by Ethan Johnson
June 23, 2007
You didn't blink and miss it... I didn't bother writing up anything about the FCD/Toronto shellacking from June 17 on the grounds that if one doesn't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Actually I had some "lessons learned" to share but it's probably best to reveal them here, as tonight's game would determine whether those lessons actually took root.
The major point I would have been harping on last weekend was if you're the goalie, and you have the power to stop the ball by catching it with your hands, use your hands. You're like the Queen piece in chess, so to speak. Use your power responsibly. Dario Sala got burned on this little reminder a few times against Toronto. This time against the thuggish (!) Rapids Sala got the memo, and was a lean, mean, catching machine. Colorado's goalie was mostly the same, including one gutsy stop against Carlos Ruiz in the clutch. If Ruiz jukes the goalie it's a guaranteed point on the board for Dallas. The goalie dove at Ruiz's feet and grabbed the ball. Wow.
Another issue last week was the one-game suspension of Pablo Ricchetti. Definitely a case of not knowing what you've got until it's gone. FCD suffered greatly without him, and with him they managed a fair amount of clever ball control (even if it didn't translate into scoring) that would have been useful against Toronto. I'll be glad when all of these Copas are over (Copa Oro, Copa America) because now with Drew Moor going off to join Team USA Mark II and Gbandi being suspended for one game due to yellow card accumulation, not to mention the raft of injuries in the FCD ranks, things are dicey indeed for Dallas going into a critical game against Houston next Saturday. Yes, critical. Avenge the June 3 road loss, O Dallas!
I have to say, and am sad to say, the announcers on FSN Southwest are incredibly awful. Say what you will about the announcers on Telefutura, but they seem eminently more capable than these guys. I dub FSN-SW the CSTV of Major League Soccer. For example, the lead announcer spent a good half hour commenting on Gbandi's red hair dye, then calls Dominic Oduro "Gbandi" when he gets pasted to the turf. Yes, I guess those black players all look alike, just like it was hard to tell Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman apart when they played together. Duhhhhh. And these guys are supposed to be the "home cookin'".
Juan Toja managed to get FCD on the board in the 2nd half, and despite some nail-biting near-misses on both ends of the field they come away with the road win. Eat it, Colorado!
Next game is June 30 at home against Houston, then at home again July 4 against Chivas USA. I don't think I'll be recapping those due to other commitments. Who is going to fill my seat at the home games, or in front of the TV for me while I'm gone? Step up! <EM>
(Much, much more virtual ink has been spilled by me about Major League Soccer. The fledgling but growing MLS article archive may be found here.)
