October 22nd, 2009 . 2:01 pm . By: Buzz Carrick

If you believe you’re playing well because you’re getting laid, or because you’re not getting laid, or because you wear women’s underwear, then you ARE! And you should know that! - Crash Davis

It’s actually cold today in Frisco, or at least cold to a Texan as the temps are in the 50s.  Hyndman cuts short training cause of the chill.  He says he’s been coaching so long he’s learned to trust his instincts about weather.  Good call I think, training a this time of year isn’t about fitness.  So cutting it short is a good idea, it’s not worth the risk of injury.

It’s been over a month since the last practice report.  A succession of mid week games and work/personal business conspired to keep me from making it to PHP.  It’s not worth the time to come up here if they are just going to job and do recovery work.

The two Bobbys, Rhine and Hammond, got one of the facilities guys to unlock the little press box on the Dr Pink field.  They tried to claim I didn’t have the treehouse password, but I reminded them it was a press box and not a staff box.  It was much nicer inside the box than outside on the cold, hard, and wet bleachers.

The most shocking part of the day… it’s two days before the biggest game of the year, basically a “win and you’re in situation,” and I’m the only “reporter” here.  No TV, no papers, and no internet.

News, Notes and Observations

- Lee Nguyen is back and training with FCD.  SH says Lee is out of contract and is interested in MLS.  Bring a local he’s here training with FCD.  Hyndman previously said Lee was one they would be keeping an eye on for the future.

- Alfonso Montagalvan is still here.  If you recall he’s a UCSB grad looking to catch on with a MLS team.  I don’t see enough frankly, but it’s good that he is here as FCD needs a couple guys like this to be around.  Guys who are close to the level, work hard, push people, and help even up the numbers from time to time.  Your Mario Torres types if you will.  Your Freddy Garcia Juniors.

- Steve Purdy is training, I finally got a chance to catch up with Hyndman and ask about the knee problem I heard about.  Turns out after Purdy was re-signed they had a couple different docs look at him and tendonitis is the verdict.  It’s just painful and something he’ll have to play through for now.  But it’s limited his mobility, and clearly his confidence, all year.

- Anthony Wallace is back rehabbing, today he was doing some ball striking and finishing with the trainers.  Which I suppose means he’s getting close to return.

- Dax McCarty does the early drills up through possession but sits out the full field session.  Hyndman says they are being very careful with Dax this week due to the weather, but they fully expect him to play.  SH also says the groin problem is no the same area as McCarty’s previous hernia problems.

- Daniel Torres also sits out the full session.  Not sure what’s wrong with him.

- Attitude is great today in the team, almost every single player stays out and does a little extra something.  That’s fantastic at this stage of the season.

Catching Up with Schellas Hyndman

Some of the answers I just put the into the above news and notes.

How’s Wallace doing in his recovery, I’m sure he was shattered to miss the Cup?

Yeah he was shattered.  You work a year and a half for that moment, then a week before you find out you have a meniscus tear.  He was shattered.  But you know what, seeing him out here with his soccer boots on and running, I think cause he’s young and athletic you’ll find a good recovery in him.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator: Youth has a short memory.

Cunningham has been on such a hot streak and streaks do end.  Any worry with the misses this last game or is he still the hot guy?

I think he’s still the hot guy.  All players go through their ups and downs, and sometimes they go through their ups and downs more than one time in a season.  The thing is he’s scored some unbelievable goals.  The funny thing with Jeff is he scores the more difficult goals and misses the easier goals.  But he’s also a player that takes so much attention that he opens up for other players.

Buzz’s Coach Speak Translator: You can’t stop Jeff Cunningham, you can only hope to contain him.

Training

Drills again start with another kind of long passing drill where the players chase their pass to the next station.  One version of this or another is a favorite of the current staff.   After that was a 40×40 possession game.  McCarty was the neutral player.

Green: John, Torres, Chavez, Jair, Ferreira, Harris, Pearce, Cunningham, van den Bergh, Hernandez.
Blue: Marosevic, Guarda, Shea, Davies, Rocha, Avila, Nguyen, Ricchetti, Montagalvan, Wagner.

After that was a full field walk through, about 70% speed.  It’s more of a shape and tactics kind of thing.  At this point of the season it’s just system repetition and not really learning anything new.

Lineup Prediction

If you can’t predict the lineup by now you haven’t been watching FCD the last two months.  If McCarty can’t go, Marvin Chavez is the most likely option even if it’s not his best spot.  They are looking to get Chavez on the field more anyway.  André Rocha could also factor in that spot.

Thought of the Day

This weekend is the biggest test yet for Hyndman’s new team.  As Hyndman said today, “we’ve been trying to develop a culture of winning, but to do that you have to be winning.”  Now is when we find out a great deal about the mentality, toughness, and heart of this new side.  Is this the side, as he loves to talk about, Hyndman can put his trust in?

FCD has been winning of late with four straight victories (and five of six).  With crazy scenarios FCD can get in with a tie this weekend, but a 5th straight win makes it much more likely.  The last time FCD won five straight was last century, in 1999 FCD won five in a row to close out the regular season (and nine of last eleven in fact).  FCD proceeded to make their best playoff run ever.  First the Burn knocked off Chicago in the dramatic game three come back before taking LA Galaxy to game three in the West Finals.

Hot is hot, if FCD gets in they will scare the pants off someone.  Maybe they are hot enough to make a great playoff run.

Maybe.  Saturday will tell us a lot more.

Categories: Practice Observations.

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