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FC Dallas Last Year 2016 was the most successful year in club history. Dallas won the Supporters Shield for the first time ever and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since 1997. We had a serious chance at winning MLS Cup until midfield playmaker Mauro Diaz ("the magic little unicorn") tore his Achilles at the very end of the season, leading to us playing some weird 3-5-2 formation against Seattle in the playoffs, leading to Seattle killing us, leading to Seattle winning the Cup. So I guess that's on us.  The Stadium Toyota Stadium (formerly Pizza Hut Park) is approximately 25 miles from Dallas. It's chiefly known for being built below ground level, meaning you don't really get a breeze through there during the summer, and you will sweat from parts of your body that you did not know had sweat glands. Also, this picture is slightly out of date; the south stand (far end of the picture) is being transformed into the home of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, built under the stands.  The Team Center back Matt Hedges has played for the USMNT several times, and center back Walker Zimmerman just got his first cap. Central midfielder Kellyn Acosta has a few caps as well, although one of them was at left back (RIP Jurgen). Mauro Diaz will be out for possibly the entire season, and we signed former RSL playmaker Javier Morales to replace him; Morales is 37 years old and declining, but he may be able to hold things down well enough. Maxi Urruti is a workhorse striker who didn't score enough goals last season to justify being the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1, but he's joined this year by Cristian Colman, a DP striker from Paraguay. Also new this year are Roland Lamah, a fast winger from Belgium; and Hernan Grana, a right back who has looked pretty good so far.  Front row, left to right: Hernan Grana; Carlos Gruezo; Roland Lamah; Kellyn Acosta; Michael Barrios Back row, left to right: Maxi Urruti; Cristian Colman; Matt Hedges; Chris Seitz; Walker Zimmerman; Maynor Figureroa. Key Storylines - How will FCD replace Mauro Diaz? Do Javi Morales's desiccated legs have another year left in them, or will someone else (Paxton Pomykal, perhaps) step up? - Play your kids! FCD has signed seventeen (17) homegrown players, more than any other team, most of whom have gotten first-team experience. Kellyn Acosta has been a starter for several years, as was Victor Ulloa; Jesse Gonzalez is our goalkeeper of the future once he finally stops having the yips (but he's also only 20 or 21); Aaron Guillen and Jacori Hayes made the bench yesterday; Coy Craft is currently off with the US U-20 team; the aforementioned Paxton Pomykal has loads of talent; Jesus Ferreira is the son of former FCD midfielder and league MVP David Ferreira. It is not an exaggeration to say FCD is super-stacked with super-young talent. - What formation? With both Maxi Urruti and Cristian Colman on the roster, FCD has the talent to play a two-striker formation - and really the obligation to do so as well, since Urruti underperformed last year and Colman is new to the league. In yesterday's win over the LA Galaxy, Dallas played what might have been a 4-4-2 (according to mlssoccer.com) or might have been a 4-2-2-2 (according to the MLS app). I will say that, on Urruti's goal, he benefited hugely from having Colman nearby to drag the second defender away; that goal would not have been scored if Urruti didn't have a strike partner. Why root for Dallas? The team plays attractive soccer, gives young players a chance, and isn't New York or Los Angeles. Head coach Oscar Pareja is a great guy and a brilliant tactician. Also our away shirts this season look rad:  Which led to a chorus of Houston supporters shrieking "That's the only way you could get stars on your shirt!" while crying over the fact that they finished last, dead last, dead stinking last in the western conference last season while watching Dallas lift two trophies. TheNakedJimbo fucked around with this message at 15:35 on Mar 5, 2017 |
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Mar 5, 2017 15:32
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 08:17 |
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We all know FCD are the kings of "Play Your Kids," but last night was really next-level. On the road versus KC, Pareja started Jesse Gonzalez (HGP, age 21), Aaron Guillen (HGP, 23), Carlos Cermeņo (on loan, 21), Paxton Pomykal (HGP, 17!!), and Jacori Hayes (draft pick, 21). That's a huge vote of confidence, and the kids came away with a point.
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Mar 12, 2017 14:27
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Jack2142 posted:you posted too soon they let another in in extra time. This is, unfortunately, par for the course with Adrian Heath's teams. His defensive signings with Orlando City were almost uniformly awful, and poor defense cost OCSC playoff spots in both of the past two seasons. It's telling that in Orlando City's first game of the season, the back line was made up of four non-Heath signings - and they kept a clean sheet against NYCFC (who blew out DC today by four goals). Basically Adrian Heath is a great third-division manager who is hilariously out of his depth in MLS and has probably already blamed the snow, the refs, his team's travel schedule, and a bad haircut for Minnesota's showing today.
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Mar 13, 2017 01:30
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The next step up from this is Heath keeping his team on the field for the halftime team talk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...avid-Brent.html
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Mar 14, 2017 02:20
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One interesting storyline happening over in Dallas is that Jesse Gonzalez, after giving up nine goals in his first two starts last season and being promptly benched, has quietly worked his way back into Oscar Pareja's good graces and has recorded 9 clean sheets in his last 20 starts. (It would have been 10 in his last 20 but for that 94th-minute equalizer in San Jose on Friday night.) It seems we have an actual battle for the #1 position on our hands. In our beginning of season writeup, I also brought up Javi Morales, who has only just gotten around to making his first league start. The team looked pretty good without him, but he also scored a goal on Friday, so whatever man. I'd rather give 17-year-old Paxton Pomykal a few more looks and see if he's as good as the hype, but that's just me. There's only so much bad you can say about a team that's sitting two points out of first in the league with two games in hand (and without Mauro Diaz). Dallas has been playing really well lately, and except for late breakdowns at Pachuca and San Jose, pretty much everything has gone according to plan.
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Apr 17, 2017 03:21
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