Matchday 30: FC Dallas vs LA Galaxy
October 26th, 2008 . 8:52 am . By: Jay BrownleeLook, I am bummed. This season has been miserable. Steve Morrow and the 3-5-2 seem like ancient history. Juan Toja? He played for Dallas back in the 90s, right? Arturo Alvarez… didn’t he retire? This season was lost the moment Michael Hitchcock “reassigned” Steve Morrow. I’m not saying Dallas would have won or even made the playoffs, but Morrow’s firing set the tone for the season. The only positive is it looks like HSG are willing to allow Schellas Hyndman several years to figure it out. So, like him or hate him, he’s the gaffer. The last match I attended was against the Earthquakes. I sat in section 104 where I used to have season tickets. The same folks were there. It was great, except for the game. There won’t be any reason to go back to section 104 next year. Those people will be gone. There’s a silent revolt among season ticket holders who are being told significant price hikes for next season despite this team being downright rotten in 2008. So, why would anyone even care about watching Sunday’s season finale at Home Depot Center? I’ve racked my brain and come up with the following: Three Players In This Game Who Will Not Play In MLS Next Season and Why:Kenny Cooper: I am glad HSG has at least made attempts at signing Cooper. He’s a hometown boy who’s done well, and he really deserves to be marketed as the Face of FC Dallas. There is a sad reality though; the one that says Cooper is not worth as much in MLS as he is in Europe. It is certainly no fault of Kenny Cooper. But while opposing fans have learned to fear his skill, no one goes to a game in America just to see him. So Kenny needs to find his way overseas. It will give a chance to get some playing time at a higher level and perhaps even earn him a name. Either way, Bob Bradley might pay closer attention and finally earn him meaningful time with the Nats. I wish the kid the best, though; he’s always given it his best. Landon Donovan: America’s best player needs to get back to Europe. Although it feels like he’s been around forever, he’s only 26. And, I think he’s proved this season that if he is motivated, he can be a deadly, deadly player. Outside of the “Big Four,” he could probably earn First XI status on just about any team in the Premiership. What good is he to the LA Galaxy now? To MLS? To the Nats? By Sunday, Landycakes ought to be shopping flats in England. David Beckham: As one of the people who supported the Beckham experiment, I am now willing to admit it was a large pail of fail. Becks does not belong in MLS. We should thank him for shedding some light on the league, but an Italian phrasebook might be an appropriate parting gift. His desire to participate one last time for England in a World Cup is all the motivation Becks needs to find his way back to elite levels of football. So, there’s your reason to watch. As for me, I am betting that this game will be quickly forgotten, no matter the outcome. It’s going to be a long, cold Winter… 12 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
…I agree with what you say about Cooper, but damn I’m gonna miss him
Out of (sick) curiousity, i visited the LAG blog (just to see if anyone bothers to comment — they don’t). Anyway, they have audio clips of interviews with Arena, Beckham and Donovan.
http://thelagalaxy.blogspot.co...2008/10/day-before-dallas.html
I listened to Beckham and Donovan. Beckham is ALL class. I like him more and more. And i almost believe him when he insists that he plans to come back when the MLS season starts. And I think beckham definitely needs to show the world that he can still play high-level soccer. If he indeed comes back, I think helps both him and LAG.
As for Landycakes, he reaffirmed why I DON’T like him. He has no character. He doesn’t see the value of a loan and is upset that Becks did all of the AC Milan stuff before the end of the season. Whatever.
Listening to Beckham, it almost made we wish the Galaxy would be successful next year (for the sake of MLS). Listening to Donovan quickly took away that feeling.
:p
“The only positive is it looks like HSG are willing to allow Schellas Hyndman several years to figure it out. So, like him or hate him, he’s the gaffer”
I apologize in advance to the author but its this kind of thinking that drives me absolutely nuts. When they brought the bus driver in the team was not playing all that badly. Alright I will give you the fact that the LA game was bad. But every team is going to go through rough spots. Like I have said before the pieces were there. When comments are made like that its almost like the bus driver has an excuse for the horrible job performance. He didnt have anything to come in and figure out. They were a team in contention. From the moment the silver fox stepped onto the field they lost that moniker. He took what was left of that team and shattered it. FC Dallas should have been called an experiment from then on.
An you know what….im not gonna put up my hard earned money for an experiment.
Agree with SM. Marco Feruzzi had them playing better, things were looking up. Definitely ended with Guarda inked in the lineup. I’ll vote with not renewing my 4 season seats next year. who are we all going to cheer for now in the playoffs? The Salt Lake Burn?
Donovan could not play in the EPL for anyone. The game is too physical, he’s too small, the winters are harsh and he’s a mental midget.
**SM and Fred**
I have argued for some time that Morrow’s firing was ill-advised at best and just downright idiotic at worst. But Hitchcock made that move and HSG did not hold him accountable. I’m withholding judgment on Hyndman until he’s had a chance to fill the roster with “his” players. I argued that his long-term hiring was a positive if for no other reason than the Dallas coaching carousel is over with for a few years.
Anyhow, thank you for your feedback
-Jay
Alex,
Sorry, but you are absolutely wrong about Donovan. Just because you do not like him doesn’t make him a crap player. Donovan is and has been America’s best outfield player for a while now, and will continue to be for a good while longer. Anyhow, root for your Nats… why hate?
Was happy to see Pitch on the starting lineup but even tho was the last game and ” didnt mean” anything, I am sure that his red card will cost him something for the future with SH.
Also dont think Donovan can play in the EPL. Be honest he is not that good at all, it doesnt mean anything to be the best MLS player or top scorer. As we see with Emilio last year, Guillermo, Lopez this year. Emilio has no chance out there and the other 2 came to MLS because they couldnt handle the other leagues anymore…. So, for now we just cant compare MLS to any European or top south american league at all…
Donovan can’t handle not being the person of importance on a team.
i thought the silent revolt of fans already started this year. have you seen the crowds in the stadium lately?
this team is bad. i was on the SH bandwagon when they hired him. but, since then, i have seen more for his stubborness and questionable management of the team. the bruno vs avila clearly defines that it’s not about hard work and merit to earn the starting job…it’s about who you know.
classless move by the joke of a coach to take bobby out 55 minutes into the game.
In his various stages of development of a team I think he forgot to mention the bull$h1t stage where the college coach still tries to figure out how to treat these players like professionals. Sure as he’ll do not do it by this or having your pre-pubecent grandson take part in training sessions.
Buzz I highly encourage you to ask the joke of a coach why he took bobby out so early, ask bobby how he felt, and ask some of the other players what they thought of the move
**SM and Fred**
“I have argued for some time that Morrow’s firing was ill-advised at best and just downright idiotic at worst. But Hitchcock made that move and HSG did not hold him accountable. I’m withholding judgment on Hyndman until he’s had a chance to fill the roster with “his” players. I argued that his long-term hiring was a positive if for no other reason than the Dallas coaching carousel is over with for a few years.”
My only reason for making the comment that I did was I dont understand the blowing up the house to look for a leak approach. We had a very talented team that just needed some direction. Marrow was a good coach but a poor leader from what I have read. If he would have just come in and coached what he had this team could have played out of the problems that they were having. Instead the bus driver went for the nuclear option.
And as far as filling the roster with his players? This isnt a college team. You can go out and get players but you have to build around something. What is this guy going to build around next year. After all the anticipated defections in the offseason we are going to be a pretty new team.
sigh. Cubs fan. Bears fan. now an fc dallas fan.