May 7th, 2009 . 3:09 pm . By: Buzz Carrick

Do you have one really freaky sequin space suit, man? Or do you have several ch-ch-ch-ch-changes? - Bret McKenzie

You wanted changes, you got it.  Although since a couple of them are injury related they may not quite be what you wanted.

It’s humid as hell so thank goodness it’s not 100 yet.  At least today is tolerable cause its only in the mid 70s.  Hitch jokingly said he had the weather brought in to get the team ready for playing in Houston.

News, Notes and Observations

- Hitch is out today for soem glad handing.  Afterward he tells me the River Plate deal is agreed to top to bottom and the contract is done in English.  The only thing remaining is writing out the contract in Spanish (harder than it sounds in legalese) and then signing it.  Hitch says he will go down to Argentina to do that. He also anticipates a friendly with River up here this year.

- Dario Sala is working both inside and outside so he’s questionable.  Doesn’t look like he’s gonna play this weekend.  He’s having some pain in the knee.  The team will do another MRI to make sure he’s fine.

- Pablo Ricchetti is also almost certainly out.  He got kicked by Atiba Harris and injured his right foot but played through it.  Then against DC he twisted the ankle and now needs to sit out.  He’s also questionable for the Houston game.

- Anthony Wallace was again good today.  I hear he’s been great since Kyle Davies showed up, which is interesting.  Hyndman mentioned Wally by name as being close to taking the left back spot.  Apparently Wally will travel this weekend and might see some time but isn’t starting yet.

- Break She for me was also really strong today.  He played forward and was creating chaos and danger.  He also looks a bit pissed.  I’m sure it’s cause he’s not making the bench or getting PT.  He was so good today I want to see him the first option off the bench this weekend in attack.  Once again, as he is almost every day, he was the last one out.  This time along with Peri Marosevic.

- I asked Hyndman about the lack of reserve games and he says they are trying to get 2 or 3 games a month for the reserves from PDL teams or even foreign teams coming in.  I imagine they will also use NTSA D1 teams, college teams, and anything else that is halfway good.  They will likely be on Monday’s.

- According to Hyndman, David Ferreira, for the first time since he came here, has asked for a DVD of the opposition (Houston) in advance of the game to see how they play.  I take that as a sign he knows this league is going to be difficult and he also knows he needs to bring it up a notch.  That’s a real positive and says something about his determination and focus.

- In answering a question I didn’t quote, Hydnam said FCD was interested earlier this year in Pablo Vitti who signed with Toronto FC.

- With “Tom” Sanchez still not seeing much of the first team it seems he is either not adjusting to MLS or may just not be as good as they thought.

Catching Up with Schellas Hyndman

Looks like you’re making some changes in the back?

When you look at the 14 goals we’ve given up in 7 games, that’s an indicator that things aren’t going great back there.  Whether it be the two center backs or the whole block of four.  But right now we seem to be susceptible to balls over the top or balls through the center. So right now we’re trying to get a little more size in there, maybe a little more aggressiveness.  As far as making decision, they’re going to make their god decisions and their bad decisions.  But I think we’ve been doing it up till now.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  You bet your ass I’m making changes.  We’re one five and one.

Is there a point at which you have to try and bunker in a bit as a team and try and hold down the goals?

You know I hate to do that cause I think we’re a much better team than we were last year.  And if you eliminate the soft goals we’ve given up I think this wouldn’t be a topic.  In the seven games we’ve played, I think we were only behind one game at halftime.  All the other games we were either winning or at least neutral.  So it turns into a situation where in the second half… between the 55th minute and the 68th minute we’re given up 7 goals.  Is that teams breaking us down? Is that teams putting fresh legs on the field?  Is that our team not as fit?  Or is it just pressure?  All those things are probably possibilities.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  We’re better than that.  Or at least I think we are.

So which of those do you think it is?

I think are putting ourselves under a lot of pressure.  I think it’s more of a mind set than anything else.  If it was a fitness thing then we wouldn’t have been able to match Chivas being down a man for 65 minutes and still play a good game.  So I don’t think it’s a fitness thing. 

As far as putting pressure on the ball, that’s something we are working on.  One thing I didn’t mention was personnel change.  And we’re doing that now.  I think [Anthony Wallace]’s had a great week of work, and not that he’s going to start over Blake [Wagner] but I think now it wouldn’t be as hard for me to make that decision.  Or go with two new guys in the center back position, both big and strong.  Maybe not as experiences, but again the experience hasn’t been that successful.  And I think the right back is still an issue.  Not that we will get the best game, or the worst game, out of Drew [Moor], I think Drew is probably a better center back than a right back, but through necessity we’re looking at that.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  It’s the mind.  It’s almost always about the mind.

Is it an on going struggle to get Cooper into better spots?

I think it comes down to mentality.  If it’s a one on one situation with Kenny I think he’s really dangerous.  If it’s a group of people it’s really hard for him to bust his way through there. I think that’s more of a mentality and obviously we’d like to have more of that from him.  It’s interesting cause defenders have that kind of mentality, that first to the ball, and all they get out of it is clearing it.  If forwards have that same kind of mentality and they can get goals.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator:  What did I just way about mentality?

Training

After the jogging and stretching came some pass and move type drills, then a possession game.  Then the team was split up into two sections.  Hyndman took Cooper, Cunningham, Marosevic, and Shea to work on combination play and finishing.  Ellinger took everyone else to work on defense.

Finally a full field game situation probable starters versus a second team.

Red: Cooper, Cunningham, VDB, Ferreira, Saragosa, Rocha, Wagner, Purdy, John, Moor, and Burse.
Grey: Marosevic Shea, Sanchez, McCarty, Guarda, Avila, Wallace, Torres, Davies, Dello-Russo, and lambo.

As a second version Cooper/Cunningham swapped with Marosevic/Shea while Wallace/Torres swapped with Wagner/Purdy.

Grey had a bunch of the ball and was dangerous, but the “reserves” often really bring it in training cause they would like to not be reserves.  Dax in particular looked angry and intense. 

Lineup Prediction

A reminder Hyndman doesn’t pick his team early in the week, but he did say they worked with basically the same team yesterday so the following seems likely.

Burse is still in as Sala is almost certainly out.  Ricchetti is also looking out so Saragosa to holding mid and Moor to right back out of need (would Moor be dropped if Ricchetti was healthy?).  Purdy and John in the middle of the back line, an inexperienced but bigger and stronger combo.  Wagner keeps his spot, but only just as Wally got a good run there today.  No Sanchez yet, but Cunningham is back in with Ferreira in midfield and McCarty on the bench.

Keep in mind, Ricchetti is ridding shotgun on the bus.  So if Ricchetti is given the green light I bet he plays and Saragosa goes to right back.

Thought of the Day

It will be interesting to see how Saragosa does at holding mid.  He doesn’t have the range needed for that spot, although neither does Ricchetti.  Ricchetti however is smart and savvy, which gets him in the right places.  Saragosa by contrast reads the game a split second slower but is also a relentless worker who isn’t afraid to break a guy in half if needed.  Strange how nice guys like Marcelo, or Simo Valakari, can be so damn hard on the field.

I still think to play a diamond midfield you need a player with immense range in that spot.  Think Shalrie Joseph (who the Revs don’t leave solo), a Ricardo Clark, or a Maurice Edu.  I’m not sure FCD has a guy like that, except maybe Anthony Wallace who Steve Morrow thought would be there eventually.  If Wally keeps up his renewed form maybe he can still claim that spot.

If this thing gets much worse I’d be tempted to ask for Ricchetti as a center back leader type, something FCD is clearly missing, and perhaps a relentless Drew Moor, George John, or Steve Purdy as a holding mid just to see if it would work.

I watched Break Shea play there once and it was really exciting.  His range is unreal and he would have wonderful feet, touch, and passing skill for a deep mid.  He would have a lot to learn, notably on when NOT to go forward, but it would be fun to watch at least while he tried to learn it on the fly.  If the team is going to stink it up anyway, why not?

Categories: Practice Observations.

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