Zip It: Colorado Rapids vs FC Dallas
October 18th, 2009 . 1:08 pm . By: Jay BrownleeFC Dallas continued their scorching hot run for an improbable playoff berth Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco with a well-played 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in front of 15,243. In a virtual must-win match for the home club, Dallas defenders George John and Ugo Ihemelu provided all the scoring Dallas would need for the win. After a week that saw Head Coach Schellas Hyndman close practice to Media and the public, the team came out focused and forceful. The payoff was almost immediate. A foul that drew a yellow card from Colorado’s Cory Gibbs on Atiba Harris just outside the penalty area set up Dave Van Den Berg’s short free-kick. Van Den Berg’s perfect service found the head of George John, who slammed the ball past Colorado goalkeeper Preston Burpo to thrust Dallas into the lead in the 4th minute. FC Dallas did not let up over the next 20 minutes or so as they continued to create chances in search of the brace. Just three minutes later, Dax McCarty’s header appeared to be heading into the upper corner of the net, but Burpo’s diving save denied the chance. Then David Ferreira slid the ball just wide of a wide-open net. The game then settled down a bit as Colorado began to push back, and controlled much of the midfield for a large portion of the remainder of the first half. Colorado would not be able to find the equalizer, however, and the half would end with Dallas in the lead, 1-0. Apparently, whatever was said or adjustments made at the break re-focused the Men in Stripes. Burpo was forced to make another good save on a high, hard shot from the foot of David Ferreira just two minutes into the second frame. Then Dallas just missed two more chances only minutes later from MLS Golden Boot leader Jeff Cunningham and right back Heath Pearce, whose 40-yard bomb broke just wide of Burpo’s net. However, Dallas finally extended their lead to 2-0 in the 71st minute from another set-piece. Dax McCarty’s long free-kick into the box found Atiba Harris, who nodded the ball to the post and the charging Ihemelu. Ihemelu’s attempt pinballed off Burpo, kerranged off the post and then into the net for only the second goal of his career. A scrappy Colorado got a goal back just five minutes later, however. Pat Noonan gathered a stray ball, and then beat Ihemelu one-on-one. His low, hard shot also beat Sala to tighten the match at 2-1. But Dallas never relented in their pressure, and Colorado was never able to gain the equalizer, propelling the team to 5-1-0 in their last six and into a tie for the eighth and final MLS playoff spot. Although Dallas has not yet secured their place in the post-season, a win away to Seattle next weekend may be enough to ensure their unlikely entry. Dallas has been a remarkable team all season long. They started off remarkably bad; their 1-6-1 start nearly dooming the season from the outset. But even if Dallas does not complete its run for the post-season, this turn-around has been remarkable, indeed. Dallas has a long and worn-out history of fading in the late summer heat. In fact, predicting a late-season limp has normally taken about as much prognosticating acumen as predicting leaves will turn in the fall. That this team is playing better than early in the season should have been expected, but no one- no one- predicted this. The way this club is winning is also showing improvement. Last night’s match lacked the giddy over-reaction to winning that I complained about earlier this season, particularly after the L.A. match. The team that acted as if they couldn’t believe they could march into the Home Depot Center and deliver an ass-whipping looked altogether different tonight. The team tonight looked as if they expected to win. Hell, Dallas almost had a swagger on a night that could have been their season-ender. Instead, they never looked cocky; they looked confident, a subtle, but necessary difference. The naysayers, for the most part, will continue being silent, awaiting a final match loss or tie to the Sounders to once again beat their chests in a futile attempt to excoriate Hyndman, Hunt Sports Group, the Soccer Gods, and anyone else they can think of. That’s fine. Let ‘em yell, I say. Hyndman’s acquisition of players throughout this season and style of play has had a transforming effect on the club. While the transformation is not yet complete and the future unknown at best, results in these matches that matter in the toughest stretch of the season speak chapters, if not volumes. Remarkable. 29 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
I told ya’ll about that man G. John. He shut down conner casey and picked up a goal to boot. BUT…is currently 3rd in voting for man of the match on the FCD website… WHAT?!?! anywho.. go FCD!!
This team has turned around nicely. I wonder if Sala will be back next year, I would like to see him back there. But, I do wonder what Schellas has in store for the future of our goalkeeper position. Great teamwork, it is exciting as hell to see this team play right now.
Great performace (forgetting about the 10 missed chances – at least we’re creating them). Really solid throughout, John and Ihemelu made Casey and Cummings look decidedly average and both made a believer out of me, I thought Kyle Davis should be in the side but these two were excellent and have changed my mind. Some great attacking football played, great fun to watch, although i think every member of the midfield and attack could (and should) have got on the scoresheet. Special mention for Hernandez, that guy has been the unsung hero of the recent winning streak. He breaks up play, plays it simple, starts everything, has formed a great partnership with McCarty and taks no crap off anyone, something we really needed. Everyone said Hyndman was just signing another of his mates but that guy is fully deserving of his place in the starting line up. If things go our way next week then we’ve got a real shot in our current form, no one will relish playing us.
By the way, good atmosphere at PHP last night. My first time in the ‘Supporters Section’ having come down out of my poncey suite and you boys know how to enjoy a football match. I’ve already bought my season ticket for next year in 121, and if we keep this team together i think we’re going to have a lot of fun watching FCD in 2010
It’s remarkable how quickly all these new players have blended. Except for the missed chances that Jat alludes to, we would have easily won. Kudos to FCD (including SH – saying that didn’t hurt too badly).
Ihemelu said after the game that they were playing a “good brand of soccer.” I think he’s underselling it. This is really, really good football FC Dallas is playing. Just a few pieces and boom, everything’s better.
Better still, I don’t groan when I see the ball land at one of our guy’s feet. I get excited. Something good is gonna happen. They’re gonna go forward. They’re gonna find Ferreira and he’s gonna find Cunny.
Still, we need to finish our abundant chances. That’s the only quibble. We just need one more win and we’re probably in.
Zippy, this team is more than remarkable — it’s amazing.
From day one, I liked Hyndman’s ideas and game plan. Heck, we even stole “the tunnel of love” for our rec soccer practices. He’s as polite as can be when you meet him, I still don’t like some of the choices he made last season and this season. And I think he needs to continue to improve his interpersonal and communication skills.
But I have to give him credit now. Wow. I think he has learned, finally, how the pro game works at the management level (or at least is better at it than before). I also give credit to Captain Sala. I bet you our Argentinean lieutenant has also contributed a lot to the coming together of this team. He should have been captain back in 2007, imho.
i think most of us are surprised at this incredible turnaround of the team. for the new guys to MLS, it definitely takes time to get acclimated to the league and style of play. as we can see now, david is doing what he was meant to do as a true #10 SH had envisioned.
speaking of new guys, my only issue is w/ marvin chavez. during the break before the final whistle blew, the man was clearly off-sides and didn’t have the notion to slow down a bit or get wider for an easy ferreira pass. shouldn’t he know better from someone who has played so much soccer all his life? he’s got great speed, but i hope there’s a little more soccer IQ that we can see for next year. i feel bad for eric avila b/c that’s the position i see him at for us. at this moment. but, we’re winning…so oh well.
I can’t stand us winning, FC Dallas does not win, we should fire the coach. He sucks.
Okay, for real, I’m glad SH has got them turned around. I can’t wait for next season, that is if we don’t make the playoffs this year.
Agree with 3nOut.. Marvin Chavez has incredible speed, but just seems to run around like a lost soul and accomplish very little.. to some extent he reminds me of Ricardinho. I’d much rather see Avila be first in the pecking order off the bench, he offers a lot more than Chavez does.
I admit to being one who has called for SH’s head on many occasion. But now I want to see a statue of it in Bronze at the gates to PHP! Schellas Hyndman has stuck to his guns and created a winning attitude within this team.
regardless of how Saturday and the end of season turns out I am beyond excited about 2010’s prospects. Our guys are playing hard and taking no prisoners. The new acquisitions we all cried about, are getting the job done. Hernandez is ferocious and I love watching him bully the midfield. JC9 is on fire and David Ferreira has finally come into his element…. he is a bloody pit bull of a player who never gives up. I have seen him the recipient of more bad tackles than anyone and he just gets up and goes on playing. Damn I love this team right now and thankyou Schellas Hyndman for sticking to your guns and proving a lot of us wrong!
Chavez has a ton of potential and just needs more time to integrate into the team and MLS style of play. See David Ferreira….
I echo the sentiments about Daniel Hernandez. Although I like Richetti, Hernandez’s presence on the field and poise on the ball is remarkable. It has really freed up McCarty to get forward and lateral more as well.
At this point I’ll be happy with whatever goes down Saturday. FCD is playing the type of soccer anyone wants to watch, win or lose. This is something they can sell to the masses in DFW. The next step is to make this style of play “the FCD style” and guarantee they’ll play it no matter what.
I agree with Moose, they can definitely market this style, and the atmosphere was really solid at the game. I took a couple of friends to their first game, and by the time we left they were talking about season tickets, after one game! I don’t think it would have gone the same way at the start of this season.
man – fair weather friends? frontrunners? Lets enjoy the ride!
Chavez has a lot more improving to do than just adapting to the MLS style of place. He’s no where near as polished as David Ferreira. You could see with David from day one that he read the game extremely well, as opposed to as Nathan said “Agree with 3nOut.. Marvin Chavez has incredible speed, but just seems to run around like a lost soul and accomplish very little.. to some extent he reminds me of Ricardinho.”
All we have to do is beat seattle and hope for a dc tie or lose right?
3nOut said:
” I’d much rather see Avila be first in the pecking order off the bench, he offers a lot more than Chavez does.”
Okay, THIS is why I don’t totally like/trust/whatever-you-want-to-call-it Hyndman. Why must a player like Avila lose all playing time when Marvin is not (yet) an upgrade? I just don’t get what Eric did to be so far “back on the bus.”??? Besides speed (or maybe this it? It’s his speed?), how is Chavez better than Avila?
I’m a naysayer for this coach anyway, and I’ll say it now. A blind sqirrel finds a nut every now and then. Or, the sun shines on a dog’s ass every once in awhile. College coach with no winning (championships) background. I don’t believe it will here in the pro ranks either. Glad we have a shot, but it would be an easier road if the results from earilier this season were at least passable for a good side, and they weren’t.
Chad,
The problem with your cliche commentary is that the squirrel has found about 8 nuts, and the sun has been shining on the dog since mid June.
So think again brother….this is a solid football team, and it is one that SH is solely responsible for putting together. While it is yet to be seen as to whether Hyndman successfully makes the pro transition for the longer term, he deserves credit for doing one hell of a job in assembling this team. It took guts to get rid of so many players and taking the full brunt of criticism while he was rebuilding.
Chad,
Yes a blind squirrel does find a nut every now and then, but a blind squirrel does not find a nut week in week out. Plus it has been rainy and overcast in dallas for a long time.
Also, you can’t compare college and pro. In college you recruit guys, but pro you can buy the players you need. If SMU needed a goalie, they just can’t run out and get one, they have to recruit him, and if that goalie is good, most likely a few programs are also recruiting him as well.
I really doubt most NFL coaches would do that well in NCAA
Eh, I’m kinda with Chad. Not ready to hop on the bandwagon just yet; it still took the guy way too long to figure out who sucked and who didn’t (I mean we say he rejected Saragosa, but not before the clown cost us game after game for about a year)
The way he handles himself and his team to the press is still just amateur at best. When you lose almost ever game, there’s only one way to go. Granted I’m glad we’re there, but I’m far from saying SH is a master mind.
I think Chad may of had in mind the current team formation/personnel as the “nut,” not the individual results. However, either way I don’t see the change in form and substance as mere blind luck. SH meticulously changed and tinkered with the formation and personnel until he got the performance he has been looking for. And, since that time, he has largely stuck with the same guys, barring injury and card trouble. It’s pretty unreasonable not to give SH some credit for FCD’s recent form.
nothing against chavez, but i see the same thing nathan does. wouldn’t someone as creative as avila fit in nicely to help control the game or add more pressure if needed? as far as speed, i don’t think avila is considered slow from what i’ve seen. anyways, i just can’t help but feel this guy will be wasted here. when he came out of the draft, he was considered to be #1 overall material. now, he can’t even sniff the pitch. he’s shown more than bruno last year, and SH elects to play bruno more. he’s had more experience in this league than chavez, and SH plays him more. not to cry about it, but it’s just an observation. i’m glad for SH the team is winning, so i won’t pout too long.
I really think that FC Dallas will make it to the Playoffs and if they Jeff Cunningham should be MVP. I just laugh at TFC every time he scores a goal. I really hope that he gets the call up for National team we need his speed for the world cup.
I think it took a while but Hyndman decided speed was what he was looking for. It is all over with just a few players without it. Before that it was a blind squirrel. Now if he would work on his player management at least in public. I will at present give a grudging move of changing him to sort of a Bruce Arena grouping where he is personnally prickly but at least his team is decent.
I agree that offensively, Avila is a better choice at RM than Chavez. But you’ll notice the emphasis on defense from both VdB and Harris, and I have to think that’s where SH feels that Avila falls short. We haven’t been trailing very often during this run, but I bet we may see Avila come on over Chavez if we ever are.
As an SMU grad, I personally watched SH lose the most critical game of the season year after year. Sure, the results have been good for the last 8 weeks. But let’s see if SH can finally win a game in the pros that he couldn’t ever win in college. FCD is playing a team in Seattle that has nothing to play for exept playoff position and a stadium with 30k+ fans. Do we have enough to overcome that? SH has proven time and again that he cannot win the big games. Let’s see him prove me wrong. I hope he does, but I have little faith, in him at least.
And Robert, the sun has been shining since mid-June? Which team were you following at that time? Not FCD, go back and check the results from June, July, and most of August. Lackluster at best.
Let’s see about the aquisisions (sp) over the winter, let’s see if they keep Dax (especially) and other important cogs to the team that have been producing over the last 8 weeks or so. If they don’t keep Dax, it will be a big step backwards. If they don’t make additions, it will be a step backwards.
Before we make a statue of SH, let’s see how the off season goes.