3rd Degree

October 8th, 2008 . By: Buzz Carrick

“I don’t know. It’s a mystery.” - Philip Henslowe

The weather is amazing this time of year, it’s actually chilly when training starts and some players are in training jackets.  By the end of the session it’s 80 but still quite nice.

Without getting into the math I figure FCD needs to win two of the last three to make the playoffs.  With this being the last home game coming up a win is truly vital as RSL and LA can both be tough places to play.  Anyone else think a win and you’re in game out in LA is coming down the pipe?

News, Notes, & Observations

- TFC has had 5 players called up for national team games this weekend.  Kevin Harmse, Amado Guevara, Carl Robinson, Tyrone Marshall, and Carlos Ruiz

- Adrian Serioux has been called for Canada, but due to yellow card accumulation he’s suspended for the next Canada game and thus is available to play for FCD.  He also won’t miss the FCD game against RSL as he’ll be back in time from the 2nd Canuck game.

- Unfortunately Serioux’s sick and pulled out of training.  He actually got sick over the weekend and was throwing up during halftime of the game, so credit to him for sticking out the 20 minutes of the second half he did.

- Serioux caught the bug going through FCD.  Dax McCarty had it first, then Ray Burse.  Now Serioux.

- Blake Wagner pulled hit glute muscle yesterday and had to leave training.  He also missed training today.  Yes, he strained his buttocks, as Forest Gump would say.

- Marcelo Saragosa injured his knee against DC and has been playing through it.  Today he missed training to go get a MRI.  No word yet.  If it’s meniscus I imagine he’ll play out the end of the season before getting an op.  Schellas sighted Dax and Avila as options in his place if he can’t go.

- Break Shea continues to come outside and watch training, support the team, etc after his rehab work inside.  He’s still on crutches with a knee brace.

- Drew Moor worked as a left back yesterday after Wagner left the session, with Pitch back in the middle next to Davino.  Today Moor worked at right back after Serioux left the session.  So does that mean Pitch is starting in the middle?  Maybe says Schellas.

- Felix Garcia is here as a guest player after his stint with the reserves.  With Rowland out for the year I would bet Felix the Cat will be here through the end of the year.

- Victor Sikora looks to be more mobile and fluid, but he’s still working with the second unit.

- Emerson Hyndman worked in some more drills today, but did not participate in the full field game.

Catching up with Schellas Hyndman

Well Schellas was a bit less chatty today, so answers remain un-edited.  Again, don’t let it slip your mind that the coach speak translations are a bit.

Does the handball by Davino give you pause to think about height in center?

You know, it always gives you thoughts.  And remember what I said to you, “players win games, coaches lose games.”  So if he gets a red card there and they win the game then all fingers are pointed toward me.  “Why did you put him in,” and all those kinds of things. But he’s probably one of our best player, and is one of our most experienced players.  As John Ellinger said to me today, “nothing seems to phase him.” And that’s what we need, a little calmness back there.  He knows what he’s doing, that’s not anything I’m going to teach a World Cup Player, what to do and what not to do.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  I’m not going to admit I should have stuck with Pitch.

Thoughts on what could be Cooper’s last home game?

I don’t even want to think that right now.  FC Dallas has done an unbelievable job trying to keep Kenny here, for all the reasons we’ve talked about for months and months, is a very important player to Dallas, very important to the community, and very important to FC Dallas.  I don’t even want to go there with that speculation.  I would rather go with this speculation, it’s the last regular season home game of the season.  I look for everyone of our players to give their best performance.  Whether it’s Kenny [Cooper], Jeff [Cunningham], Drew [Moor], whoever it is.  And I would want nothing less than three points.  I think it’s a game we need to come up with.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  Cooper’s going nowhere!  Nowhere I say!  NOWHERE!  NNNNOOOOOWWWWWHHHEEEERRRREEE!!!!!!!

So what’s the club doing to retain Cooper?

You’d have to talk to Michael Hitchcock about that, he’s in negotiations.  We’re doing everything we possibly can.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.

Training

Warm up, some sprints, then stretching of course.  After that was a long range passing, crossing, and finishing drill that all the players rotated through.  On the side was a small one v one game with 4 neutrals to really push the pace on players.

Up next was a possession game and then a full field scrimmage.

Red: Oduro, Garcia, Avila, Sikora, Wileman, Rhine, Wadsworth, Dello-Russo, Daniels, Watson.
Grey: Cunningham, Cooper, McCarty, Guarda, Ricchetti, Rocha, Wallace, Davino, Pitchkolan, Moor

That was basically it, except for Cooper practicing PKs.

Lineup Prediction

I’m going to predict Serioux recovers, but Wagner doesn’t.  That means Pitch is in with Moor left.  I’ll also take a shot that Saragosa is hurt more than he let on and tried to play through it.  McCarty will go in his place.  If Serioux misses too, then Wallace is you’re left back and Moor will be on the right. If Wagner is back and Serious out, then Moor is on the right.

Obviously if Serioux, Saragosa, and Wagner are healthy they both start and Moor is in the middle for Pitch.

Thought of the Day

Despite the Schellas’ comments above that if the team had lost people would have pointed fingers at him, and that the team didn’t lose.  I think I’m going to point fingers at him anyway.

Cause a tie at home to a team below you, an expansion team at that, with four games left in the regular season IS a loss in my book.  Remember the adage “win at home and tie on the road?”  FCD is plus six on the season, one of two teams in the west with positive goal differential, the other being Houston, yet they are in 5th place.  Why?  Cause they stink at home (5-4-5 near worst in MLS).

So dropping points at home is the same as losing.  And why did they drop points at home?  Well I’m sure there are a lot of reason, but as the coach says. “players win games, coaches lose games.”  So the coach lost this one and he lost if by dropping the in-great-form Aaron Pitchkolan for the old, slow, and rusty Duilio Davino.

The should-have-been-a-red-card hand ball was bad enough, but the worth part is the Quakes goal came right over the top of the shorter, slower, and late to close, Davino.  It was making my head hurt watching Drew Moor run everywhere trying to cover the entire middle while Davino sat back and “covered.”

When a team has won two straight games outscoring teams 7 to 1 you don’t change the team.  Period.

This one lies solely at the feet of the coach.

Categories: Practice Observations .

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