Burning Sensation: Storming
September 5th, 2008 . By: Peter Welpton
While the hoop-wearing fandom of FC Dallas are understandably upset about another loss at home, they can’t say that Shellas Hyndman didn’t warn them.
So was the Cunningham move a good one or not? He’s looked good in action and yes he’s scored twice; but Cooper has stopped scoring and FCD has lost two three and tied one since Cunningham joined the team three four games ago.
While the hoop-wearing fandom of FC Dallas are understandably upset about another loss at home, they can’t say that Shellas Hyndman didn’t warn them.
According to 3rd Degree sources Abe Thompson has been traded to the Kansas City Wizards in exchange for allocation money.
Facing a must-win home game Thursday evening against the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas turned in an uninspired performance. A goal by Colorado’s Mike Petke was all the Rapids needed to get all three points on the road and leapfrog Dallas in the standings. The loss puts any playoff aspirations in serious jeopardy as the Hoops head down the home stretch.
The Colorado Rapids are in trouble. Actually, they have been since their opening night evisceration of the LA Galaxy, a game which gave fans a very false sense of security. The Rapids of 2008 have not been able to solve the problem of points on the road in MLS. Only Real Salt Lake is worse away from their friendly confines, securing a single win and two ties in 11 tries. That sort of futility will get a head coach fired in this league, and it would have had not Fernando Clavijo resigned for family reasons.
So Gustov made a call today as an finger of the former hurricane was hanging out in Dallas. Cool in the mid 70s, cloudy, and windy as heck at training. Makes it hard for crossing, but very comfortable to train overall. Thankfully it’s not really raining.
At the beginning of August, which seems like a lifetime ago, a new hope and vigor infused the clubhouse at FC Dallas. New signings and a bit of a win streak seemed to give the team the lift it needed heading into the home stretch of regular season play. But when the epitaph is written for this season’s campaign, it may tell the sad story of two August matches against the Columbus Crew.
The release of Ricardinho, the latest in a long line of flameouts in the Dallas #10 jersey, is just another sign that most important number in soccer has been cursed for FC Dallas. Ricardinho is the latest in a long line of promise and busts leading deep into the history of FCD. The 10, the number of the soccer gods Pele and Maradona; The Man, the playmaker, the striker, the key player in each and every team. In Dallas it’s a waste of space and a reserve afterthought. What violation occurred in the past that was such an affront to the powers of soccer that FC Dallas has even failed as a team on a consistent basis since the sacrilege? What led to the ruination of the TEN?
FC Dallas now has one of the worst home records in MLS so it’s no wonder that concerts have become a priority for HSG, at least they are a win-win situation. FCD has now won a total of four of eleven home league games, hardly the sort of situation that would strike fear into any USL team (as we have seen), much less anyone from MLS. This team seems incapable of holding on to a lead, and in fact have the league’s worst record (by a decent margin) when scoring first. So lets look at just exactly why this is the case.
If the season ended today, FC Dallas would be in the playoffs as the 3rd seed in the West. Is that crazy or what? A team that started off the year on such high hopes has quickly gone through three coaching changes, two full formation and tactics switches, a loss to a USL side in a meaningful match, the sale of the team’s MVP from a year ago and a protracted ordeal involving rumors, speculation and offers for the services of their best player, Kenny Cooper, Jr.