Matchday 27: San Jose Earthquakes vs FC Dallas
October 2nd, 2008 . By: Jay Brownlee
FC Dallas is in the midst of a lovely late-summer run. Without getting into all the playoff possibilities, according to SportsClubStats.com, if Dallas can manage to go better than .500 over its last four matches, post-season would most likely be a reality. And there are good signs. Dallas has certainly started to peak at the right time. Dallas finishes the month of September with a 2-1-1 record, but the loss was way back on September 4th. In this stretch, Dallas has scored nine goals while conceding only four. Cunningham and Cooper are now jelling and Andre Rocha looks more dangerous with every match. Did I forget to mention set pieces? So why are there still so many fans hating on Hyndman, bashing on Bruno, doubting Davino? Because this team is so much worse than last year? Well, guess what: you’re wrong! After Dallas disposes of San Jose on Thursday night, they will be 9-9-9 on the year. Dallas only finished 13-12-5 a year ago. This team won’t match the wins, but they can easily have a better winning percentage. One year ago, FC Dallas scored 37 goals all year while conceding a whopping 44. With four games remaining, Dallas has scored 39 goals and only conceded 33. So, they play better offense, they play better defense, and their winning percentage should be better than last year. And you want to fire Hyndman and chase Guarda out of town? Give me a break. I would invite you to go back over the matches this season where Dallas blew late leads. DeRosario, Cameron and Conrad have all scored in the 90+ minute to take away points. Dallas gave up the lead in the 84th minute to open the year. I won’t even bother to list leads blown after the 70 minute mark. Look ‘em up. The point is, it’s not that Dallas has been losing points, so much as how they are have lost points. Correct that and the playoffs look possible. So, that brings us to Thursday night’s match again the San Jose Earthworms. Pardon me, the Earthquakes. How rude. Expect Schellas Hyndman to roll out a similar line-up as has produced the past two victories. That 4-4-2 starts with Dario Sala between the pipes, Blake Wagner, Drew Moor, Duilio Davino and Adrian Serioux left to right along the back, Pablo (for MVP) Ricchetti deep, Bruno Guarda high, Marcelo Saragosa on the left, Andre The Rock, right, and Li’l Jeffie Cunningham and Kenny Cooper up front. For San Jose, the Inferno will be enjoying a close-up of Joe Cannon in net, a defensive back four of Plano’s own Nick Garcia, Eric Denton, Jason Hernandez and Ryan Cochran, midfielders Ned Grabavoy, Francisco Lima, Ronnie O’Brien and Darren Huckerby, and up front, Arturo Alvarez and Scott Sealy. I predicted earlier that Saragosa would get the start at left mid again. He will be up against O’Brien, and I think Hyndman is going to want Saragosa to put the smack-down out there hoping to stop those sweet curling crosses we all know O’Brien is so capable of. Over on the right, expect duties to be shared between Rocha and Serioux on Huckerby who can be a handful. Because San Jose is so good on flanks, I think this area is the battleground again for Dallas. Look for Dallas to repeat last game’s strategy of high pressure. I don’t believe DC United were at their best, but Dallas damned sure had something to do with it. San Jose ain’t going anywhere this year except home. FC Dallas knows it ain’t the time of year for that. 6 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
I would not mind seeing Pitch in for stopper and Moore out wide for wagner some to give Pitch some more play. I also think Rocha is this year’s Toja..Not as great..but as he plays we play..lets hope he can keep from any yellows so he does not sit as the season gets tight at the end.
Nice write up.
“So, they play better offense, they play better defense, and their winning percentage should be better than last year. And you want to fire Hyndman and chase Guarda out of town? Give me a break.”
No — but I am still frustrated, or maybe more baffled, by SH’s insistence on playing Guarda and the comment about his “instant defense.” I’ve simply decided that he (Hyndman) needs to get his eyes checked. He’s confusing Saragosa’s defense with Guarda’s (lack of . . .). I think Guarda is improving and looked like he belonged out there in the first half of the DCU game. In the second half he disappeared again. But i certainly don’t blame Guarda because Coach is putting him out there when he’s really not ready.
I am equally frustrated that our Olympian is on the bench (pleeeeeaaaaassseee, no more games where the only people to take corners or free kicks are Guarda or Dello-Ruso . . .) — but satisfied now that Rocha is getting 90 minutes of playing and showing why he should be.
I liked SH’s ideas, toughness, and emphasis on fitness from the beginning. If the team continues to play as it has been, I can certainly live with his eccentricities/idiosyncrasies.
M. Saragosa kneed Ronnie O’Brien in the lower back. It was the most significant play of that Open Cup match back when MS was a Galaxy. ROB tried to soldier through the pain, but had to be subbed out early in the 2nd half.
Could Davino be suspended for his handball, even the ref refused to give him a red? That would be awesome for FCD (probably wouldn’t have to pay salary for suspended games, too).
Worst game of the year for FCD but Abby came thru as MOTM with two bad calls down the stretch to get us an undeserved point. Wow, Davino is awful and KC was a cone tonight. UGLY game to watch.
Abbey was awful last night. i only saw 20 minutes but he missed 2 red cards, 1 for each team (the pull down of Cunningham and the handball by Davino with Johnson in on goal) and the handball against LIma that he called for a pk actually hit off the hip/waist of the player. Very disappointing.