We're Not Going To Take It!

Yes, I know Twisted Sister does not make it on the air waves anymore. But, the title of their album "Stay Hungry" says it all for FCD. Back in July, FCD was hungry and had a more youthful exuberance. Some injuries crept up around that time and they signed some slacker named Denilson (aka De-nada-son = The son of nothing much). Regardless of his signing, the one time adolescent intensity has since vanished. This is typical for FCD. It seems every year when they feel they have accumulated enough points for the playoffs, they hang up the boots and attentions are elsewhere. Now, they are scrambling to regain the magic they once had in the first half of this season.

Here are some suggestions for FCD as they approach the playoffs.

1. Play team defense. The reason the back line is weak is because no one else is coming to help. Defenses only excel when the whole team helps. Get back on D and rebuild the Big Red Wall.
2. Play young. Need a reference. Look at Dee Snyder above. Simply put, the young are hungry. Any player not hustling and not playing defense, get them out of the game. Keep the young guys in the game and good things will happen. Keep the old guys in the game and the same predictable sleepy sloth match will unfold. The young are hungry and the old are not. Oh and, start Ray Burse, Jr. in goal.
3. Play smart. Get back on defense, chase down loose balls, work together, pass quick. Trying to look impressive by juggling the ball while your teammates streak to an open area to receive your pass late while they're covered is stupid. If you are not going to pay attention to your teammates, please do not come to the park.

FCD played Houston 4 times this year. They earned 1 point against their in-state rival from these matches going 0-3-1. Things do not look good for FCD based on these results. If FCD could get the swagger it had in Superliga and the first half of the season, then they may have a chance.

Grasping at Straws ... In the last two years, FCD has taken on Colorado and lost in the first round of the playoffs. During those seasons, FCD dominated Colorado. I think Colorado won maybe one game over those two regular seasons against FCD. If the strange MLS history repeats itself, then FCD will win. Then again, they are playing the battle harden Dynamo ... The glimmer of hope rests on Arturo Alvarez, Abe Thompson, Juan Toja, Dax McCarthy, Chris Gbandi, Drew Moor, Carlos Ruiz and Kenny Cooper. If these guys rise above, the others will follow.

Last point ... FCD must win the first game by two goals. If they win by one, tie or lose, then they are done. A two goal cushion may be enough for them to survive in Houston. Anything less is another early exit.

If FCD wants to get fired up or have a good laugh, the link below should help. You will thank me for this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs37NSLy3z4

Is "shambolic" actually a word?

So at the tender age of 40, I've finally broken down and posted my very first blog entry. In order to actually post, I've had to overcome the intense guilt at not posting to Bryan's Bar, as well as being intimidated by the previously posted prose of both Bryan and Pablo at their respective blogs.

Speaking of disappointing results, Pablo, Brandon, Kevin and I attended the US Open Cup final between FC Dallas and New England last night. We went with high hopes of seeing Dallas take silverware for the first time since their 1997 Open Cup win over DC United. Although Dallas dominated possession much of the evening and kept things close, ultimately defensive breakdowns left them on the short end of a 3-2 result.
Offensively, FC Dallas looked dangerous all night. They played with excellent width, regularly flying crosses in from both sides of the field. Unfortunately, they just couldn't seem to get on the end of anything, probably owing to their lack of height up front. Arturo Alvarez did have a cracker of a goal in the first half to tie things up at 1-1, certainly the goal of the match.

It was the defense that let the home fans down time and again throughout the match. The Revolution never seemed threatening in their passing and build up. Each of their goals seemed to come out of plays that appeared to be going nowhere until poor marking by FD Dallas led to a cheap goal.

With the team in the middle of a late season fade that seems to be their trademark in so many recent season, hopes of bringing home the MLS Cup appear to be fading along with their results. Perhaps if they can shore up things defensively and show some of the offensive spark they demonstrated last night, some joy may be found in the post season.

A final note: Actual attendance had to have been well below the announced crowd of 10,600. Shocking attendance for a cup final, but after reading Pablo's post on the misguided efforts of the club's marketing department, should we be surprised? Where's my wig?!

Arturo Alvarez & Carlos Ruiz photo courtesy of mysoccer.com: http://www.mysoccer.com/mls6/fcd0606.php

What Will Pack the Stands? WIGS!

Pablonius has sympathy for the FC Dallas Marketing Team since they have such a small budget. I will give him that one. But what I will not accept is the use of the budget. For example, October 11, 2007 at the Pizza Hut Park the first 5,000 fans receive a Juan Toja wig. But come on! Wig Night?! I am not making this stuff up. And you thought Redneck Night was far-fetched?

I have not received an e-mail informing me of the US Open Cup final that is almost 48 hours from now. I checked to see what tickets were available this AM. What was the offer? Front row near mid-field $15 a pop. No, please don't send any free e-mails. Just keep those zany wigs coming! Giving out wigs does not sell more tickets. Getting the word out might sell more tickets. Winning games when it matters will sell more tickets. When Wig Night happens, you will see a half full stadium, FCD lose and our fans sporting mullets. Mullets are only cool when you want to look stupid and FCD will have no problem there.

FCD - flat out - is stinking up the league right now. I am hopeful for the Cup final, but not the playoffs. They have three regular season games and they need to get points in all of them. With Carlos Ruiz showing his temper yesterday and getting the red, he may not be back until the playoffs. I think this is good. The rest of his "supporting cast" need to figure out how to play together again. As for Denilson Watch 2007, he has been a bust and most likely will continue to be. Thank Goodness Kenny Cooper will be back in the line up soon.

Who's on my radar that is off the radar?

• Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy in the Primera División de Argentina. Their past two matches were a 2-2 draw against Boca Juniors and a 4-0 trouncing of Gimnasia La Plata. This week they take on Independiente, the league leader.
• In Mexico, Jaguares de Chiapas maybe be going for a record in draws. They are either really bad or really good.

And the one the really look out for....

• Leeds United. 7 wins, 1 draw, no losses. Already nailed for a 15 point penalty, Leeds is clawing its way out of the English League One cellar with hopes of at least making it back to the English League Championship. When that happens, who knows maybe Strongbow and Nike will come back as sponsors? Maybe 2-3 years from now we'll have a good laugh of their run and the Premiership will recognize them as a club again. If your anti-establishment, root for Leeds.

WNT loss means changes

The Women's National Soccer Team is the closest thing that the United States has to dominance in soccer. After multiple world cups, Olympic gold medals and a number one ranking, Nike even created a campaign around "The Greatest Team You've Never Heard Of".

Things fell apart in the semi-finals against Brazil. The defeat was embarrassing for a team that's played 50 games without a loss. Coach Ryan made a change at the last minute, replacing Hope Solo, the goalie that's been part of that streak with Briana Scury, the goalie from a World Cup and Olympic victory.

There's very little argument that this not only affected the team chemistry but also put a player that wasn't the best into, arguably, the most important position in the game. Frankly, Ryan will be luck to keep his job.

What's even more disturbing is Hope Solo's reaction:



This is inexcusable for a player to react like this at this level. Calling out another player should take place in the locker room or on the field, not on ESPN. It sends the wrong message to your teammates and to the public.

Look for Hope Solo to be replaced before the 2008 Olympic games.

Cold Comfort for Chelsea: Cowboys finally returning to prowess 15 years after Jerry fired Jimmy

The shock of Jose Maurinho's sudden departure from coaching Chelsea has made it all the way to Dallas, Texas. The story is familiar to folks here in DFW. New, brassy club owner makes a big entrance into town, hires unproven yet intriguing coach in his first NFL job. Coach Johnson turned out to be a revelation for the franchise, winning two Super Bowls in a row and revitalizing what had become a stagnant, old NFL relic.

After a close but bickering relationship as Owner/Coach, Jones fires Johnson after his second straight Super Bowl victory. Legend has it that Jerry Jones was good and drunk when he fired Johnson. And that Jones didn't like Johnson getting all of the credit for turning the Cowboys around.

What loyal Chelsea supporters have to look forward to is the leadership of an owner with plenty of money to spend, reckless for want of control (just shy of coaching the team himself!) and impatiently looking for the easy way to greatness. If Jerry Jones is any example, it will take years for Abramovich to mature into a proper owner for Chelsea: one that funds the signing of top-level talent chosen by a coach who's entirely in control of on-the-field decisions.

The bad news for Maurinho: Jimmy Johnson never made another coaching splash in his career at Miami. He's a great color guy on Fox's NFL coverage though.

Match Day: Greece vs. Germany

To Arms! To Arms!

It is up to us. There have been blurbs. Postings in the finest of print. Whispered mentions of this event. Something like, “fc dallas new england revolution us open final .” Did you get that?! If you are one of the 7 people who read this blog, then maybe you did. However, most folks did not get the message. So, what’s all my clamoring about?

The U.S. Open Cup Championship
FC Dallas vs. NE Revolution
Wednesday October 3, 2007 @ 7PM
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, Texas
Tickets start @ $8

Make plans to attend this match. And, tell your families, friends, neighbors, colleagues, congregation, clients, tae kwon do sparring partners, pilates instructors, bridge partners, toll booth operators, librarians, the guy who ran you off of the freeway, the teenager you ordered a 99 cent Wendy’s double stack at 2:05AM last night, the dog walker who did not pick up the poop in your yard – again, the mailman, your waitresses and waiters, yourself, the Latino nation, and anyone else you feel is up for a championship match. How often do we get to witness our home team play in a championship in our home town?

The other reason to get the word out is because FC Dallas will not get off its lazy ass and promote this match. They are more concerned about selling out Sprint PCS Night and giving out baseball hats at a soccer match. I am sure I will get an e-mail promoting this match 48 hours before it is played. But, does that really do justice for a championship match? FC Dallas qualified on September 4, 2007, and there has been one article in the Dallas Morning News. Count ‘em, ONE ARTICLE! Hello, PR department! You all ever heard press releases? Inundate every news source. Get creative! Make up some juicy tidbits that will have the stadium a buzz at kick off. Then, let game speak for itself.

The FC Dallas Marketing Department reminds me of high school cheerleaders. As the home team is on the 1-yard line ready to score a touchdown, the cheerleaders start yelling, “De-fense (clap-clap-clap) De-fense (clap-clap-clap)!” They are giving a great, clueless effort. Wake up! Hit the payment! Open doors! Have these people ever seen Glengarry Glen Ross? This is one opportunity that is slipping through their fingers. I can hear them now . . . .

Lester - Dude, the Burn (laughs, then a long uncomfortable pause), uh, I mean, FCD plays in the championship in less than two weeks! Shouldn’t we advertise for this game?
Bob – Corporate is pushing Redneck Night. You know they want 5,000 Bobby Rhine bobble heads and 10,000 t-shirts with Dax McCarty saying “Ain’t Skeerid”. Besides the League is trying to secretly replace the US Open Cup, remember?
Lester - Oh yeah, the Bowl (laughs through nose)!
Bob – That’s right, junior. Beckham Bowl I – where every team will play the LA Galaxy in a series of 10-minute mini-games in one glorious night. There will be a parade and fireworks at the end. Beckham takes his jersey off. A closing concert with Rascal Flatts and Gloria Trevi, you know the drill. Then, after a day a rest, the team that performed the worst against LA will be in the final of Beckham Bowl. The League has guaranteed that Beckham will score a hat trick in each half.
Lester – (speaking to himself – ‘I’m so high. Who’s Betsham? I hate Bob.’) Yes, true greatness. I’m hungry.

Clearly, this match requires a grass roots effort since the League or FCD are not promoting it. If I have miss represented FC Dallas in any way, please let me know. If they are marketing this game, please let me know and all the other aforementioned folks. I am going and I think everyone else should too. Any chance we can have more than 5,000 people show up for this game? Don't be surprised to see a bunch of red seats during FOX's broadcast.