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FC Dallas: What Happened In 2009?
With the year coming to a close, Zac Lee Rigg looks back on a tumultuous season for FC Dallas.
Dec 23, 2009 2:18:10 AM
By Zac Lee Rigg
With 45 minutes left in the 2009 Major League Soccer season, FC Dallas looked to have secured an unlikely spot in the playoffs. Leading by an Atiba Harris goal away against Seattle Sounders FC, results elsewhere meant that if Dallas held on for the win, it would cinch the last playoff slot.
Instead, Seattle -- having already qualified for the posteason and with little to play for other than pride -- struck back and scored two. In the second half, Dallas reverted to the impotent, bewildered team that had shown up for most of the first half of the season.
"You don't want to put those words into writing," midfielder Dave van den Bergh said of his overall emotional condition after that loss, summing up the painful and dazed state the season left most of his teammates in as well.
What Went Wrong?
You mean besides that whole first half of the season thing? Oh, right.
In the first 15 games, Dallas scooped up 14 points. The team was a joke. Coach Shellas Hyndman didn't look likely to last a year in his post, the team lacked cohesion, and nothing would go its way.
Lacking an identity on the pitch, not even star striker Kenny Cooper could pull the team out of its slump. His seven goals in 15 games came mostly in losing endeavors.
Then, of course, there was that capitulation to Seattle on the last day of the regular season.
"The boys gave everything, just came up short," MLS MVP finalist Jeff Cunningham said of the game, though he might as well have been talking about the season as a whole. "We created an uphill battle for ourselves, and I thought we did everything we could to give ourselves a chance. Just not supposed to be I guess."
What Went Right?
In between that embarrassing start and the last half of the last game, a whole slew of things went right. Slowly but surely, Hyndman forged his team into something that could win games.
Paradoxically, losing Cooper to 1860 Munich may have sparked it all. With the burly striker out of the way, Cunningham stepped into a starting role up top. He went on a tear, scoring 17 goals in 16 games to win the Golden Boot award and earn a call up to the United States national side.
"I tell you what, man, the second half of the season was unbelievable," Cunningham said after the season.
Behind Cunningham, Dax McCarty (another winter U.S. call up based on his blossoming club form) dictated the pace from deep in a solid five-man midfield. Highlights for the team included a 6-0 win over Kansas City and a 6-3 triumph away at Los Angeles; in both cases feeble defenses couldn't deal with the scintillating pace of Dallas' attack, featuring a rejuvenated David Ferreira and the emerging Brek Shea.
What Should The Team Do Differently?
In 2010, Dallas should try not to waste the first half of the season. Hyndman will hope that with an identity forged his team won't endure quite as rough a start as it did in 2009. Still, keeping focus even when the games don't seem to matter as much will go a long way toward edging Dallas back toward a playoff position.
Another adjustment the team needs to make is to veer away from leaning solely on one player. When Cooper or Cunningham didn't show up to knock in the goals, the attack had no solutions. Spreading the responsibility around better will help make Dallas more consistent.
Off the pitch, Dallas needs to find some fans. With Pizza Hut Park located way out in the boonies of Frisco, Dallas consistently posts some of the league's worst attendance figures, averaging 12,441 in 2009. A losing team surely doesn't help matters, but the team needs to start posting a higher draw if it's to keep up with the rest of the league.
What Changes Will Be Made?
Of all the teams that missed out on the playoffs, Dallas probably has the least amount of changes to make. Hyndman and his vision will continue, with its blend of Latin flair and American potential. Cunningham, at 33, probably can't continue his blistering goalscoring form, so coaxing more goals out of Shea and the wide midfielders will be key.
Other than that, the team will focus on solidifying its identity and avoiding too much turnover. Dallas has invested in youth for years, so it hopes to start reaping the benefit as players develop.
What Will Happen Next Year?
As I mentioned in my Chivas USA review, my pawn shop purchases do not include a crystal ball. Would that they did.
Instead, I go off hunches and educated guesses, just like everyone else. Given Dallas' late season form (25 points from 15 games and four wins out of the last five), the team will expect to at least use that platform to make the playoffs. Really, at this point, it's all about qualifying for the postseason, having missed out the last two years. Trophies, conference wins, or cup runs can come later. Right now, making the playoffs is all that matters.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
With 45 minutes left in the 2009 Major League Soccer season, FC Dallas looked to have secured an unlikely spot in the playoffs. Leading by an Atiba Harris goal away against Seattle Sounders FC, results elsewhere meant that if Dallas held on for the win, it would cinch the last playoff slot.
Instead, Seattle -- having already qualified for the posteason and with little to play for other than pride -- struck back and scored two. In the second half, Dallas reverted to the impotent, bewildered team that had shown up for most of the first half of the season.
"You don't want to put those words into writing," midfielder Dave van den Bergh said of his overall emotional condition after that loss, summing up the painful and dazed state the season left most of his teammates in as well.
What Went Wrong?
You mean besides that whole first half of the season thing? Oh, right.
In the first 15 games, Dallas scooped up 14 points. The team was a joke. Coach Shellas Hyndman didn't look likely to last a year in his post, the team lacked cohesion, and nothing would go its way.
Lacking an identity on the pitch, not even star striker Kenny Cooper could pull the team out of its slump. His seven goals in 15 games came mostly in losing endeavors.
Then, of course, there was that capitulation to Seattle on the last day of the regular season.
"The boys gave everything, just came up short," MLS MVP finalist Jeff Cunningham said of the game, though he might as well have been talking about the season as a whole. "We created an uphill battle for ourselves, and I thought we did everything we could to give ourselves a chance. Just not supposed to be I guess."
What Went Right?
In between that embarrassing start and the last half of the last game, a whole slew of things went right. Slowly but surely, Hyndman forged his team into something that could win games.
Paradoxically, losing Cooper to 1860 Munich may have sparked it all. With the burly striker out of the way, Cunningham stepped into a starting role up top. He went on a tear, scoring 17 goals in 16 games to win the Golden Boot award and earn a call up to the United States national side.
"I tell you what, man, the second half of the season was unbelievable," Cunningham said after the season.
 |
What Should The Team Do Differently?
In 2010, Dallas should try not to waste the first half of the season. Hyndman will hope that with an identity forged his team won't endure quite as rough a start as it did in 2009. Still, keeping focus even when the games don't seem to matter as much will go a long way toward edging Dallas back toward a playoff position.
Another adjustment the team needs to make is to veer away from leaning solely on one player. When Cooper or Cunningham didn't show up to knock in the goals, the attack had no solutions. Spreading the responsibility around better will help make Dallas more consistent.
Off the pitch, Dallas needs to find some fans. With Pizza Hut Park located way out in the boonies of Frisco, Dallas consistently posts some of the league's worst attendance figures, averaging 12,441 in 2009. A losing team surely doesn't help matters, but the team needs to start posting a higher draw if it's to keep up with the rest of the league.
What Changes Will Be Made?
Of all the teams that missed out on the playoffs, Dallas probably has the least amount of changes to make. Hyndman and his vision will continue, with its blend of Latin flair and American potential. Cunningham, at 33, probably can't continue his blistering goalscoring form, so coaxing more goals out of Shea and the wide midfielders will be key.
 |
What Will Happen Next Year?
As I mentioned in my Chivas USA review, my pawn shop purchases do not include a crystal ball. Would that they did.
Instead, I go off hunches and educated guesses, just like everyone else. Given Dallas' late season form (25 points from 15 games and four wins out of the last five), the team will expect to at least use that platform to make the playoffs. Really, at this point, it's all about qualifying for the postseason, having missed out the last two years. Trophies, conference wins, or cup runs can come later. Right now, making the playoffs is all that matters.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
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