June 25th, 2008 . 12:39 pm . By: Buzz Carrick

I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I’m late, I’m late, I’m late! – The White Rabbit

The first thing Schellas Hyndman did in his regime was to move training up till 9 am.  Which is funny since he was late today with some personal business and came trotting out to training at 9:45. Marco Ferruzzi ran training for the most part.

Not that I give a hoot really as today wasn’t a day of teaching tactics and system, it was just a pre game day energy session.  The team was set to leave after the session.

News, Notes, & Observations

- FCD has agreed to terms with Spencer Wadsworth as a developmental player.

- Robbie C’deBaca is still around.  I’m still not sold on him.

- Schellas wants Ray Burse in Dallas camp full time.  He will play two final games for Portland this weekend and then stay with FCD.

- Adrian Serioux is back.  Yesterday, which I did not witness but heard about, he played both midfield and left back.

- Drew Moor and Brek Shea are back from the US team.  Drew said no one hazed Brek, but they did stare at his hair some.

- Ricardinho was sharp, aggressive, and dangerous today.  I’d like to see more of that.  I wonder what brought on the change?  Oh… wait.

- I think you can tell a couple young players think there are some spots up for grabs, notably Dello-Russo and Andre Daniels seem more interested and are looking to take a shot at some PT.  Daniels today looked better than I have seen before.

- Schellas says Dax McCarty is 80% and is chomping at the bit to get back on the field.

Catching up with Schellas Hyndman

So here comes the coach translator bit, not sure it will be that insightful since Schellas tends to say flat out what he means.  Boy he can really get a head of steam going on an answer.  I may have to start using just parts of his quotes.

You seem to run longer session, is that a deliberate plan or coincidence?

It’s just something we’re doing early on.  We have a lot to talk about. I think there’s a bit of concern for me, I don’t think the players are match fit.  So how do you et them match fit, I think there’s a couple way to do it.  One is to run them, but we’re in the middle of the season so that’s not good.  Another way is to bring up a little bit of the intensity in training, and part of that is extending training.  So it’s by design but we won’t continue it for ever.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  You were right, we’re not fit enough.

Is the heavy use of vets a “best players” decision of a reflection of something else?

I think it’s best players at this minute.  But it’s also a touch of previous games.   One of the things I said in my press conference was that I want to make some subtle changes.  I think those personnel changes will come when I’ve given the veteran player the opportunity to do what I’m asking and they don’t do it.  It’s still their choice isn’t it?  And then we need to go and look at some of the younger players.  So It’s really kinda a respect thing.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  Vets first, kids next.

Do you have the outside backs to do what you want in the 4-4-2?

I think Drew’s coming on.  I think he’s showed a little bit, of course with the national team against Barbados he was doing it quite a bit.  I think if Adrian [Serioux] is on the left side, which it looks like he is, he’ll add a little bit to that side of the defense.  I don’t think he feels as comfortable there. But at the same time one of the strengths of a 4-4-2 is flank play.  So we gotta figure out who we might have there who might be able to do it.  I think down the road it could be Brek Shea.  He’s a young player and in the second group of players yesterday he was doing it the best of anyone.  Although on the second team sometimes you can be more adventurous cause you want to try and get on that first team.  I think he potentially could be doing that for us down the line.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator: No.    Wait… yes.  The 18 year old kid.

Would you agree with my take that you are missing a legitimate second forward?

You’re right, I think you’re absolutely right.  I think the forwards we have right now, let’s say Dominic and Kenny, we know Kenny can score.  If you just had to compare that two, Dominic is player with tremendous athleticism and speed who gets behind you and stretches opponents, but sometimes the end product is not what you want.  But I think neither of them are outstanding combination players, they’re both runners. As the season progresses, it’s easy for the opposition to shut that down.  Or at least be aware of it and get them offside, or cover and double up on them, or whatever it may be.

So I think it’s a fair assessment to say any quality team has got to have the ability to score goals if you look at the stats right now the goals are all coming from the forwards.  So why is that?  Why are the midfielders not getting goals?  I don’t think you can consider yourself a strong team unless you have an attacking midfielder who can score goals.  Either combine or get in there with assists.  So right now we’re kinda we’re dysfunctional as far as of one groups taking off for goal and the other trying to hold the ball.  What we need to do is identify a forward who can have the speed to get forward, but also combine, if that makes sense.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  Yes, one who can playmaker.

So is it a bigger problem that you don’t have a #10?

I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the transfer window to see if we can find that player.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  Ask me again in a month.

So more of a withdrawn forward perhaps?

Yeah, somebody who can come back and defend a little bit, but also somebody who can get touches and combine.  And somebody who may even have the speed to get behind opposition.  But also somebody who can score as well.  Isn’t that something everybody wants?  So we’re trying to look within our own first, but it’s definitely something the coaching stuff talks about.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  There’s gonna be some changes around here.

What’s your take on the Designated Player rule, perhaps on spending money on marketing versus soccer talent?

I go along with you, I think we need talent.  If we are sitting in a room with five people and we’re trying to decide who that designated player is for FC Dallas, we’d probably have five different opinions.  So what we’re trying to do is figure, what does this team need? And it may be that #10, that striker that can combine and hold the ball.  The striker that is going to unbalance opposition so Kenny can still be free.  So I think that may be one.  I think it could be left back, something you and I talked about in a 4-4-2 and the need to attack out of the back.  It could be that.  But I think I’ve helped the defense by just putting another player there.  Maybe I can’t get everything I want out of that player, but I think it helped the defense.  I think I’ve helped Duilio cause now he doesn’t have to run side to side, 75 yards to support.  So I think way I helped, but I also hurt cause I got one less guy in the midfield.  So how do we exist with one less guy in the midfield.  It’s gotta be a better engine there, a better work ethic.  We have a lot of talented player, but they sometimes they only want to play one way.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  It’s all about the skillz, screw that marketing crap.

Training

A really short session, but that’s typical of a pre-game day.  Warmup and some stretching then into a shooting Gallery drill to push the pace and energy.

Red: Cooper, Shea, McCarty, Toja, Daniels, Wadsworth, Avila, Moor, Wileman, Wallace, Ricardinho
Gray: Dello-Russo, Ricchetti, Thompson, Alvarez, Davino, Wagner, Rhine, C’deBaca, Pitchkolan, Rocha, Serioux

After that was some free kick shooting from about 10 yards outside the box by Toja, Rocha, Alvarez, and…  Dello-Russo?

Lineup Prediction

Ok staying 4-4-2.  Serioux is back, but it sounds like he’s playing left back and Moor will be on the right.  So that means Pitch with Davino I would imagine.  Ricchetti, Rocha, and Toja of course, and Saragosa is seems under Schellas.  Dax isn’t ready yet anyway.  Cooper is a lock and Hyndman continues to search for a partner who can both hold the ball and play in combination, it might be Alvarez turn based on a few things I saw and heard this week.

Thought of the Day

I must say that talking to Schellas on the record is quite refreshing.  Most coaches are quite open and honest off the record, but on the record tend to give you coach speak.  Although the longer you have known them the more open they are.  Schellas on the other hand has been frankly open and honest in all his on the record answers.

It goes to show I think how much confidence he has in his position.  He’s not only been a coach a long time but has a position of power with his Hunt relationship.  It’ll be interesting to see how players react to some of the frank comments he makes.

Here’s one I noticed in particular from Tobias’ piece on Ricardinho.

I think I’m not in this job to make everyone happy.  So there’s going to be some players who feel they’ve been overlooked or haven’t got a fair shake.

There is some serious shake up coming I think.

Categories: Practice Observations.

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