is a #1 striker and the mix of Alvarez, Ricky, Oduro, and Thompson are all capable of picking of the slack for additional goals, assuming that those chances are created. I think the problem is that there is not a creative offensive midfielder on this roster. I think getting another Striker would just get us back to where we were with Ruiz. We need a conductor for our orchestra, not another soloist.
[...] great read from Buzz at 3rd Degree on the RSL loss. I pretty much had a lot of the feelings about the game as Buzz did. He mentioned how Kenny Cooper [...]
FCDfan, not everyone can play like a star. Rocha can, I’ve seen him do it.
Matt. It’s possible. Although I think Ricchetti has been playing quite well. Cooper also is putting in top effort. So at least they aren’t showing it. I hear Toja is improving his fitness and work rate in training from a couple places. So that’s a good sign.
TT, Morrow tells me he has a list. but any name I put out would be a guess. Marioni is a player that has had discussions with MLS so at least we can mention him that way. Borgetti I wouldn’t count on.
Skeeter, it’s a valid take. But I think when the pieces are in place McCarty, Toja, Ricchetti and Rocha are all good enough passers IMO
Understood. Although theoretically everyone has the “potential.” Don’t get me wrong it would be great for the team if he did..I just haven’t seen anything that even remotely resembles best XI play. He is young, the season is early… I’ll give it some time
what is it exactly we were doing during the 2 months of preseason training? i have yet to see us play w/ consistency for a complete game. i know we had injuries/call ups for a couple of guys, but 2 months plus 7 regular season games seems to be a lot of time and games. is this more of a schematic/ Xs and Os thing or a player thing?