Schellas Hyndman and company head into Salt Lake this Saturday after dropping their 15th (yes, 15th) point from a winning position. Chicago handed Dallas their most recent loss in what seemed like a very winnable game for FCD.
Dallas’ 2012 woes can be boiled down to two main problems: injuries and suspensions. No team in MLS has served more suspension time. No team, barring possibly the Crew, has an injury crisis quite like Dallas does.
The loss at Chicago was all about momentum. Dallas had it in the first half, which culminated in Matt Hedges’ first career MLS goal in the 41st minute. All that changed four minutes later with Grazzini’s curling strike that looped up and around Kevin Hartman. Chicago could bow its chest as it strolled into the locker room at that point, nabbing an important goal just before half.
Five minutes into the second half Dallas looked the more tenacious side, winning a few free kicks throughout the midfield, but ultimately possessing the ball better than in the second half. George John had been subbed off (a precautionary substitution due to a collision in the first half), as well as James Marcelin. But FCD did not shy away with two big men missing from the center of the squad. This momentum that Dallas had nicked from the Fire lasted until Blas Perez’s penalty miss in the 52nd.
From that point, as expected, Chicago poured more pressure upon FCD, whose backline was in disarray with the absence of John. Ten minutes after Perez’s penalty miss, the Fire found themselves at the spot on the opposite end in the 62nd minute. All that needs to be said about the penalty is that the call was fair, but Pappa practically beside Grazzini as he took his spot kick is inexcusable, shoddy refereeing.
Much to their credit, the boys from Frisco did not capitulate after Pappa tapped in Hartman’s penalty rebound. In fact, Dallas generated more chances on goal than Chicago from that point on. A poor team would have tucked its tail and quietly exited Toyota Park Wednesday night; Dallas did not. It plugged away until stoppage time, when Blas Perez had a chance from inside the box skim just wide of the far post. Albeit FCD left Chicago with yet another winless game (8 on the run, in fact), the team at least proved it could persevere under poor fortune.
Hopefully the minor injuries sustained in Chicago will not be issues as FCD head west to Salt Lake on Saturday, as the team is already strapped for healthy legs. Salt Lake has found some form of late, as they are unbeaten in their last five. However, they will be without the string-pulling Kyle Beckerman and starting goalkeeper Nick Rimando, both absent due to national team call-ups. Dallas’ defensive energies, with the absence of Beckerman, will have to be direct at curtailing the strike force of Espindola and Saborio, and the service of Morales. Hyndman and his men will have their work cutout for them, as this is a fixture they lost 2-0 in 2011, in a match that was dominated by the home side.
Salt Lake play well in the middle of the park. Their goal in Dallas last month, plus a majority of their chances were generated from play going up the middle of the pitch. That certainly will not change, even with the notable absence of Kyle Beckerman. FCD will need a healthy George John to fend off the RSL attack if they hope to leave Salt Lake with at least a point. The RSL defense, outside of Nick Rimando, will have the same steady starting lineup. Most importantly, Dallas cannot capitulate early. Salt Lake is a side that can definitely turn the screws on an opponent when opportunities present themselves. However, if FCD can keep the score line steady going into the second half, prospects of salvaging a positive result will increase tenfold on a very difficult away game against a top-notch conference opponent.
FCD will still have no players returning from injury or suspension for yet another match. The team hasn’t really played their best soccer yet, either. But that certainly bears upon the teams tactics, which are certainly dictated by personnel available. Still, the current healthy side put on the pitch has shown that it has tough skin; they have dropped leads, goals, and points, but still keep on ticking over and pressing the opponent until the end. The silver lining is that youngsters like Bryan Leyva, who has played excellently the past two matches (he has started both), are performing and gaining experience (Ruben Luna is the only other homegrown talent that has seen time).
This time spent in the trenches will serve the team well; a nice, long break in June is not that far away. The return of David Ferreira may actually be nigh (or the return of the real Brek Shea for that matter)! Once a consistent roster can settle in maybe the side can work on trying to out-soccer a few opponents and string some good results together. Any type of positive results, plus a much need reprieve from the woes of 2012, are just what Dallas will need to gain any momentum in finishing out this season.
(image courtesy of mlssoccer.com)
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