I cannot think of a better day than this one, the kickoff of the ATX Pro Challenge, to post one of my favorite pics: MLS in Texas
With the tourney kicking off in a few short hours from now, I am making gameday preparations. I plan on getting some good pictures and putting a nice album together. I’ll try to live tweet the games as much as I can (@SoccerTherapy) and I’ll post a recap after the weekend. Hopefully we will get a nice turnout, tough to really know though.
Now that the 2015 schedules for both MLS and the USL are available, Soccer Therapy can finally start planning the year! This column looks at the Austin Aztex home schedule to see which clubs are coming to House Park during our inaugural USL Pro season. More importantly, I’ll line up Austin’s home games with FC Dallas’ schedule and determine how many weeks I’ll be able to catch a live game in ATX without missing one second of FCD’s 2015 campaign. Below, I have written about parts of the schedule that caught my eye:
SIX! – Only six of Austin’s home matches occur on match days for FC Dallas (listed below and marked on the calendar above). The times for most of these matches are TBA and hopefully they won’t all overlap. However, it’s likely that most games listed below will start somewhere between 7 and 8pm central time.
Friday Night Soccer – In 2013, I launched a Twitter assault of sorts on MLS commissioner Don Garber. For about two months, I bombarded him with “You guys should have Friday night soccer” tweets, especially on Fridays. Check out the image below to see my efforts at encouraging MLS to schedule more Friday night games. The efforts paid off and the league has responded favorably. Univision, the Spanish language television network, will show MLS Friday Night Football on all but five Fridays throughout the season. Not only will we be getting more Friday Night Soccer in 2015, we will be getting more FCD on Fridays as the Hoops play nine of their 34 MLS matches (more than 25%!) on a Friday. Friday night offers a nice little window in the sports schedule for MLS to showcase itself to the traditional North American sports fan, so hopefully the league will offer up some entertaining matches.
Brutal Finish for FCD – Five matches in the final 22 days of the season to be specific. We will be hosting bitter rivals (1)Houston Dynamo, traveling to BC Place where (2)Whitecaps FC are one of the toughest home clubs in MLS, hosting those same (3)Whitecaps in Frisco, traveling to Rio Tinto where (4)RSL are nearly impossible to beat, and then hosting a (5)Quakes squad who could be good, bad or anywhere in between come October. All of that, in just 22 days. FCD would be wise to earn themselves a nice cushion in the table going into this brutal run.
MLS Realigns – With the additions of NYCFC and Orlando City and the retraction of Chivas USA, MLS has realigned its conferences again. MLS is making the obvious geographic decision by moving Sporting KC and Houston Dynamo over to the western conference to make room for the two new east coast clubs. Despite both struggling in 2014, Houston and SKC have been two of the east’s stronger clubs in recent years, combining to win the east in 3 of the last 4 years. This could make it tough out west, which was already the stronger and deeper of the two conferences. It’s not just LA Galaxy and their dominance, it’s RSL and Seattle too. Portland, FCD and Vancouver make for tough midtable opposition as well. Houston and SKC are two of the best run clubs in MLS and they have the trophies to show for it. Adding them to the west will make the conference that much more difficult to compete in.
Tough Venues – SKC’s addition to the west is unfortunate because Dallas will be traveling to the Cauldron twice in 2015. That is a damn tough arena to get points out of and we can’t realistically expect much from those two matches. It’s not all bad. Like SKC, Portland, Seattle, RSL and LA are some of the toughest teams to beat on the road. All of these teams have quality squads, great fan support, and tend to handle FCD when we travel to their place. Fortunately we will only be traveling to Seattle, RSL, Portland and LA once apiece in 2015. This is a massive break for FCD as we have dropped countless points on the west coast over the last few years (not to mention a frustrating playoff draw(loss) in the Emerald City last fall).
Thoughts on Aztex Inaugural USL Pro Campaign – I do not follow the USL closely, so I look forward to learning more about the league as I track the Aztex in 2015. I have read about clubs like Sacramento Republic FC and Indy Eleven and their MLS aspirations. I have also followed the growing number of MLS clubs that now field their own second squad in the USL. While I don’t know much about the league, I do have a sense for which clubs I’d like to see live. The Aztex host 14 USL matches from late March to early September. Here is my list of marquee home games that I’ll be sure to attend in 2015:
Other Notes – (1) I did not address the US Open Cup in this column because it does not begin until April and MLS Clubs do not participate until June. Make no mistake, Soccer Therapy loves the USOC and will be addressing the topic when the time is right. (2) Preseason is an afterthought on this blog but one 2015 event needs mention on this post. The ATX Pro Challenge happens in February, when the Aztex and FC Dallas will be sharing the same venue and potentially going head to head in the final round. (3) I will be heading to San Antonio on April 15th to see the USMNT take on El Tri for what should be a breathtaking experience. I hope to have quite the 2015 photo album when all is said (snapped?) and done.
Link to each club’s complete 2015 league schedule:
Austin Aztex 2015 USL Pro Schedule
FC Dallas 2015 MLS Schedule
The greatest soccer tournament in the history of Austin, Texas is happening in February. Why is it so great? My club, FC Dallas, the classiest club in all of sports, is coming to town. This post details all of the need-to-knows for those interested in celebrating this unbelievable occasion.
WHAT: Basically the most awesome thing ever. The inaugural ATX Pro Challenge is a preseason soccer tournament consisting of four games to be played between three MLS clubs and the Austin Aztex!
WHO:
Austin Aztex – Founded in 2011 after the old Aztex bailed for Orlando. The Aztex were champions of the USL PDL (4th tier of US professional soccer) in 2013. In 2014, the club earned a promotion to American soccer’s third tier, the United Soccer League (USL). They make their USL debut this spring against the likes of Sacramento Republic FC and LA Galaxy II.
Columbus Crew SC – Founded in ’94 as one of MLS’ 10 charter clubs. The Crew are a significant franchise in the history of US Soccer as they were the first MLS club founded and built Crew Stadium, the first ever soccer specific stadium in the United States. In addition to these momentous achievements, Columbus has been equally impressive on the pitch with one MLS Cup (2008), three Supporters’ Shields (2004, 2008, 2009) and one USOC Championship (2002).
DC United – Another MLS charter club. DCU are arguably the proudest and most successful club in MLS history. They have been rotting away in RFK, but with a new stadium deal secured, the franchise is certain to become one of MLS’ shining stars once again. They are one of only two MLS clubs (LA Galaxy is the other one) with a CONCACAF Champs League title (1998), they’ve won four MLS Cups (’96, ’97, ’99, ’04), four Supporters’ Shields (’97, ’99, ’06, ’07) and three USOCs (’96, ’08, ’13). That kind of trophy case can really take your breath away.
FC Dallas – Like the Crew and DCU, FCD is a charter club and has played in all 19 MLS seasons. Unfortunately, being a classy club is about all FCD supporters can brag about. Their lone trophy came in the ’97 USOC, back when the club was branded as the “Dallas Burn.”
WHEN:
Friday 2/13: Semifinals
4:45pm – Gates open
5:45pm – Crew SC vs FC Dallas
8:00pm – Aztex vs DC United
Sunday 2/15:
12:00pm – Gates open
1:00pm – 3rd Place Game
3:15pm – Championship Game
WHERE: Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field – UT Campus (just behind the east stands of DKR Memorial)
HOW MUCH:
$20 – General Admission for each match day
$40 – General admission for the weekend
$8 – 16oz Beer
***For more info, or to purchase tickets yourself, click here***
The more I look at it and tinker with it, the more I have come to like this first Soccer Therapy logo.
It certainly isn’t original in one sense. It seems at least 1 in every 3 MLS fans uses some altered version of this logo for their profile pic on Twitter (see more about this in my MLS Good, Bad and Ugly piece) . I went ahead and followed their lead, going the easy but stale route. However, I added a few tasteful Texas twists.
I read somewhere that the three stars MLS’ new logo represent club, country and community. So I took the three teams I support, my three truly beloved clubs, and replaced the stars with each of their shields. It is convenient that I support three clubs, but my reasons for supporting each club align perfectly with each star in MLS’ logo. The Aztex are my hometown club and play just a few miles from where I grew up. FC Dallas is the be-all and end-all for me in soccer – My Club. And of course, the Stars and Stripes will always be number one.
I took the blank white slate that MLS so wisely offered to their supporters (see Good, Bad and Ugly article) and filled it with a beautiful ATX sunset and a 4th-division soccer match being played on a high school football field. But, it’s still soccer being played in Austin’s “venerable” House Park. The match took place during the Aztex PDL championship season, and, if you look hard enough, you can see the flag, drum and 20 or so folks representing Eberly’s Army (the Aztex lone supporters group as far as I know).
So there you have it, the new logo twisted into a nice little depiction of my soccer happy place. Maybe I’ll remove that stupid kick stand now that I think about it – MLS’ silly logo breakdown attempts to explain the meaning of that damn kick stand. From MLSsoccer.com (I’ve highlighted the key parts referring to the kick stand):
“SLASH: The slash refers to soccer’s speed and energy. The slash begins outside the perimeter and drives upward at a 45-degree angle to illustrate both the nonstop nature of our game and the rising trajectory of our league. It bisects the crest to create a “first half” and “second half.”
As far as I can surmise, the kick stand represents the “nonstop nature of (soccer).” Are you f***ing serious, MLS? Whatever, this is my logo now and I won’t be trying to incorporate any sillyness. Besides, we don’t need no stinking kick stands at Soccer Therapy. Up top is the cause I truly care about and really want to believe in, MLS. Below are the three clubs that make up my soccer fan hood. And below that is a picture taken on a great soccer night in ATX with great people.
I encourage any and all readers to offer feedback on the new logo, however minor, critical or insensitive.
Major League Soccer’s 19th season has come to a close and I am taking a look at some of the biggest talking points from this World Cup year. I’ll also hand out some biased awards and share my favorite highlights from an amazing year of soccer in North America.
Earlier this year, in typical MLS fashion, the league put on a ridiculous branding show called “MLS Next” that was basically a glorified logo unveiling. I think most MLS fans were excited by the idea of a new logo, but also skeptical about the league actually getting it right. Since 1994, there have been five “different” MLS logos. Have a look:
As you can see, the league hasn’t exactly been getting creative. The newest edition, which will go into use in 2015 for the league’s 20th season, was initially met with a negative reaction. Many thought it looked, cheap, thoughtless, lacked substance, and why is that damn kick-stand sticking out of the shield!?! Those are all fair assessments, because on the surface, it does seem overly simple to the point that it lacks identity. But since these initial reactions, the logo has started to grow on fans around the league. MLS was brilliant to observe that so many of its supporters liked to take the old logo and alter the image to do different things with it, including myself:
MLS took notice of the trend and really embraced it when designing the new logo. They gave some silly explanation about how the red half of the shield symbolizes the first 45′ and the white half symbolizes the second 45′, but I believe they wanted to engage fans with a blank space in the logo to let them play with. This is brilliant marketing, but enough about logos.
Manchester City’s investment into MLS has blown open a number of really cool possibilities for the league. First of all, the New York market should be taken advantage of, and NYRB certainly aren’t doing their part right now. In terms of building a more prominent product within the American pro sports hierarchy, establishing a proud, dominant, inner city club in NYC is about the most obvious thing any league could do. MLS has yet to do this, but if the Yankees-ManC partnership can make a stadium happen, NYCFC could earn legitimate international popularity. They are certainly off to a good start with the likes of Super Frankie Lampard and David Villa set to take the pitch this coming spring. Beyond the two decorated designated players (DPs), I’d imagine NYCFC will find a way to incorporate ManC’s youth talent into their MLS roster and maybe even get around some salary cap restrictions as a result. NYCFC has a veteran MLS coach with a proven track record and an MLS Cup title to his name. They’ll pick up some MLS veteran household names, surround them with 18 year old English kids and three high profile DPs. For people who hold out hope that the U.S might one day become a soccer power (at the club and international levels), this tangible link between MLS and world soccer power Manchester City is absolutely a big deal.
MLS took a massive step forward when Seattle signed Captain America (C. Dempsey) back in the summer of 2013. The league validated that step forward when it brought in USMNT stud midfielder Michael Bradley and Premiere League talisman Jermaine Defoe in January. Orlando City SC signed the Brazilian Kaka – sure he may be old, but this is the kind of acquisition that has alluded MLS in the past. It’s also nice to see an expansion club in Orlando contribute to the league with a marquee signing before even taking the field (Note for Austinites: this Orlando City Soccer Club, which will make its MLS debut next spring, is actually the original Austin Aztex, who controversially left town, set up shop in Orlando, and now the rest is history). The Houston Dynamo signed two players that got serious time in Brazil this summer, although one of them is Honduran and the other is quickly becoming a washed up American fullback (Beasley). I already mentioned Frank Lampard and David Villa signing with New York. The number of DPs in MLS is growing. Owners and technical directors across the league are faced with constant pressure to sign real talent just to avoid a bottom table finish (Case in point: Colorado Rapids). As a result, North American clubs are making bigger moves with each coming transfer window, and it is becoming less of a stigma for star players to sign with an MLS club.
USMNT regulars Graham Zusi and Matt Besler signed with SKC rather than a European club when the option was theirs. The league is doing everything in its power to hang on to Cubo Torres, the Mexican striker who followed up a breakout year in MLS with a national team call up and a goal for El Tri. FC Dallas will be desperate to hang on to their young super talent, Colombian winger Fabian Castillo, after Mexican powerhouse Club America showed interest in the 22 year old earlier this year. Here is a pair of highly recommended highlights from each of the young attackers – one from Cubo Torres and one from Fabian Castillo.
In my MLS All-Star* 2014 piece, I mentioned the inaugural Chipotle Homegrown Game and the league’s effort to showcase the talent produced by its club’s youth academies. MLS clubs will eventually be required to start their own lower-division team or affiliate with one. Austin’s Aztex just affiliated with the Columbus Crew while FC Dallas just partnered with Arizona United SC for the 2015 season. LA Galaxy became the first MLS club to field their very own lower-division club, the Galaxy II, who just completed their inaugural season in USL PRO (3rd tier of US Soccer pyramid). They will be joined by RSL, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto as each of these clubs will be fielding a USL PRO squad in 2015.
Perhaps the truest sign that player development in the U.S. is improving is the sale of DeAndre Yedlin to Tottenham earlier this year. He is a great young talent and the league will miss his marketability, but the fact that an MLS homegrown was granted a work permit in England so quickly after Totttenham showed interest suggests that maybe even the English are starting to take MLS seriously. 2014 was genuinely a landmark year for homegrowns in MLS. FC Dallas saw the rise of Moises Hernandez at left back and Victor Ulloa at d-mid, two very young players who look to be MLS regulars for the next decade (Hernandez could eventually garner European interest – he looks that good). Seattle Sounders homegrown Jordan Morris (currently playing college soccer at Stanford) received a call up to the national team earlier this year. Gyasi Zardes bagged a goal in MLS Cup and is garnering national team interest himself after a 16-goal season up top for the Galaxy.
We are seeing MLS’ player development efforts pay off before our own eyes. At the same time, the league and the U.S. Soccer Federation continue to ramp up these efforts and establish a more thorough and intense player development system resembling that of a European country. If the league and its clubs continue to take player development seriously, it could lead to great things for both MLS and the USMNT.
As fans of MLS know, soccer specific stadiums have played a massive role in the league’s growth by offering passionate supporters a place to call their own. Beautiful stadiums that sell out at 20,000 tickets rather than 50,000+ make it much easier for clubs to create a fun and exciting atmosphere for fans and players alike – make no mistake, that “Player Acquisitions” section above would not exist if teams were playing in half empty NFL stadiums. The point is that soccer specific stadiums are critical to the success of MLS and the league is making real progress in finding suitable venues for each of its franchises. The New England Revolution remain a concern as they play in Gillette stadium, a massive NFL venue with an artificial surface. But one of MLS’ proudest franchises, DC United, seems to have secured a new stadium deal so they can finally escape the laughable RFK. The Earthquakes will play their first game in their new San Jose stadium this spring. Orlando City has broken ground on the site where they will build their new soccer specific stadium. Here is a great view of one of SKC’s many supporter’s sections – this scene is becoming commonplace across the league:
The Bad and the Ugly
I spent so much time talking about the good things going on in Major League Soccer that this column couldn’t possibly squeeze much more into it. I’ll just list some of the “bads” and “uglys” with a quick thought to keep it brief. After all, Soccer Therapy is a place for happy thoughts. Then, it’s onto awards and highlights!
Scheduling – Unlike most domestic leagues, MLS’ schedule does not accommodate to the FIFA international calendar. Like Scandinavian leagues, MLS doesn’t want to play soccer in the ice and snow, and nature forces the North American soccer season to run from spring to fall. That is fine, but I would like to see the league make some effort to give its clubs a break during FIFA international dates. Currently, MLS does not recognize these dates and it is incentivising clubs to target players who don’t factor into their respective national team pictures.
Secrecy – I have not read them in detail, but those who have assure me that the league rules make no sense, and if they did it would not matter. Many felt the league basically just made up the rules as it went along so that it could bring in stars Dempsey and Bradley. If this is the case, we are better off with these guys than without them, but it severely damages the young league’s credibility when it contradicts itself with one player acquisition after another.
Salary Cap – The “secrecy” concern is legitimate, but also understood because MLS is operating in an environment where it is destined to fail. A domestic soccer league has never thrived north of the border, and if it means ridiculous levels of control by the front office to keep the league afloat, I suppose that is better than the league collapsing like its predecessors. I think the league is trying to keep the cap figure low as its core of investors turn soccer franchises from debts into revenue generating businesses. Not all owner pocket books are created equal, and a salary cap represents the best way to maintain parity and excitement. But MLS has stated that it would like to be considered a top league in the world at some point. It would also be nice if MLS clubs could compete with LigaMX clubs: In the last six editions of the CONCACAF Champs League, only four MLS clubs have reached the semis, only one has reached the final, and none have managed to win the cup. MLS is walking a fine line between being a growing league and one with real aspirations. But until teams are given the salary cap freedom to sign DPs and still fill out a deep, solid, veteran roster, the league will not be able to compete with Mexican clubs.
TV Ratings – As an avid MLS supporter I have a hard time finding anything “ugly” about the league, but the TV ratings have been objectively hideous. The biggest problem is that I do not see where the league can showcase its product without going up against a much more popular American sport. Summer time seems like a good window as many American sports are on break as well as popular European domestic leagues. The ideal time to show MLS games would be at the conclusion of the season when playoff spots are on the line and then the playoff games as well. In 2014, the MLS Cup playoffs began on 10/29 and ended on 12/7. There is this little thing called the NFL that happens to be going on four nights a week during this stretch. I truly have no idea how MLS is going to get TV viewers going forward. Maybe, just maybe, this is real cause for the league to consider getting on the FIFA calender so they can showcase their product without competing against the NFL. But again, the weather in North America simply does not allow for that.
Commentary Highlight of the Year: watch (and listen) as commentator Paul Mariner encourages his beloved New England side to keep a clean sheet in the opening minutes of a match only to see the boys give up a goal within seconds of saying it: “Well there I am, Brad, talking about keeping it clean…” – this is priceless.
Rookie of the Year:
Harrison Shipp, Attacking Mid, Chicago Fire
The young homegrown (more homegrown love!) played his first MLS season after a standout career at Notre Dame and absolutely tore it up. After 7 goals and 6 assists, he finished 2nd in the real rookie of the year voting to FC Dallas’ Tesho Akindele. Tesho had a great season and was deserving of the attention, but his winning the award was a result of a great social media campaign by FC Dallas. Shipp is the rare American footballer with European skills and vision. While he is great over the dead ball and a lethal finisher in front of goal, his ability to find and make the pass is what truly separates him. This 15-second highlight is a little fuzzy, but you should get the idea. The voters had their reasons though: this is the best highlight from Tesho’s 7-goal rookie campaign.
Coach of the Year
Oscar Pareja, FC Dallas
Oscar took over a team that had the 5th overall pick at each of the last three MLS Superdrafts. He led the club through an absolutely brutal western conference and got FC Dallas their first playoff win since 2010. He took the squad to the USOC semifinals as well. FC Dallas was never beaten when they were ousted – losing on PKs in the USOC semis and an away-goals-tiebreaker in the playoffs. How did Pareja do it? He wasn’t afraid to put the young kids out there. He gave everyone on the roster a chance and really brought along the young talent that former manager Hyndman refused to give playing time. The team also set a franchise record for goals scored in a season, playing some exciting soccer at times. I may be a homer, but this seems like a no-brainer of a decision.
Team Bust: Toronto FC
Portland was at least expected to make the playoffs after finishing top of the table in the west last year. Houston is always expected to make a run at MLS Cup rather than take a dump in August and September. Philly had a much better squad than their place in the table would suggest. But the winner of this award has to go to Toronto FC. After all the talk this off-season about ending the playoff drought thanks to their big player signings, they came out of the gates hot, only to stumble to the finish. They dropped 14 out of 15 points in their last five matches, missing the playoffs by eight points. The signing of Bradley in a World Cup year hurt them badly, and their other big signing, Jermain Defoe, was bugged by injuries throughout the season. Still, more was expected of this squad and the loyal fans in Toronto deserve much better.
Surprise Team: DC United
FC Dallas might even get a look here as many expected us to struggle in a stacked western conference. But no one could have expected the turn around made by DC United this year after a historically bad 2013. They finished top of the table in the east only to tumble out of the playoffs in the conference semis. It must be nice to be a DC United fan: the proud franchise still managed to shock the world during their miserable 2013 campaign by winning the US Open Cup at Rio Tinto over RSL. Even in the bad years they bring in silverware. Then, they seem to put those bad years behind them overnight.
MVP
Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy
Some say Obafemi Martins of Seattle was the MVP while others say the Revolution’s Lee Nguyen was more deserving. I actually saw Keane and Nguyen live, but did not see Obafemi. I am not going to go into any analysis here, but Robbie Keane has been far and away the most valuable player in MLS ever since he joined the league in 2011 – as evidenced by his club’s winning three of the last four MLS Cups.
These things are biased – do you like the upper90 screamer from 30 yards out? Maybe you prefer a beautiful team build up or some spectacular individual technical ability. I settled on this goal as the best of the season because it is simply absurd. Some of the coolest goals you will see are met with a debate: did he really mean to do that? In this case, we can all be certain that the chip is exactly what Obafemi was going for. And if you are all about the build up play, check out that chip through ball that led to the goal.
Breakout Player
DeAndre Yedlin, Seattle Sounders FC
Tweet of the Year – this is pure gold
And there you have it – MLS 2014. Hope you enjoyed it and I will try to post a little more frequently.
Philadelphia Union @ FC Dallas – 8/12/2014, 8pm CSTTomorrow night FC Dallas will play their most important match since losing 2-1 to Colorado Rapids in the 2010 MLS Cup Final. Dallas gets a beatable opponent in the Philadelphia Union, a team they beat 2-1 in Frisco on July 4th. The stakes are high: on the line for Dallas is an opportunity to a host a Cup Final on their home pitch. During the MLS All Star festivities, US Soccer conducted a coin flip that awarded the right to host the US Open Cup Final to the winner of the FCD v Philly semifinal. Home field is great, but potentially avoiding a final in Seattle, on turf, and in front of 40,000 fans is a huge break.
FC Dallas comes into this game on a fantastic run of form, going unbeaten in their last 11 matches across all competitions. Since a 2-1 loss to San Jose on May 31st, Dallas has 5 wins and 3 draws in MLS play, taking 18 of 24 possible points and moving up to 3rd in the Western conference. After outclassing Colorado on Saturday night for a 3-1 win, FCD is tied with Portland for most goals in MLS play, having scored 38 times in 23 matches (Philly is not far behind though, leading the East with 36 goals in 23 matches).
Dallas’ season can be broken into three different stretches:
Stretch #1, games 1-5: 4 wins, 1 draw. They began the season on fire, leading the league in scoring and taking a nice lead in the standings after the 5 game unbeaten run. The 5th match of this stretch saw FC Dallas absolutely destroy their in-state rivals, Houston Dynamo, 4-1 in Houston.
Stretch #2, games 6-15: 1 win, 7 losses, 2 draws. Dallas goes 10 games with only 1 win (which came at home against a Jermaine Defoe-less Toronto FC). The other 9 games in this stretch saw FC Dallas drop 25 of a possible 27 points, losing 7 matches and drawing 2. Just like 2012 and 2013, FC Dallas’ season was off the rails with a disastrous late spring/early summer winless slide. The team was ravaged by injuries, missing their best defender in George John (out for 2014), their best D-mid in Hendry Thomas (also out for the year now), and their critical #10 Mauro Diaz (fully returned from injury now). The team also dealt with injuries at FB and racked up a ridiculous number of red cards. Through 15 MLS games, FC Dallas had managed just 1 clean sheet (against RSL at Rio Tinto, oddly enough). Unfortunate scheduling in the month of May was also a reason for FCD’s poor play in stretch #2. In mid May, FC Dallas played five matches in 18 days, including two brutal double-game weeks. All five of these matches were against Western conference opposition and four of the five were on the road. The club took 1 of a possible 15 points in those 18 days. It was painful to watch, but it is history now, and the injuries gave manager Oscar Pareja a chance to develop young players who now make FCD a deeper squad (namely, homegrown D-mid Victor Ulloa, homegrown left-back Moises Hernandez and rookie Canadian striker Tesho Akindele).
Stretch #3, games 16-23: 5 wins, 3 draws. The summer has been good to FCD. MLS powerhouses like Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy, Seattle, Sporting KC, NY Red Bulls and Houston were without some their best players for about two months due to the World Cup – The USMNT camp began on May 14th and most players didn’t get back into their respective MLS squads until mid July. Last week’s All-Star festivities brought unwanted midseason travel demands on a lot of those same star players (see ASG preview below). But not a single FCD player was voted onto the All-Star roster or selected for a final World Cup roster (or preliminary roster for that matter). It’s not very exciting/sexy for the fans or very useful for FCD’s marketing team, but it gave the injured players time to recover and the healthy ones a chance to get their legs back. FC Dallas played Portland to a 2-2 draw at Providence Park on June 11th, World Cup Eve, and Major League Soccer began a break that lasted through the group stages in Brazil. The draw versus Portland was the second game in FCD’s current 8 game unbeaten run. Since the break, FC Dallas is not only getting results, but playing really good soccer. Manager Oscar Pareja has been flexible, using a 4-2-3-1 formation during stretch #1 that featured the dynamic Argentine playmaker, Mauro Diaz. FC Dallas was averaging 2.4 goals per game before Diaz was injured vs. DC United in the club’s 8th match of the season. However, stretch #3 has seen Pareja go to a 4-4-2 as FC Dallas does not have an ideal replacement #10 for Mauro Diaz at this point – interesting side note: FCD management made a move during this transfer window to get Sacha Kljestan, but came up short. The new 4-4-2 has been a great formation for a team that struggled to keep clean sheets early on, and with the emergence of large, strong (and pretty good) rookie striker Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas now has the additional forward required to produce in the 4-4-2. However, now Mauro Diaz is healthy again and Pareja has tough decisions to make. Mauro is too good to no start in this league, but it will be hard to abandon the 4-4-2 that saved Dallas’ season.
That is sort of an update on what FCD has been through this year and where they stand heading into this cup semifinal. I didn’t even get to the wingers, but both are stupid fast and have played for Colombian youth national teams. If you do tune into an FCD match, watch out for #11 and #91, very entertaining. Check out these two quick highlights of Fabian Castillo in a recent match (#11) if you like:
1) True separation speed, some filth, and a nice cross
2) Speed kills, still working on that last touch
On Saturday night, just 72 hours before the semifinal kicks off, FC Dallas took a 3-0 against Colorado and was able to sub out some players and keep some fresh legs heading into Tuesday. Philadelphia also played on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the 63’, eventually beating Montreal 2-1 in a game where they were able to make key subs for the upcoming semifinal. Dallas and Philly both played at home last weekend, but I love the fact that we will not have to travel, while the Union will face a trip down to Texas and a bout with the summer heat, not to mention a hot FCD squad. If we play our game and don’t make a massive mistake (red card, PK etc…), then I believe we are the favorites.
I don’t exactly follow other teams, but I keep an eye on the league and here is my take on the Union in 2014:
Philly has had a bit of an up and down year in MLS play; a lot of writers feel they have underachieved to this point, having collected 27 points in 23 matches, good for the 5th place in the relatively weak Eastern conference. Due to their inability to close out a few games, perform up to their potential with healthy XIs, and their poor standing in the table, the Union fired manager John Hackworth in early June. They replaced him internally with Jim Curtain and the team is getting better results. Philly was active in the transfer window, bringing back a former player, CB Carlos Valdes, that most seem to think is a massive upgrade for a team who has leaked some silly goals at inopportune times in 2014. Amobi Okugo and Maurice Edu, two guys I think of D-mids, have been playing a lot of CB for Philly recently, so it is possible this transfer for a CB actually upgrades Philly’s defense and their midfield. Philly also brought in a good GK, picking up the fella who started in goal for the impressive Algerian squad at this year’s World Cup – have no idea how to spell or pronounce his name, but he’s good. Lastly, Philly brought in a guy who was leading the Jamaican league in scoring. Check out this awesome highlight video if you feel like it:
Some highlights were better than others, but I think Brian Brown could be pretty productive here in MLS. For what it’s worth, in his debut MLS appearance, after being subbed on in the 69th minute, he scored an equalizer at SKC in the 71st minute. I believe it was his first or second touch in Major League Soccer. The new CB should definitely play on Tuesday, the GK is a strong possibility and the striker may come off the bench if I had to guess. Like Dallas Philly has been in a pretty good run of form, I saw this on Twitter earlier:
Both the Union and FC Dallas are in extremely competitive playoff races. However, I believe this semifinal is a higher priority for FC Dallas, which had lower MLS expectations prior to the season (new coach + the West is stacked). Philly has a quicker turnaround, playing on Friday night while FCD does not play until Saturday.
Should be a fun match tomorrow night. There is a lot on the line. I’ll take FC Dallas 2-0 in the end. In the other match Seattle hosts Chicago Fire. I give Chicago about a 10% chance.
Speaking of watching, here are a few general thoughts on the coverage of the USOC:
The tournament is still mostly unknown or overlooked (see “Soccer Therapy: USOC Style” below) but it is a little more accessible to viewers across the nation every year. This year, US Soccer has been live streaming the USOC “match of the round” on their website. Naturally, Seattle v Chicago on Wednesday is that game for the semifinal round – the FC Dallas game can be found on either FC Dallas’ team site or Philadelphia’s. The cup final will be broadcast on live cable television! It will be on GolTV, a small Florida based station that shows cool soccer stuff (including “Oh My Goal” and Live Bundesliga matches). GolTV isn’t exactly ESPN, but I did not think the US Open Cup would be getting live matches on cable TV in 2014, so this is a step in the right direction.
Because I have no one else to tell
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