UPDATED (5:15 p.m): We just realized we didn't include Kenny as Already Here. He was actually the first player to arrive this evening.
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Today is the day the guys have their first scheduled assigments with the team since back in December, when they went on their own following the trip to Trinidad.
At 5:30 pm Thursday evening, many of the guys will be coming in for their entrance physicals. Then on Friday and Saturday, they'll be coming in at various intervals for closed-door tests - including fitness, concussion, and other health exams. The team will then gather for the official first day of preseason on Monday, Feb. 4 here at Pizza Hut Park.
Many of the guys are already in town, though there are some that will be arriving over the next couple weeks. With that, here's a status report (come back later and we'll hopefully be able to tell you who the guest players will be...err, at least most of them). Click here for the rest...
Already in town: Ray Burse, Kenny Cooper, Andrew Daniels, Michael Dello-Russo, Scott Jones, Dominic Oduro, Aaron Pitchkolan, Bobby Rhine, Pablo Ricchetti, Dario Sala, Marcelo Saragosa, Abe Thompson, David Wagenfuhr, Blake Wagner, Chase Wileman, and Alex Yi.
Arriving today: Eric Avila, Jamil Roberts, Ben Nason, Brek Shea, and possibly Chris Gbandi (his status is pending).
Away with national teams: Arturo Alvarez, Dax McCarty, and Anthony Wallace are with the U.S. U-23 team in Florida, which breaks camp on Feb. 2. However, the coaching staff is expecting to give them a week to rest and they'll be arriving around Feb. 11
Drew Moor is with the full U.S. Men's National Team training for the upcoming friendly versus Mexico on Feb. 6 in Houston. Drew will know on Feb. 3 if he'll remain with the team through the Mexico game, otherwise he'll be back in Dallas. Either way, he's also expected to have a few days off and report for Feb. 11.
Adrian Serioux is with the Canadian National Team. They have a game on Feb. 3, and Adrian will be coming in following that game (we forgot to ask if he'll come straight in or have a few days off).
Josh Lambo is with the U.S. U-20 team in Guadalajara, Mexico for the Chivas Cup. Once the tourney ends for the U.S., Josh will head home to Wisconsin for a bit and then to Frisco, likely by the end of next week and in time for Feb. 11.
Visas pending: One of the things we looked to do this off-season is get as many work visas completed as possible - therefore not having to have players leave the country after arriving. Some guys are completed, but as our blog-faithful know, each player and country is different in approving these.
So, Ricardinho and Juan Toja had their appointments at their respective embassys earlier this week. Once they get their passports back, they'll be on their way. We're expecting they get their visas back by Feb. 4 and arrive here on Feb. 5.
Duilio Davino has his appointment on Feb. 5. He could get it back right away or a few days later - still, we're optimistic he can arrive by the end of next week, if not by Feb. 11.
Injuries: The team's two supplemental draft picks - Yannick Reyering and Ben Shuleva are both injured and will remain in school to graduate, with the possibility of having them in to try out in the summer.
Not coming in: Sandy Gbandi will not be coming in to try out...the team is still in negotiations with Roberto Mina, but at the moment he is not here...finally, when asked about the possible return of Denilson, Steve Morrow told fans last week that the team had sent Denilson a proposal – based on its assessment of his time here and his value in the League – to offer him the opportunity to come back to FC Dallas. While the team has not received a formal written response from the player on the proposed offer, at this point FC Dallas is moving forward preparing for the 2008 season without Denilson.
Support Dallas' bid for the World Cup
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
FCD Foundation Charity Game - FCD vs. LA Galaxy
UPDATED 4:30 pm CT: The FC Dallas Foundation has finalized the preseason charity game between FC Dallas and the Los Angeles Galaxy - to be played on Saturday, March 15 at Pizza Hut Park (7:30 p.m. CT). (Click here for official press release)
The FC Dallas Foundation Charity Game, which will be the first opportunity for area fans to see the 2008 FC Dallas team in action, will also include an appearance by Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, forward Landon Donovan, and former Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz. Proceeds from the charity game will benefit the FC Dallas Foundation, which will donate the funds to U.S. Funds for UNICEF and the Miracle League of Frisco.
Fans who bought tickets through the team’s front office or through any Ticketmaster outlet for the July 31, 2007 SuperLiga game between the two teams have the opportunity to reserve the same number of tickets in the same seating area for the March 15 contest. Further instructions for these fans to claim their seats will be sent through email and regular mail over the next week.
A limited number of tickets for this game are available to the general public through a special three-game package, available only through the front office 888-FCD-GOAL (888-323-4625).
UPDATED: Fans that bought tickets through the front office or Ticketmaster for the July 31, 2007 SuperLiga between FCD and LA will have the chance to claim the same number of tickets for this game - at no charge. However, since this is a charity game, these fans will also have the opportunity to donate to the charities if they so wish when reserving their tickets. For those fans that purchase a 3-game pack, the price of the ticket package includes a $20 donation for the Foundation Game.
The FC Dallas Foundation Charity Game, which will be the first opportunity for area fans to see the 2008 FC Dallas team in action, will also include an appearance by Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, forward Landon Donovan, and former Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz. Proceeds from the charity game will benefit the FC Dallas Foundation, which will donate the funds to U.S. Funds for UNICEF and the Miracle League of Frisco.
Fans who bought tickets through the team’s front office or through any Ticketmaster outlet for the July 31, 2007 SuperLiga game between the two teams have the opportunity to reserve the same number of tickets in the same seating area for the March 15 contest. Further instructions for these fans to claim their seats will be sent through email and regular mail over the next week.
A limited number of tickets for this game are available to the general public through a special three-game package, available only through the front office 888-FCD-GOAL (888-323-4625).
UPDATED: Fans that bought tickets through the front office or Ticketmaster for the July 31, 2007 SuperLiga between FCD and LA will have the chance to claim the same number of tickets for this game - at no charge. However, since this is a charity game, these fans will also have the opportunity to donate to the charities if they so wish when reserving their tickets. For those fans that purchase a 3-game pack, the price of the ticket package includes a $20 donation for the Foundation Game.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
January Birthdays
As we approach the end of January, we wanted to wish a bunch of guys who had birthdays this month a Happy Birthday - starting with Hitch and Blake today, and also Pablo (Jan. 2), Abe (Jan. 12), Drew (Jan. 15), Marcelo (Jan. 22), Wally (Jan. 26). We'll be back a bit later with some more news for you...
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Sueno MLS '08 Launch on Republica Deportiva
On Thursday, we officially announced that Sueno MLS, a nationally-televised competition search for the next young soccer star, is expanding to include FCD this year. FCD assistant coach Jorge Alvial will appear on Univision's very popular "Republica Deportiva" show this Sunday morning (10 am-Noon CT) for the official Sueno MLS launch. If you remember, Arturo went down to Miami to appear in-studio on "Republica" last August. This Sunday, Jorge will be live via satellite from the Dallas Univision studios. So tune into Univision 10am-Noon CT this Sun. Jan. 27 for the announcement, which will reveal important registration details, dates, info, etc.
UPDATED: Registration begins at 4 pm CT on Sun. Jan. 27. Visit www.SuenoMLS.com for more details.
A little background info -- last year 2,000 young soccer players traveled to LA from dozens of states for an open tryout for the right to earn a spot on the Chivas USA developmental roster. After about a month of intense competition, Jorge Flores, a 17-year old high-school senior and part-time church janitor from Anaheim, CA, emerged as the winner. Flores not only earned a spot on Chivas USA's roster, but he was later named to the U.S. U-20 National Team.
UPDATED: Registration begins at 4 pm CT on Sun. Jan. 27. Visit www.SuenoMLS.com for more details.
A little background info -- last year 2,000 young soccer players traveled to LA from dozens of states for an open tryout for the right to earn a spot on the Chivas USA developmental roster. After about a month of intense competition, Jorge Flores, a 17-year old high-school senior and part-time church janitor from Anaheim, CA, emerged as the winner. Flores not only earned a spot on Chivas USA's roster, but he was later named to the U.S. U-20 National Team.FC Dallas Wins Frisco Business of the Year Award
Last night, FC Dallas was presented with the 2007 Frisco Business of the Year Award as part of the 24th Annual Frisco Chamber of Commerce Banquet Awards held at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center. Out of 1,300 businesses that qualified for the honor, 100 were nominated and presented in front of a nomination committee. The nominations were pared down to four finalists, and the Frisco business leaders selection committee awarded FCD the winner.
Friday, January 25, 2008
National Teams / Mexico Bids Farewell to Davino
We mentioned on Monday that Adrian had joined the Canadian National Team in Florida for camp, and now we have some more national team news…
After playing 90 minutes in the 2-0 win over Sweden, Drew has been called back to US National Team camp in Carson, CA for training ahead of the USA vs. Mexico match on Feb. 6 in Houston.
Arturo, Dax, and Wally are heading to Bradenton, FL for the final U-23 camp before Olympic Qualifying begins.
Josh and Brek were both called into the U-20’s for the Copa Chivas in Guadalajara, Mexico, although Brek won’t be participating. Due to some groin pain he experienced down at the Combine, it was decided that it’d be best for Brek to get the extra rest before preseason.
On an unrelated note, Club America held a farewell press conference for Duilio Davino yesterday in Mexico, and you can check out some photos here.
After playing 90 minutes in the 2-0 win over Sweden, Drew has been called back to US National Team camp in Carson, CA for training ahead of the USA vs. Mexico match on Feb. 6 in Houston.
Arturo, Dax, and Wally are heading to Bradenton, FL for the final U-23 camp before Olympic Qualifying begins.
Josh and Brek were both called into the U-20’s for the Copa Chivas in Guadalajara, Mexico, although Brek won’t be participating. Due to some groin pain he experienced down at the Combine, it was decided that it’d be best for Brek to get the extra rest before preseason.
On an unrelated note, Club America held a farewell press conference for Duilio Davino yesterday in Mexico, and you can check out some photos here.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Supplemental Draft
The 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft was held this afternoon via teleconference call, and FCD selected two players.
FCD selected Yannick Reyering, a forward from the University of Virginia, in the second round with the 22nd overall pick...
Yannick Reyering
Position: Forward
Height: 6-6
Weight: 205
College: University of Virginia
Hometown: Mettingen, Germany
Age: 23
Date of Birth: 7-10-1984
Place of Birth: Ibbenbueren, Germany
Nationality: Germany
And in the third round, with the 36th overall pick, FCD chose Ben Shuleva, a midfielder out of SMU.
Ben Shuleva
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
College: SMU
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Age: 21
Date of Birth: 6-9-1986
Place of Birth: Dublin, Ohio
Nationality: USA
Quick note, FCD chose both Aaron Pitchkolan and Abe Thompson in the first Supplemental Draft in 2005. In last year's Supplemental Draft, Dallas selected Sandy Gbandi and Chase Wileman, with both earning spots on the 2007 developmental roster.
FCD selected Yannick Reyering, a forward from the University of Virginia, in the second round with the 22nd overall pick...
Yannick Reyering
Position: Forward
Height: 6-6
Weight: 205
College: University of Virginia
Hometown: Mettingen, Germany
Age: 23
Date of Birth: 7-10-1984
Place of Birth: Ibbenbueren, Germany
Nationality: Germany
And in the third round, with the 36th overall pick, FCD chose Ben Shuleva, a midfielder out of SMU.
Ben Shuleva
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
College: SMU
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Age: 21
Date of Birth: 6-9-1986
Place of Birth: Dublin, Ohio
Nationality: USA
Quick note, FCD chose both Aaron Pitchkolan and Abe Thompson in the first Supplemental Draft in 2005. In last year's Supplemental Draft, Dallas selected Sandy Gbandi and Chase Wileman, with both earning spots on the 2007 developmental roster.
Inaugural QnA Answers, Part II
Today we bring you the second part of the Inaugural Blog QnA with Hitchcock and Morrow. For those that submitted questions that were similar to ones already asked (or felt the need to reiterate similar comments), you may not find your questions / comments (it seemed like the second half of the QnA had many more repeated inquiries)…we’re thinking you may not have wanted to read the same answer to similar questions, so we tried to limit how many times we asked Steve and Hitch the same type of questions.
Click here to continue reading QnA, part II...
Anonymous said... Could you please cut down on the cost of beer at the games? Who wants to pay $7.50 for a bottle of brew when you can get a 6-pack at a gas station in Frisco for $5.
Blog Staff: Some form of this question came up a few times in the QnA, as well as numerous comments on the subject. For the purpose of time, and not to not be repetitive, we’ve only presented a couple of the questions to Hitch, but made him aware of the number of question and comments that were posted…
Hitch: Our concessions pricing is comparable to other professional sports teams and venues in the Metroplex. The service comments are a concern. We've worked with our concession partner, Sodexho, on improving quality of the food and the quality of the service. Based on the comments, we have some work to do. With our low ticket prices and free parking, we believe that FC Dallas games are a good value for a professional sporting event.
James said...We've drafted several Generation Adidas players. Are they exempt from the cap just the first year or for duration of the contract? How about for roster spot, are they exempt just the first year for for duration also?
Steve: Yes, Generation adidas players don’t count on the 18 man senior roster and are therefore exempt from the salary cap. When they graduate, that is, when MLS decides they have played enough games – and it doesn’t have to be one year, or two years, or three, then they would have to fight for a place on the 18-man roster and so at that time their salary would play a role in that decision.
FC Uptown said... Dear FCD, Please talk about how all the changes will help us ultimately beat Houston.
Steve: We’re focused on more than just beating Houston. The team we are building will help us compete against all the teams in the league.
Also, anything new at PHP regarding the "gameday experience"?
Thank you.
Hitch: We're going to introduce some new fan-centric elements to the FC Dallas game day experience. The 2008 season is being dedicated to our fans and we want to provide the best possible game day experience. We'll finalize all of our plans and announce them before opening day.
Super Hoop Dreams said... 1) Who is going to replace el Pescadito?
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
2) What broadcast partner plans are in the works (radio and TV)?
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
3) What plans do we have to ensure a) a 2009 Superliga spot b) going beyond the 1st round of the playoffs c) ending the season with something in the trophycase?
Steve: the plan is simple, finish in the top two in our conference, that would ensure a place in SuperLiga. Everything we’re doing at this point to the roster and will do in preseason we expect will put us in position to accomplish all of the above.
4) Do we have plans for a DP? And is that why Ruiz is gone?
Steve: No, not the primary reason that Ruiz is gone. We’ve said before about our approach to a DP, if it makes sense for us we’ll look at the possibility.
Anonymous said... Why does FCD want nothing to do with the Hispanic community?
Hitch: We don’t agree with that statement. First, we’ve created a team that is attractive to all fans, including the Hispanic fans, as evidenced by the fact that we’re one of the more popular teams for Telefutura national broadcasts.
Second, we do a number of events and appearances in the Hispanic community, including the FC Dallas Community Clinic Series, which we’ve done for the past couple of years and plan to continue doing this year.
And third, we bring a number of Hispanic-centric events to Pizza Hut Park that we think, and have shown, are of interest to the Hispanic soccer fan - including InterLiga, SuperLiga, the Mexican National team and very shortly the Mexican Olympic team.
AC said... There is a level of mental toughness lacking in the team. The August swoon that has occured the past years makes it hard for local soccer fans that are not die-hard FCD fans to connect with. I think it is the culture that is being foster in the organization instead of the players. What are you going to do take the country club atmosphere away from this organization and instill a level of expectation like the Dynamos and DCU
Steve: The reputation of being a winner comes from winning, which is obviously part of the plan of the organization. The mentality and toughness of the team is something we focus from day one, and we feel is something that has improved from the start of last season to the end, as shown from the tremendous fight we put up in the playoff series against Houston, and feel we should have advanced.
mudpoet said...
For Hitch:
1. What is your name? Hitch
2. What is your quest? Seeking to win championships
3. What is your favorite color? Red and white
For Steve:
1. What is your name? Steve
2. What is your quest? To finish answering these questions (laugh)…
3. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Currently looking that up, will get back to you…
Anonymous said... What is the update on Wagner and the CAP players that you are looking to try and bring up here? Thanks, David09
Steve: Wagner looks in great shape; in fact he just tackled me in the gym 30 minutes ago. We’re close to finalizing a deal with a CAP player that we’ve had our eye on for some time and feel can be an exciting player in our league.
Anonymous said...Is it ok to send Ruiz "home in a Frisco Ambulance" immediately, or should we wait a game as part of common courtesy?
Steve: I would expect our defenders to give him the rightful treatment, no common courtesy required.
Anonymous said...Can you please announce attendance at every game?
Hitch: we’ll look into it.
Anonymous said... Are you committed to advertising the team properly to all of DFW?
Hitch: I think we touched on this when we answered one or two previous questions. We are always looking for ways to reach out and extend ourselves so we can be seen by as many people in the metroplex as possible. Like many aspects of our business, it takes a lot of hard work and we’re committed to doing the right things.
Anonymous said... When will a jersey sponsorship deal be in place?
Hitch: We’re working on getting it done as soon as possible.
Anonymous said...Are you doing anything for youth in Fort Worth, if so I've haven’t noticed any.
Hitch: We’re trying to work closely with youth clubs all over the metroplex. In Fort Worth we have partnerships with a few youth soccer groups, but are working to establish a closer relationship with some of the larger clubs and associations. It’s definitely something we’re looking to do. In saying that, if you know kids that want to be involved with FC Dallas, they can do a couple of things. First, let their club presidents or league directors know that they want to be involved with us. Second, contact one of our soccer reps to get more info.
BRYAN said...I love FC Dallas and MLS and have been a fan since the league started in 1996. My question is: What can be done to get fair media coverage both in the Dallas media and national sports media?
Blog Staff: Thanks Bryan and others that brought this question up a few more times. Your comments have been noted. Please refer to Part I as we’ve touched on this subject previously on this QnA.
Anonymous said...Two comments and two questions:
Comment #1: Someone stated the team doesn't care about the Hispanic fan. How so? I've read about clinics in the Hispanic neighborhoods, I've seen the effort to bring in "Hispanic" players (Alvarez, Ruiz, Sala, Toja, Ricchetti, Davino, Denilson) probably have more "Hispanics on the team now than ever before. Those denying the team has Hispanic involvement must have a hidden agenda.
Hitch: I didn’t realize some fans were answering some of these for us…did they answer any more? Thank you anonymous.
Comment #2: Young players giving it their all like Toja really excite me. Good-bye dinasours: Ruiz, Vanney, O'Brien, Simo, etc.
Steve: No comment.
Question #2(Steve): Why do you wait until after the 80th minute to make most of your subs when you're losing and what's on the field certainly isn't working. Does that really give the new player enough time to have an effect? Check your stats...I doubt that is very effective.
Steve: I guess I’m not sure I agree with that statement. We feel that we made some good substitutes this year. I’ll have our guys look at some stats but I remember a few times when we brought fresh players in to a game that helped us continue pushing and even contributing to tying or winning goals. We do what we think is right at the time, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
(Blog Staff – we found some stats that back up Steve up. FC Dallas scored 14 goals in the final 10 minutes of games in 2007, which was most in the League. Seven of those goals helped FCD earn at least a point, and four of those goals came during stoppage time. That doesn’t count the three goals we scored in the final 10 minutes of the LA SuperLiga game, or the Open Cup games won in OT at Charleston and Seattle, when we also brought in fresh legs at the end)
Anonymous said... If Gbandi (Chris) is sold what will be the solution at left back?
Steve: We feel we have good options with Blake Wagner and David Wagenfuhr.
fcdallasfan said...
1. Who is replacing Ruiz?
2.Are you acquiring anymore new players from South America?
3. What is the preseason schedule like?
4. When can I buy the new jersey?
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
AC said... When is FCD going to get serious about their youth development program? Like the Red Bull and Dynamo programs.
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
SMOOTH said...I have one request and that is PLEASE STOP HAVING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES AT PHP. I REALLY HATE TO SEE THE FOOTBALL LINES ON TV OR EVEN WHEN I'AM AT THE GAMES. I KNOW YALL TRY TO FADE THEM AWAY ON GAMEDAYS BUT THEY STILL BUG THE CRAP OUT OF ME AND I KNOW AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS LIKE THIS. HAVE A WONDERFUL SEASON!
Hitch: Part of the agreement when building Pizza Hut Park, in partnership with the City of Frisco and FISD (Frisco Independent School District), is they would be able to utilize Pizza Hut Park X number of times per year. And in the fall, on Thursdays and Fridays, FISD have the stadium for high school football. We work hard to keep the best possible playing surface, and eliminate the lines as much as possible, but the bottom line is that is part of the agreement we have with FISD and the City of Frisco.
LOVE DALLAS said...What is FC Dallas Mission Statement?
Hitch: “FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park will strive to be the best on the field, in the stands, and in the community by fulfilling a profitable business plan. Our empowered employees are focused on being the best by winning championships, providing exciting fan-friendly events, and engaging in civic-minded activities while setting the standard as the Model Franchise in Major League Soccer and the Model Venue in the Dallas / Ft Worth Metroplex.”
All of our employees have this printed out and place in their work stations. It's a Mission Statement created by our employees and adequately represents what our mission is...
Anonymous said...YEAH, GOOD POINT! I HATE THE NFL-COLLEGE-HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL LINES ON SOCCER FIELDS!! THAT IS SUPER ANNOYING! AFTER ALL THIS WORK TO HAVE OUR OWN SOCCER SPECIFIC STADIUM AND STILL THE FOOTBALL LINES MARKING ALL OVER THE FIELD! THAT STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MLS PROFESSIONAL SOCCER DOES NOT DESERVE FOOTBALL MARKINGS FROM A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME!!!!!!!
Hitch: We discussed our partnership with FISD above. Without the vision and support of FISD and the City of Frisco, we wouldn't have Pizza Hut Park to call home.
Carl said... What are the goals of the market department this upcoming season and perhaps how they plan to accomplish them?
Hitch: Our goals are organization-wide, to work hard and strive to continue improving in all facets of the business.
AHF said... About the football games:
There is nothing these guys can do about the games being played, it is in the contract and it is probably the only way that the stadium got built.
About the lines:
They have the ability to go the extra mile to get rid of the lines if they really wanted to. Painting green over the lines (which is commonly done in Mexico) would look better than the barely faded white lines.
But when you are XXXX about these lines, turn the channel to a New England or RBNY home game. You will be very happy to watch games at PHP after that.
Hitch: I like it, more fans answering some of these questions. Couldn't have said it better myself.
AHF said...What will be expected for the gameday experience next year? Flares and smokebombs have been banned. Are confetti, signs, and flagpoles next?
MLS seems to be going the path of taking away the liberties of the supporters groups (and fans in general) one thing at a time. This concerns me.
Hitch: We’ll soon be announcing our enhanced game-day experience plans, which we’re excited about. More details to come.
Anonymous said... Will Denilson be back or is he done in MLS???
Steve: We have presented to him what we believe is a legitimate offer giving him the opportunity to return to FCD.
Anonymous said...What are the 3 top priorities for FC Dallas this season?
Steve: Win, win, and win. We want to win with an attractive, attacking style of soccer.
jerrybarta said...How about putting some merchandise for sale in Walmart or Academy Sports or somesuch? The uniforms are attractive and eye-catching and might get you in front of potential new fans! What do you think?
HopelessFCDfanatica said..."How about putting some merchandise for sale in Walmart or Academy Sports or somesuch? The uniforms are attractive and eye-catching and might get you in front of potential new fans! What do you think?"
I suppose there's something that has to be worked out with Adidas . . but I agree! The local Walmarts have Cowboys stuff (and Mavericks and Stars and Rangers . . .) everywhere, and I have been wishing for quite sometime WHY there can't be FCD stuff, too?
Hitch: The League works with all the national chains to get all team merchandise in the stores. We encourage fans to let your local store know you’d like to see MLS and FC Dallas gear there. In the meantime, we have our own team store, here at Pizza Hut Park and online at fcdallasgear.com.
Anonymous said...(Hitch) Which is more important to FCD. Winning or profits?
Hitch: Both. We want to win championships, and at the same time run a profitable business operation. Our core values are to win championships for our fans, run a profitable business operation, and make our community a better place to live, work and play.
Anonymous said... (Hitch) If you could have any player in the world sold to FCD for $1 who would you choose and why?
Hitch: Ronaldinho, because he's a decent player and I think we’d get a good return on that investment.
(Morrow) If you could have any player in the world sold to FCD for $1 who would you choose and why?
Steve: Having grown up watching and then playing in the Premiership, and following that league closely, two of the players l like watching play are Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabergas.
Hitch: you can only chose one.
Steve: can I get them for 50 cents each? Or I’d have to borrow a dollar to get the second player.
Anonymous said...Gentlemen, what was the biggest mistake that the club made in your opinion for 2007? What is being done to ensure that the same or similar does not happen in 2008?
Steve: Sometimes things don’t go according to plan, or come out how you want them to come out. But I don’t think there were any glaring mistakes. Any particular thing that didn’t go our way, we take as an opportunity to learn from it.
Hitch: I think the way July 31 turned out. I don’t think we handled it correctly both on or off the field. Obviously off the field, we were the first to prepare to host David Beckham once he arrived in our league, and we sold and marketed it accordingly, and he wasn’t able to show. In hindsight, we could have done things differently on the front end.
And then on the field, we came out flat and missed an opportunity to advance in a very important tournament, surrendering four goals in the first 20 minutes.
So if you look at just one event, starting from the way we marketed the event, to the actual game, there were mistakes across the board. But I know we've learned from that and won’t make the same mistakes again.
Anonymous said...Hitch - What guarantees can you make for the upcoming season: Better record?, increased attendance?, lower concessions prices?, more media coverage?, something else? If you can't make guarantees for each do you think that you are doing enough.
Hitch: There’s no guarantees but our commitment to our fans – we’re going to put our best product on the field, provide the best experience in the stands, and we expect great things on and off the field this year.
Anonymous said... What constitutes a successful season for 2008? What constitutes a failure?
Steve: The ultimate success for this team is to win a championship. We are building a team that we believe is capable of achieving that goal this year. Failure would be failure to progress further than we did last year.
Hitch: We set the expectations very high for ourselves and our players and our organization. We’re here to win a championship, that’s what we’re here to do. And anything less than that is going to feel like a failure. I’m not saying it is a failure, but it will feel like a failure.
Anonymous said...The last few years FCD has gotten off to a fast start, struggled in the middle of the season, faded at the end, and was dispatched from the playoffs in round 1.
What is causing this in your opinion?
What specific actions have been taken to change this?
Steve: As we stated many times last year, the mentality and character of this team needs to get stronger. Again, I feel like we made good progress in this department this year. Hopefully this coming season we can prove even better.
Anonymous said...Where does the buck stop when the team underachieves?
Steve: In our position we know we are held accountable the success or failure of the team.
Anonymous said...As the team is constituted today (the date that you answer this questian), in which quadrant would you place FCDs starting XI talent as a whole? Top 25%, Second quadrant, third quadrant, lowest 25%?
Steve: I believe we’ll have a starting 11 that will be in the top 25 percent.
Anonymous said...Generation Addidas talent is great for the long term. If our organization "stinks up the joint between now and the time that these players are ready" will they want to stay here????
Steve: Yes, Generation adidas players alone are not going to win us a championship. They will have the opportunity to develop, further their education, and be ready to contribute when their time comes.
Hitch: We’ve got a strong organization with a good infrastructure, and more and more players want to come to Dallas than ever before because of the organization, the facilities, and it’s a great place to live.
Anonymous said...What is FCD reputation amongst players around the league in terms of A) its fans, B) its front office C) its winning/losing tradition D) its future?
Steve: Not sure how we can answer this question.
Anonymous said...Hitch - what happened with Nunez/Ruiz to turn them from cornerstones of the organization into "cancers"?
Steve: Number one I don’t think either of those players were cornerstones of the organization, and number two, neither of those players were cancers.
Hitch: Well said.
Anonymous said... Bill Parcell's had a quote suggesting that if he was going to be able to "cook the meal" as a coach, he had to be the one "buying the groceries"? Who specifically has the final say on player acquisition if there is an honest disagreement between the GM and the coach?
Hitch: We sit down and discuss everything together. We have a real good working relationship, we respect one another, voice our opinions, and we discuss them. We’re not going to get to the point where we have a true disagreement on anything – we’re going to come to a resolution on what we feel is best for the organization. That’s the ultimate goal, to put the best product out there for our fans, and we share that commitment. So it’s an open, honest discussion, but I would never make Steve do something he wouldn’t want to do and he would never do something that I wouldn’t want him to do, we would discuss it.
Steve: Every management team has its own way of doing things. Like Hitch said, we have a very good working relationship. Often if one of us believes strongly enough in something, we can make the other one see it is the right thing. With everything, we talk it through - sometimes a lot - work it out and agree on the best way forward.
END of Part II (of 2)
Click here to continue reading QnA, part II...
Anonymous said... Could you please cut down on the cost of beer at the games? Who wants to pay $7.50 for a bottle of brew when you can get a 6-pack at a gas station in Frisco for $5.
Blog Staff: Some form of this question came up a few times in the QnA, as well as numerous comments on the subject. For the purpose of time, and not to not be repetitive, we’ve only presented a couple of the questions to Hitch, but made him aware of the number of question and comments that were posted…
Hitch: Our concessions pricing is comparable to other professional sports teams and venues in the Metroplex. The service comments are a concern. We've worked with our concession partner, Sodexho, on improving quality of the food and the quality of the service. Based on the comments, we have some work to do. With our low ticket prices and free parking, we believe that FC Dallas games are a good value for a professional sporting event.
James said...We've drafted several Generation Adidas players. Are they exempt from the cap just the first year or for duration of the contract? How about for roster spot, are they exempt just the first year for for duration also?
Steve: Yes, Generation adidas players don’t count on the 18 man senior roster and are therefore exempt from the salary cap. When they graduate, that is, when MLS decides they have played enough games – and it doesn’t have to be one year, or two years, or three, then they would have to fight for a place on the 18-man roster and so at that time their salary would play a role in that decision.
FC Uptown said... Dear FCD, Please talk about how all the changes will help us ultimately beat Houston.
Steve: We’re focused on more than just beating Houston. The team we are building will help us compete against all the teams in the league.
Also, anything new at PHP regarding the "gameday experience"?
Thank you.
Hitch: We're going to introduce some new fan-centric elements to the FC Dallas game day experience. The 2008 season is being dedicated to our fans and we want to provide the best possible game day experience. We'll finalize all of our plans and announce them before opening day.
Super Hoop Dreams said... 1) Who is going to replace el Pescadito?
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
2) What broadcast partner plans are in the works (radio and TV)?
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
3) What plans do we have to ensure a) a 2009 Superliga spot b) going beyond the 1st round of the playoffs c) ending the season with something in the trophycase?
Steve: the plan is simple, finish in the top two in our conference, that would ensure a place in SuperLiga. Everything we’re doing at this point to the roster and will do in preseason we expect will put us in position to accomplish all of the above.
4) Do we have plans for a DP? And is that why Ruiz is gone?
Steve: No, not the primary reason that Ruiz is gone. We’ve said before about our approach to a DP, if it makes sense for us we’ll look at the possibility.
Anonymous said... Why does FCD want nothing to do with the Hispanic community?
Hitch: We don’t agree with that statement. First, we’ve created a team that is attractive to all fans, including the Hispanic fans, as evidenced by the fact that we’re one of the more popular teams for Telefutura national broadcasts.
Second, we do a number of events and appearances in the Hispanic community, including the FC Dallas Community Clinic Series, which we’ve done for the past couple of years and plan to continue doing this year.
And third, we bring a number of Hispanic-centric events to Pizza Hut Park that we think, and have shown, are of interest to the Hispanic soccer fan - including InterLiga, SuperLiga, the Mexican National team and very shortly the Mexican Olympic team.
AC said... There is a level of mental toughness lacking in the team. The August swoon that has occured the past years makes it hard for local soccer fans that are not die-hard FCD fans to connect with. I think it is the culture that is being foster in the organization instead of the players. What are you going to do take the country club atmosphere away from this organization and instill a level of expectation like the Dynamos and DCU
Steve: The reputation of being a winner comes from winning, which is obviously part of the plan of the organization. The mentality and toughness of the team is something we focus from day one, and we feel is something that has improved from the start of last season to the end, as shown from the tremendous fight we put up in the playoff series against Houston, and feel we should have advanced.
mudpoet said...
For Hitch:
1. What is your name? Hitch
2. What is your quest? Seeking to win championships
3. What is your favorite color? Red and white
For Steve:
1. What is your name? Steve
2. What is your quest? To finish answering these questions (laugh)…
3. What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Currently looking that up, will get back to you…
Anonymous said... What is the update on Wagner and the CAP players that you are looking to try and bring up here? Thanks, David09
Steve: Wagner looks in great shape; in fact he just tackled me in the gym 30 minutes ago. We’re close to finalizing a deal with a CAP player that we’ve had our eye on for some time and feel can be an exciting player in our league.
Anonymous said...Is it ok to send Ruiz "home in a Frisco Ambulance" immediately, or should we wait a game as part of common courtesy?
Steve: I would expect our defenders to give him the rightful treatment, no common courtesy required.
Anonymous said...Can you please announce attendance at every game?
Hitch: we’ll look into it.
Anonymous said... Are you committed to advertising the team properly to all of DFW?
Hitch: I think we touched on this when we answered one or two previous questions. We are always looking for ways to reach out and extend ourselves so we can be seen by as many people in the metroplex as possible. Like many aspects of our business, it takes a lot of hard work and we’re committed to doing the right things.
Anonymous said... When will a jersey sponsorship deal be in place?
Hitch: We’re working on getting it done as soon as possible.
Anonymous said...Are you doing anything for youth in Fort Worth, if so I've haven’t noticed any.
Hitch: We’re trying to work closely with youth clubs all over the metroplex. In Fort Worth we have partnerships with a few youth soccer groups, but are working to establish a closer relationship with some of the larger clubs and associations. It’s definitely something we’re looking to do. In saying that, if you know kids that want to be involved with FC Dallas, they can do a couple of things. First, let their club presidents or league directors know that they want to be involved with us. Second, contact one of our soccer reps to get more info.
BRYAN said...I love FC Dallas and MLS and have been a fan since the league started in 1996. My question is: What can be done to get fair media coverage both in the Dallas media and national sports media?
Blog Staff: Thanks Bryan and others that brought this question up a few more times. Your comments have been noted. Please refer to Part I as we’ve touched on this subject previously on this QnA.
Anonymous said...Two comments and two questions:
Comment #1: Someone stated the team doesn't care about the Hispanic fan. How so? I've read about clinics in the Hispanic neighborhoods, I've seen the effort to bring in "Hispanic" players (Alvarez, Ruiz, Sala, Toja, Ricchetti, Davino, Denilson) probably have more "Hispanics on the team now than ever before. Those denying the team has Hispanic involvement must have a hidden agenda.
Hitch: I didn’t realize some fans were answering some of these for us…did they answer any more? Thank you anonymous.
Comment #2: Young players giving it their all like Toja really excite me. Good-bye dinasours: Ruiz, Vanney, O'Brien, Simo, etc.
Steve: No comment.
Question #2(Steve): Why do you wait until after the 80th minute to make most of your subs when you're losing and what's on the field certainly isn't working. Does that really give the new player enough time to have an effect? Check your stats...I doubt that is very effective.
Steve: I guess I’m not sure I agree with that statement. We feel that we made some good substitutes this year. I’ll have our guys look at some stats but I remember a few times when we brought fresh players in to a game that helped us continue pushing and even contributing to tying or winning goals. We do what we think is right at the time, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
(Blog Staff – we found some stats that back up Steve up. FC Dallas scored 14 goals in the final 10 minutes of games in 2007, which was most in the League. Seven of those goals helped FCD earn at least a point, and four of those goals came during stoppage time. That doesn’t count the three goals we scored in the final 10 minutes of the LA SuperLiga game, or the Open Cup games won in OT at Charleston and Seattle, when we also brought in fresh legs at the end)
Anonymous said... If Gbandi (Chris) is sold what will be the solution at left back?
Steve: We feel we have good options with Blake Wagner and David Wagenfuhr.
fcdallasfan said...
1. Who is replacing Ruiz?
2.Are you acquiring anymore new players from South America?
3. What is the preseason schedule like?
4. When can I buy the new jersey?
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
AC said... When is FCD going to get serious about their youth development program? Like the Red Bull and Dynamo programs.
Blog Staff: answered in Part I
SMOOTH said...I have one request and that is PLEASE STOP HAVING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES AT PHP. I REALLY HATE TO SEE THE FOOTBALL LINES ON TV OR EVEN WHEN I'AM AT THE GAMES. I KNOW YALL TRY TO FADE THEM AWAY ON GAMEDAYS BUT THEY STILL BUG THE CRAP OUT OF ME AND I KNOW AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS LIKE THIS. HAVE A WONDERFUL SEASON!
Hitch: Part of the agreement when building Pizza Hut Park, in partnership with the City of Frisco and FISD (Frisco Independent School District), is they would be able to utilize Pizza Hut Park X number of times per year. And in the fall, on Thursdays and Fridays, FISD have the stadium for high school football. We work hard to keep the best possible playing surface, and eliminate the lines as much as possible, but the bottom line is that is part of the agreement we have with FISD and the City of Frisco.
LOVE DALLAS said...What is FC Dallas Mission Statement?
Hitch: “FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park will strive to be the best on the field, in the stands, and in the community by fulfilling a profitable business plan. Our empowered employees are focused on being the best by winning championships, providing exciting fan-friendly events, and engaging in civic-minded activities while setting the standard as the Model Franchise in Major League Soccer and the Model Venue in the Dallas / Ft Worth Metroplex.”
All of our employees have this printed out and place in their work stations. It's a Mission Statement created by our employees and adequately represents what our mission is...
Anonymous said...YEAH, GOOD POINT! I HATE THE NFL-COLLEGE-HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL LINES ON SOCCER FIELDS!! THAT IS SUPER ANNOYING! AFTER ALL THIS WORK TO HAVE OUR OWN SOCCER SPECIFIC STADIUM AND STILL THE FOOTBALL LINES MARKING ALL OVER THE FIELD! THAT STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MLS PROFESSIONAL SOCCER DOES NOT DESERVE FOOTBALL MARKINGS FROM A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME!!!!!!!
Hitch: We discussed our partnership with FISD above. Without the vision and support of FISD and the City of Frisco, we wouldn't have Pizza Hut Park to call home.
Carl said... What are the goals of the market department this upcoming season and perhaps how they plan to accomplish them?
Hitch: Our goals are organization-wide, to work hard and strive to continue improving in all facets of the business.
AHF said... About the football games:
There is nothing these guys can do about the games being played, it is in the contract and it is probably the only way that the stadium got built.
About the lines:
They have the ability to go the extra mile to get rid of the lines if they really wanted to. Painting green over the lines (which is commonly done in Mexico) would look better than the barely faded white lines.
But when you are XXXX about these lines, turn the channel to a New England or RBNY home game. You will be very happy to watch games at PHP after that.
Hitch: I like it, more fans answering some of these questions. Couldn't have said it better myself.
AHF said...What will be expected for the gameday experience next year? Flares and smokebombs have been banned. Are confetti, signs, and flagpoles next?
MLS seems to be going the path of taking away the liberties of the supporters groups (and fans in general) one thing at a time. This concerns me.
Hitch: We’ll soon be announcing our enhanced game-day experience plans, which we’re excited about. More details to come.
Anonymous said... Will Denilson be back or is he done in MLS???
Steve: We have presented to him what we believe is a legitimate offer giving him the opportunity to return to FCD.
Anonymous said...What are the 3 top priorities for FC Dallas this season?
Steve: Win, win, and win. We want to win with an attractive, attacking style of soccer.
jerrybarta said...How about putting some merchandise for sale in Walmart or Academy Sports or somesuch? The uniforms are attractive and eye-catching and might get you in front of potential new fans! What do you think?
HopelessFCDfanatica said..."How about putting some merchandise for sale in Walmart or Academy Sports or somesuch? The uniforms are attractive and eye-catching and might get you in front of potential new fans! What do you think?"
I suppose there's something that has to be worked out with Adidas . . but I agree! The local Walmarts have Cowboys stuff (and Mavericks and Stars and Rangers . . .) everywhere, and I have been wishing for quite sometime WHY there can't be FCD stuff, too?
Hitch: The League works with all the national chains to get all team merchandise in the stores. We encourage fans to let your local store know you’d like to see MLS and FC Dallas gear there. In the meantime, we have our own team store, here at Pizza Hut Park and online at fcdallasgear.com.
Anonymous said...(Hitch) Which is more important to FCD. Winning or profits?
Hitch: Both. We want to win championships, and at the same time run a profitable business operation. Our core values are to win championships for our fans, run a profitable business operation, and make our community a better place to live, work and play.
Anonymous said... (Hitch) If you could have any player in the world sold to FCD for $1 who would you choose and why?
Hitch: Ronaldinho, because he's a decent player and I think we’d get a good return on that investment.
(Morrow) If you could have any player in the world sold to FCD for $1 who would you choose and why?
Steve: Having grown up watching and then playing in the Premiership, and following that league closely, two of the players l like watching play are Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabergas.
Hitch: you can only chose one.
Steve: can I get them for 50 cents each? Or I’d have to borrow a dollar to get the second player.
Anonymous said...Gentlemen, what was the biggest mistake that the club made in your opinion for 2007? What is being done to ensure that the same or similar does not happen in 2008?
Steve: Sometimes things don’t go according to plan, or come out how you want them to come out. But I don’t think there were any glaring mistakes. Any particular thing that didn’t go our way, we take as an opportunity to learn from it.
Hitch: I think the way July 31 turned out. I don’t think we handled it correctly both on or off the field. Obviously off the field, we were the first to prepare to host David Beckham once he arrived in our league, and we sold and marketed it accordingly, and he wasn’t able to show. In hindsight, we could have done things differently on the front end.
And then on the field, we came out flat and missed an opportunity to advance in a very important tournament, surrendering four goals in the first 20 minutes.
So if you look at just one event, starting from the way we marketed the event, to the actual game, there were mistakes across the board. But I know we've learned from that and won’t make the same mistakes again.
Anonymous said...Hitch - What guarantees can you make for the upcoming season: Better record?, increased attendance?, lower concessions prices?, more media coverage?, something else? If you can't make guarantees for each do you think that you are doing enough.
Hitch: There’s no guarantees but our commitment to our fans – we’re going to put our best product on the field, provide the best experience in the stands, and we expect great things on and off the field this year.
Anonymous said... What constitutes a successful season for 2008? What constitutes a failure?
Steve: The ultimate success for this team is to win a championship. We are building a team that we believe is capable of achieving that goal this year. Failure would be failure to progress further than we did last year.
Hitch: We set the expectations very high for ourselves and our players and our organization. We’re here to win a championship, that’s what we’re here to do. And anything less than that is going to feel like a failure. I’m not saying it is a failure, but it will feel like a failure.
Anonymous said...The last few years FCD has gotten off to a fast start, struggled in the middle of the season, faded at the end, and was dispatched from the playoffs in round 1.
What is causing this in your opinion?
What specific actions have been taken to change this?
Steve: As we stated many times last year, the mentality and character of this team needs to get stronger. Again, I feel like we made good progress in this department this year. Hopefully this coming season we can prove even better.
Anonymous said...Where does the buck stop when the team underachieves?
Steve: In our position we know we are held accountable the success or failure of the team.
Anonymous said...As the team is constituted today (the date that you answer this questian), in which quadrant would you place FCDs starting XI talent as a whole? Top 25%, Second quadrant, third quadrant, lowest 25%?
Steve: I believe we’ll have a starting 11 that will be in the top 25 percent.
Anonymous said...Generation Addidas talent is great for the long term. If our organization "stinks up the joint between now and the time that these players are ready" will they want to stay here????
Steve: Yes, Generation adidas players alone are not going to win us a championship. They will have the opportunity to develop, further their education, and be ready to contribute when their time comes.
Hitch: We’ve got a strong organization with a good infrastructure, and more and more players want to come to Dallas than ever before because of the organization, the facilities, and it’s a great place to live.
Anonymous said...What is FCD reputation amongst players around the league in terms of A) its fans, B) its front office C) its winning/losing tradition D) its future?
Steve: Not sure how we can answer this question.
Anonymous said...Hitch - what happened with Nunez/Ruiz to turn them from cornerstones of the organization into "cancers"?
Steve: Number one I don’t think either of those players were cornerstones of the organization, and number two, neither of those players were cancers.
Hitch: Well said.
Anonymous said... Bill Parcell's had a quote suggesting that if he was going to be able to "cook the meal" as a coach, he had to be the one "buying the groceries"? Who specifically has the final say on player acquisition if there is an honest disagreement between the GM and the coach?
Hitch: We sit down and discuss everything together. We have a real good working relationship, we respect one another, voice our opinions, and we discuss them. We’re not going to get to the point where we have a true disagreement on anything – we’re going to come to a resolution on what we feel is best for the organization. That’s the ultimate goal, to put the best product out there for our fans, and we share that commitment. So it’s an open, honest discussion, but I would never make Steve do something he wouldn’t want to do and he would never do something that I wouldn’t want him to do, we would discuss it.
Steve: Every management team has its own way of doing things. Like Hitch said, we have a very good working relationship. Often if one of us believes strongly enough in something, we can make the other one see it is the right thing. With everything, we talk it through - sometimes a lot - work it out and agree on the best way forward.
END of Part II (of 2)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Inaugural Blog QnA Answers, Part I
First, we’ll start with thanking everyone that took the time to ask questions in our Inaugural Blog Question and Answer post.
To be honest, we didn’t expect to have so many responses, though of course quite a few were repeated or similar. On Tuesday afternoon, we copied the comments onto a word doc and sat down with FCD General Manager Michael Hitchcock and FCD Head Coach Steve Morrow in Hitch’s office so they could answer these. Unfortunately, we then were left with transcribing the answers…and since we had so many questions, we had to split them up. So for now, we’ll give you the first half…
However, before you begin, we hope fans understand – despite the repeated attempts – that there are some questions that neither Hitch nor Steve could provide too many details on. Still, we think you’ll see they were both more than generous with their time, and attention to your questions…(we took the question in the order they were submitted)...
Click here to continue reading QnA, Part I...
Anonymous said... Noonan is free now, is that an option?
Steve Morrow: Pat Noonan is a very good player. It’s obviously not our policy to talk about player under contract with other teams. But I feel the position Pat Noonan plays is a position we are already very strong in.
Steve said... Having stocked up so much on young talent in the last couple drafts, how open will you be to selling players to European teams, and gaining allocations money, and giving the youngsters more of a chance on the field? Other MLS clubs have resisted the feeder league approach, but it seems like a very effective way to build funds for other acquisitions.
Steve Morrow: One of the advantages of drafting Generation adidas players – like we just saw with Bryan Arguez of D.C. United – is that they are also players that have been watched by overseas teams. So if that option comes up at some stage and we feel it’s the right deal for FC Dallas then we can certainly gain a lot by getting allocation money and using it to help build our team. But our first priority is to draft Generation adidas players to be able to build for the future for FC Dallas.
Anonymous said...When will we get to see/buy the new jerseys?
Michael Hitchcock: The new home and away FC Dallas jersey will be available through a private FC Dallas presale in February. We expect our first major shipment of the jersey to arrive and be available on our team shop, fcdallasgear.com, in late February. We’ll officially introduce the jerseys at the start of preseason.
Anonymous said... Who is going to replace Ruiz?
Steve Morrow: Firstly we have a lot of players on the current roster who are good options: Kenny Cooper, Abe Thompson, Dominic Oduro, Ricardinho, Arturo Alvarez, and hopefully Roberto Mina can come back and improve his fitness and reach the potential that we knew that he had when we first brought him into this league. So we have good options on the roster, and we’re also looking at another option in bringing a player in from overseas, another striker. If we feel it’s the right deal to improve the roster further then we’ll certainly do that.
Dan said...What is the pre-season schedule looking like?
Steve Morrow: We have plans to go back to Brazil like we did last year, which was a good experience. We’ll be making a couple of changes to that trip in terms of the games that we play, playing another game in another city down in Brazil. We’re also fortunate with the facility and weather we have in Dallas, and are looking to spend more time in Dallas this preseason. We’re going to try to get in as many quality games as we can, against quality opposition as opposed to the number of games that we play.
Will we see a Euro team "scrimmaging" against our boys this summer? Any teams coming to PHP for their pre-season training? (a la Everton)
Michael Hitchcock: We’re always talking to teams to come to Pizza Hut Park as a base for their preseason. When bringing in a team from Europe, we’d love for our schedule to coordinate with theirs to be able to play them here at Pizza Hut Park. Two years ago we had Everton come here for their preseason and last year we had Tigres and San Luis from Mexico come do their preseason here.
So we try to accomplish two things; the first is to bring international clubs to Dallas to prepare for their upcoming season, which generates revenue for FCD but also international media coverage for PHP. The second is scheduling exhibition matches – like we did Club America vs. Everton and San Luis vs. Tigres.
Ideally, we'd play Everton when they come but unfortunately that doesn't always work with our hectic summer schedule. Last year, we participated in SuperLiga so we didn't have any available dates to play exhibitions other than the Rio Grande Plate against Tigres. That being said, this season we're interested in hosting international exhibition games and hopefully have us playing in them. We’ll let you know if we can make it happen.
Anonymous said...Will you ever have third jerseys? I'd love to see MLS teams sport some NASL-inspired throwbacks. Would rights issues prevent this?
Michael Hitchcock: I personally am a big fan of a commemorative third kit; I think you can use it to celebrate something special, whether it’s a cause like U.S. Soccer did with the pink jersey for Breast Cancer awareness, or for partnerships like we did when we wore the Tigres colors two years ago. Also to commemorate the team or soccer in the area by possibly wearing throwback Burn jerseys or throwback Dallas Tornado kits.
I think it’s a great thing that creates buzz and excitement and we’re always exploring the opportunity to use a third jersey. Adidas is not currently doing third kits, as a standard operating procedure. But we'll continue to explore opportunities to do something special for FCD and our fans.
BAH said... Will I ever be able to buy a jersey without make me look fatter hoops on it? At least an away option? (you got a good laugh out of both Hitch and Steve)…
Michael Hitchcock: We ordered triple X-L’s this year! One triple-X size, so you’ll have to order early.
Steve Morrow: For those players that are worried about it, we’ve ordered triple X-L’s/
Hitch: We actually think the stripes are slimming…
Steve: Maybe vertical stripes…
jdpimp said...what does the prospective opening day lineup look like? is the FO still looking at other options to add to the team or are they satisfied with what we have now?
Steve: In case jdpimp is actually Preki, we better watch how we answer this question. Obviously we don’t want to give our opening day lineup away just yet. We’ll figure that out as we go through our preseason, but we have a good idea right now of the system we want to play and will work on it through the preseason.
As for other options, we’re always looking to continue to strengthen the team and there are still one or two areas that we’re not satisfied yet with and looking to improve. Hopefully we can make the additions that we want to make.
I also express gratitude for the outreach to the fans that does not happen from the other teams in this area. first-class. might not agree with everything done, but at least there is an attempt - something else that can not be said for some other teams. Bravo!
Hitch: thank you.
Anonymous said... Will Abe and Oduro get more playing time this season?
Steve: Abe and Dominic continue to make good progress, and they are an important part of the roster. Like we’ve said before, if guys are playing well and earning their spot you’ll see them on the field.
HopelessFCDfanatica said... This is cool . . . thanks, FCD! My questions:
Related to the preseason schedule question --
1) Will there actually be a charity game with the LAG, and if so, when?
Hitch: yes in March. We’ll announce more details soon.
2) When is the team going to Brazil?
Steve: late February / early March.
3) What other preseason games are there going to be?
Hitch: we’ll announce with our preseason schedule, some dates are still being finalized.
4) What will the practice schedule at PHP be like?
Hitch: we’ll try to keep fans as updated as possible on the FCD blog.
3nOut said... question for coach morrow:
1. will Anthony Wallace have more of a role w/ the club this year, or could he benefit more seasoning w/ the reserve team for 1 more season?
Steve: Wally is a player that we rate very highly and continues to make good progress with FC Dallas. He matured as a player a lot last year, getting his one start in New England. Like other emerging players, I hope they’re knocking on the door asking why if they’re not playing.
2. w/ the spposed best defender on the board at #8, how come FCD wasn't interested after giving up so many goals against last year?
Steve: We went into the combine looking for a defender that we hoped would be a starter on the field this year, and we didn’t see one. The fact that there were some highly defenders rated available at # 8, we didn’t feel any of them would come in and start for us. We already have good defensive cover on the roster pushing for spots and we’re still looking to add an experienced player to compliment what we already have.
for hitch:
1. are there any prospective "branding rights" in the near future to place on our jerseys?
Hitch: We’re working hard to identify the right long-term strategic partner, and for us its important to find that company that shares our commitment to the community and buys into the vision of what we’re trying to create.
2. knowing that many have criticized you and the front office's moves in the past, how do you deal w/ it?
Hitch: It’s part of the gig. We’re in the public eye, which means we're in a position where people are going to evaluate everything we do and everything we say. Our goal and commitment to our fans and our ownership group is to run the best team and the best business operation that we can, which equates to a successful and profitable franchise. That commitment will never change.
Fans are going to agree with some decisions, and others will not, so we don’t take it personally - its part of the gig. Fans have a right to criticize me, Steve, players, etc. It means they care about this franchise , just like we do. And that's the most important thing to me – its having supporters that care enough about their club that they will take the time, energy, effort to voice their opinion.
redstone117 said... What was the motivation in trading Ruiz? I know that those of us in the stands couldn't help but groan every time he made a lousy dive. Was it lack of effort? Personality clash? Was age a factor? And who's going to step up to replace him since we didn't actually trade him for a player?
Steve: I certainly don’t believe it was lack of effort, and certainly not a personality clash. Carlos had a good relationship with me and the coaching staff. We simply felt it was a good deal for FC Dallas, and then also the player himself. It made sense for us to clear space in the salary cap and of course getting allocation money to continue strengthening the team.
Anonymous said...
1. What is the delineation of duties between Hitch and Morrow on player aquisitions?
Hitch (laughing): The good player acquisitions are mine, and the ones that don’t work out are Steve’s..
Steve (laughing): I’ll take credit for all the players that work out, and Hitch can take credit for those that don’t.
Steve: Everybody in the group has a role to play and contributes in different ways. For instance, a lot of credit goes to Marco for all the work he put in to preparing us for the combine and draft. Everybody in the group has a role to play, and that’s why they are part of the staff. At the end, Hitch and I sit down and discuss all player acquisitions.
2. What is happening with the youth set-up ie will you expand FCDY into a fullscale Euro/S. American type organization with the head coach of FCD having input down to the lowest levels etc.
Hitch: Yes, the vision is to have a fully integrated soccer club, that’s starting with the development of the under-5 player to the professional first team player. We’re creating a setup that is similar to other clubs in Europe and South America. Effective July 1, we are going to have a fully integrated soccer club, and will be able to provide more details at a later time.
Steve: We are looking to create something along the lines of what is done in Europe, where players will progress through the youth system and then contributing to the first team.
Hitch: It will an exciting time for the growth and development of soccer in the metroplex. We believe this can be the best soccer market in the country and we're going to make a commitment to growing the game on all levels.
3. How do you go about tackling the perception among local news organizations that FCD is not one of the "major league" teams in the metroplex? There seems to be grudging coverage but aside from current writeers / sportscasters retiring what can be done to speed up the process?
Hitch: Can I say what I think of our PR department? (NOTE: his attempt at humor didn’t not bring out any laughs from our PR staff conducting this QnA on behalf of the fans).
We’re working hard to cultivate relationships with the media. Our strategy right now is two-fold, one, utilizing the new media to be better connected and provide more information for our fans, like our blog and FCD TV, which we think has been successful and look forward to continue to develop.
And our second part is trying to connect with the mainstream media through a combination of things, like growing our relationships with the key outlets and continue to increase our awareness on a grassroots level.
We do know that in just the first year of ESPN covering our games on their own, combined with the other national TV partners, we’ve seen the increased interest from media that previously were not interested in covering our sport. It’s something we take seriously and, like the league and all of the other teams, are always looking for ways to improve.
Aaron said...
1.) Is there any news on having a partnership with a European team?
Hitch: there is a lot of interest from a number of European clubs, and also from some additional clubs in South America and Asia that have heard about our successful partnerships with Atletico Paranaense and Tigres. We do have a few different clubs from a few different countries in Europe that we’re exploring developing partnerships with. Just like anything else, the key is finding the right partner who sees the same value in the partnership that we do, in turn creating a true win-win situation.
2.) Who will replace Ruiz as team captain?
Steve: I think that decision will become clear and will be made when we finish building the roster in the off-season. It is something that will be evaluated as we go through the preseason; at this time, we feel we have several options to be our captain next season.
3.) Are we bringing in any veterans to help mentor or young draft picks?
Steve: It’s our long-term plan to keep adding young talent to our roster, as seen through our recent draft. Its also in our plans to keep bringing in veterans to help the young guys along, as we saw with the addition of Davino who will be a big help for the young players. It’s definitely our target to add one or two more before the season starts.
Thanks for putting up a Q&A Post!!!
Anonymous said...
Many of my questions have already been asked, but I'll say them again anyway..
1) Any chance of getting FCD on the agenda of an EPL or SPL team during their pre-season friendlies? Loved it when Everton came a couple of years ago. Based upon how many people have asked this question, I think you see how popular this would be.
Blog Staff: Please see Hitch’s answer above….
Hitch: We'd love to play a European team this season - especially an EPL team.
2) Has the Denilson experience made the organization less likely to explore DP type players and their accompanying salaries. (Once bitten twice shy).
Steve: We feel that the Denilson deal was structured in such a way that FC Dallas had nothing to lose. It was a deal worth doing at the time and it hasn’t made it less likely to explore adding a DP in the future.
Hitch: We’ve said all along, that if it’s the right DP that we feel can help the team, then we’ll take a look at it. At the time last year, we had a unique opportunity based on the MLS structure to add Denilson simply with the salary space created by the departure of Ramon Nunez.
Steve: We saw glimpses of the player’s exceptional ability, though he didn’t have all that much time to settle in. Based on our assessment of his time here and his value in the league, we’ve sent a proposal to him to offer him the opportunity to come back this year with FC Dallas.
3) Are we going to strengthen our wing play this year either by acquiring a traditional winger or attacking outside back or perhaps both?
Steve: Yes, I think it’s certainly an area of our play that can improve from last year. I think if we can improve that side of our play, where we can get crosses from wide areas and deep positions, it is something that will open things up. We’re possibly looking at a formation that will encompass that.
4) What has been your favorite moment/experience/memory with the club to date?
Steve: Getting to the final of the Open Cup was a good experience. Even though we lost it, it gave us a taste of what we expect to achieve in the future.
Hitch: Our best days for this club are ahead of us. That said, I'm most proud of the fact that our front office staff has worked very, very hard to build the FC Dallas brand. As a result of everyone's dedication and commitment, we've increased our attendance, increased sponsorship revenue, increased merchandise sales, website traffic has increased exponentially, etc.
So my favorite experience is working with our staff on the FCD Playbook – which is our business plan and strategy – creating the plan, accomplishing the goals, and then celebrating our success - all while running a stadium and the 17-field complex. Great things are on the horizon for FCD, on and off the field.
Anonymous said...What is the anticipated formation for next season?
Steve: The formation is nothing we want to make public at this time, but it is something we’ll work on in the preseason.
Who will play left back?
Steve: Chris Gbandi at the moment has expressed his desire to pursue an opportunity overseas, and we have great options in Blake Wagner and David Wagenfuhr.
Will there be anymore international signings?
Steve: yes.
Anonymous said...It appears that FCD has not gotten great value for the last few players that it has traded because it was "known by all" in advance that they wanted out which minimized the value that we could get for them. Why does this keep happening? What is the team doing to ensure that this does not continue to happen?
Steve: We don’t think that is necessarily true.
Hitch: For example, a $300K house is only worth $300K if that’s what someone is willing to pay for it. There are a number of factors when selling a house that can change the value of what you can get for it.
And the ideal scenario to get in, comparing selling a house to trading a player, is having more than one team that is interested in that player. Then you're in a strong place to negotiate, and the player’s fair market value increases.
When we’re doing a trade, we talk to all the teams and find out who’s interested in the player, and sometimes you only get one team that is interested. If that’s the case, the fair market value for that player decreases. Then at that point, you make the decision if you want to move the player and if so, you attempt to get the most for the player that you can. And in our League, the more a player hits your salary cap, the fewer the teams that are interested in the player and teams are willing to give less for the player.
Steve: Believe us, a lot more goes on behind the scenes that one can imagine. For every deal that has been done recently, FC Dallas has explored every possibility.
Anonymous said...Who is the core of the FCD team? How do you think our core players stack up against the other teams in the league?
Steve: I think we have a core base of players now and for the next few years that will certainly match up against any team in the league – Juan, Kenny, Drew
Iggy said...What are the plans to get an English radio station that we can actually hear in most parts of Dallas (including right outside of the stadium)?
Hitch: We’re exploring some potentially very good partners. Our approach for 2008 is if we can’t find a station that we feel has great coverage and we can partner with, then we may not have English radio.
ben said...Will you continue to use the stage as a beer garden?
Hitch: We’re finalizing our plans for the stage for next year, but our plan is to have a bar there for every home game.
Anonymous said...congrats on re-singing arturo alvarez!!! is he going to be the key player for fc dallas this year? now that ruiz is gone... that guy is on fire right now and hopefully soon he will be called for the full national team!!!
Steve: Arturo had a fantastic year and we certainly expect him to be a key player for FC Dallas this year and beyond. Completely agree, he’s on fire and hope he continues to get better.
AHF said...Why does half of Dallas not even known that FC Dallas exists?
Hitch: Interesting, our latest research shows that 51 percent of Dallas knows we exist….kidding…We do have numbers that show that an increase in public awareness. What we continue working on - as we’re sure our passionate fans are also doing - is getting those people that know about us but have not been to game to come to Pizza Hut Park and experience a game in person. That’s where we know you can become real fans – as many of you posting here are. There is no magic secret – its hard work.
Anonymous said...What is the primary formation Coach Morrow is leaning towards for the upcoming season? Are you leaning towards three in the back now?
Steve: It’s definitely a consideration at the moment. I feel that with the players we have, especially in the midfield and forward positions, we’d be good in that formation. The important thing is that whatever formation you chose, that it’s something we stick with.
When FCD plays three in the back, do you see Wagner as a defender or an outside midfielder?
Steve: If we would use three in the back, I would see Wagner as an outside midfielder.
To be honest, we didn’t expect to have so many responses, though of course quite a few were repeated or similar. On Tuesday afternoon, we copied the comments onto a word doc and sat down with FCD General Manager Michael Hitchcock and FCD Head Coach Steve Morrow in Hitch’s office so they could answer these. Unfortunately, we then were left with transcribing the answers…and since we had so many questions, we had to split them up. So for now, we’ll give you the first half…
However, before you begin, we hope fans understand – despite the repeated attempts – that there are some questions that neither Hitch nor Steve could provide too many details on. Still, we think you’ll see they were both more than generous with their time, and attention to your questions…(we took the question in the order they were submitted)...
Click here to continue reading QnA, Part I...
Anonymous said... Noonan is free now, is that an option?
Steve Morrow: Pat Noonan is a very good player. It’s obviously not our policy to talk about player under contract with other teams. But I feel the position Pat Noonan plays is a position we are already very strong in.
Steve said... Having stocked up so much on young talent in the last couple drafts, how open will you be to selling players to European teams, and gaining allocations money, and giving the youngsters more of a chance on the field? Other MLS clubs have resisted the feeder league approach, but it seems like a very effective way to build funds for other acquisitions.
Steve Morrow: One of the advantages of drafting Generation adidas players – like we just saw with Bryan Arguez of D.C. United – is that they are also players that have been watched by overseas teams. So if that option comes up at some stage and we feel it’s the right deal for FC Dallas then we can certainly gain a lot by getting allocation money and using it to help build our team. But our first priority is to draft Generation adidas players to be able to build for the future for FC Dallas.
Anonymous said...When will we get to see/buy the new jerseys?
Michael Hitchcock: The new home and away FC Dallas jersey will be available through a private FC Dallas presale in February. We expect our first major shipment of the jersey to arrive and be available on our team shop, fcdallasgear.com, in late February. We’ll officially introduce the jerseys at the start of preseason.
Anonymous said... Who is going to replace Ruiz?
Steve Morrow: Firstly we have a lot of players on the current roster who are good options: Kenny Cooper, Abe Thompson, Dominic Oduro, Ricardinho, Arturo Alvarez, and hopefully Roberto Mina can come back and improve his fitness and reach the potential that we knew that he had when we first brought him into this league. So we have good options on the roster, and we’re also looking at another option in bringing a player in from overseas, another striker. If we feel it’s the right deal to improve the roster further then we’ll certainly do that.
Dan said...What is the pre-season schedule looking like?
Steve Morrow: We have plans to go back to Brazil like we did last year, which was a good experience. We’ll be making a couple of changes to that trip in terms of the games that we play, playing another game in another city down in Brazil. We’re also fortunate with the facility and weather we have in Dallas, and are looking to spend more time in Dallas this preseason. We’re going to try to get in as many quality games as we can, against quality opposition as opposed to the number of games that we play.
Will we see a Euro team "scrimmaging" against our boys this summer? Any teams coming to PHP for their pre-season training? (a la Everton)
Michael Hitchcock: We’re always talking to teams to come to Pizza Hut Park as a base for their preseason. When bringing in a team from Europe, we’d love for our schedule to coordinate with theirs to be able to play them here at Pizza Hut Park. Two years ago we had Everton come here for their preseason and last year we had Tigres and San Luis from Mexico come do their preseason here.
So we try to accomplish two things; the first is to bring international clubs to Dallas to prepare for their upcoming season, which generates revenue for FCD but also international media coverage for PHP. The second is scheduling exhibition matches – like we did Club America vs. Everton and San Luis vs. Tigres.
Ideally, we'd play Everton when they come but unfortunately that doesn't always work with our hectic summer schedule. Last year, we participated in SuperLiga so we didn't have any available dates to play exhibitions other than the Rio Grande Plate against Tigres. That being said, this season we're interested in hosting international exhibition games and hopefully have us playing in them. We’ll let you know if we can make it happen.
Anonymous said...Will you ever have third jerseys? I'd love to see MLS teams sport some NASL-inspired throwbacks. Would rights issues prevent this?
Michael Hitchcock: I personally am a big fan of a commemorative third kit; I think you can use it to celebrate something special, whether it’s a cause like U.S. Soccer did with the pink jersey for Breast Cancer awareness, or for partnerships like we did when we wore the Tigres colors two years ago. Also to commemorate the team or soccer in the area by possibly wearing throwback Burn jerseys or throwback Dallas Tornado kits.
I think it’s a great thing that creates buzz and excitement and we’re always exploring the opportunity to use a third jersey. Adidas is not currently doing third kits, as a standard operating procedure. But we'll continue to explore opportunities to do something special for FCD and our fans.
BAH said... Will I ever be able to buy a jersey without make me look fatter hoops on it? At least an away option? (you got a good laugh out of both Hitch and Steve)…
Michael Hitchcock: We ordered triple X-L’s this year! One triple-X size, so you’ll have to order early.
Steve Morrow: For those players that are worried about it, we’ve ordered triple X-L’s/
Hitch: We actually think the stripes are slimming…
Steve: Maybe vertical stripes…
jdpimp said...what does the prospective opening day lineup look like? is the FO still looking at other options to add to the team or are they satisfied with what we have now?
Steve: In case jdpimp is actually Preki, we better watch how we answer this question. Obviously we don’t want to give our opening day lineup away just yet. We’ll figure that out as we go through our preseason, but we have a good idea right now of the system we want to play and will work on it through the preseason.
As for other options, we’re always looking to continue to strengthen the team and there are still one or two areas that we’re not satisfied yet with and looking to improve. Hopefully we can make the additions that we want to make.
I also express gratitude for the outreach to the fans that does not happen from the other teams in this area. first-class. might not agree with everything done, but at least there is an attempt - something else that can not be said for some other teams. Bravo!
Hitch: thank you.
Anonymous said... Will Abe and Oduro get more playing time this season?
Steve: Abe and Dominic continue to make good progress, and they are an important part of the roster. Like we’ve said before, if guys are playing well and earning their spot you’ll see them on the field.
HopelessFCDfanatica said... This is cool . . . thanks, FCD! My questions:
Related to the preseason schedule question --
1) Will there actually be a charity game with the LAG, and if so, when?
Hitch: yes in March. We’ll announce more details soon.
2) When is the team going to Brazil?
Steve: late February / early March.
3) What other preseason games are there going to be?
Hitch: we’ll announce with our preseason schedule, some dates are still being finalized.
4) What will the practice schedule at PHP be like?
Hitch: we’ll try to keep fans as updated as possible on the FCD blog.
3nOut said... question for coach morrow:
1. will Anthony Wallace have more of a role w/ the club this year, or could he benefit more seasoning w/ the reserve team for 1 more season?
Steve: Wally is a player that we rate very highly and continues to make good progress with FC Dallas. He matured as a player a lot last year, getting his one start in New England. Like other emerging players, I hope they’re knocking on the door asking why if they’re not playing.
2. w/ the spposed best defender on the board at #8, how come FCD wasn't interested after giving up so many goals against last year?
Steve: We went into the combine looking for a defender that we hoped would be a starter on the field this year, and we didn’t see one. The fact that there were some highly defenders rated available at # 8, we didn’t feel any of them would come in and start for us. We already have good defensive cover on the roster pushing for spots and we’re still looking to add an experienced player to compliment what we already have.
for hitch:
1. are there any prospective "branding rights" in the near future to place on our jerseys?
Hitch: We’re working hard to identify the right long-term strategic partner, and for us its important to find that company that shares our commitment to the community and buys into the vision of what we’re trying to create.
2. knowing that many have criticized you and the front office's moves in the past, how do you deal w/ it?
Hitch: It’s part of the gig. We’re in the public eye, which means we're in a position where people are going to evaluate everything we do and everything we say. Our goal and commitment to our fans and our ownership group is to run the best team and the best business operation that we can, which equates to a successful and profitable franchise. That commitment will never change.
Fans are going to agree with some decisions, and others will not, so we don’t take it personally - its part of the gig. Fans have a right to criticize me, Steve, players, etc. It means they care about this franchise , just like we do. And that's the most important thing to me – its having supporters that care enough about their club that they will take the time, energy, effort to voice their opinion.
redstone117 said... What was the motivation in trading Ruiz? I know that those of us in the stands couldn't help but groan every time he made a lousy dive. Was it lack of effort? Personality clash? Was age a factor? And who's going to step up to replace him since we didn't actually trade him for a player?
Steve: I certainly don’t believe it was lack of effort, and certainly not a personality clash. Carlos had a good relationship with me and the coaching staff. We simply felt it was a good deal for FC Dallas, and then also the player himself. It made sense for us to clear space in the salary cap and of course getting allocation money to continue strengthening the team.
Anonymous said...
1. What is the delineation of duties between Hitch and Morrow on player aquisitions?
Hitch (laughing): The good player acquisitions are mine, and the ones that don’t work out are Steve’s..
Steve (laughing): I’ll take credit for all the players that work out, and Hitch can take credit for those that don’t.
Steve: Everybody in the group has a role to play and contributes in different ways. For instance, a lot of credit goes to Marco for all the work he put in to preparing us for the combine and draft. Everybody in the group has a role to play, and that’s why they are part of the staff. At the end, Hitch and I sit down and discuss all player acquisitions.
2. What is happening with the youth set-up ie will you expand FCDY into a fullscale Euro/S. American type organization with the head coach of FCD having input down to the lowest levels etc.
Hitch: Yes, the vision is to have a fully integrated soccer club, that’s starting with the development of the under-5 player to the professional first team player. We’re creating a setup that is similar to other clubs in Europe and South America. Effective July 1, we are going to have a fully integrated soccer club, and will be able to provide more details at a later time.
Steve: We are looking to create something along the lines of what is done in Europe, where players will progress through the youth system and then contributing to the first team.
Hitch: It will an exciting time for the growth and development of soccer in the metroplex. We believe this can be the best soccer market in the country and we're going to make a commitment to growing the game on all levels.
3. How do you go about tackling the perception among local news organizations that FCD is not one of the "major league" teams in the metroplex? There seems to be grudging coverage but aside from current writeers / sportscasters retiring what can be done to speed up the process?
Hitch: Can I say what I think of our PR department? (NOTE: his attempt at humor didn’t not bring out any laughs from our PR staff conducting this QnA on behalf of the fans).
We’re working hard to cultivate relationships with the media. Our strategy right now is two-fold, one, utilizing the new media to be better connected and provide more information for our fans, like our blog and FCD TV, which we think has been successful and look forward to continue to develop.
And our second part is trying to connect with the mainstream media through a combination of things, like growing our relationships with the key outlets and continue to increase our awareness on a grassroots level.
We do know that in just the first year of ESPN covering our games on their own, combined with the other national TV partners, we’ve seen the increased interest from media that previously were not interested in covering our sport. It’s something we take seriously and, like the league and all of the other teams, are always looking for ways to improve.
Aaron said...
1.) Is there any news on having a partnership with a European team?
Hitch: there is a lot of interest from a number of European clubs, and also from some additional clubs in South America and Asia that have heard about our successful partnerships with Atletico Paranaense and Tigres. We do have a few different clubs from a few different countries in Europe that we’re exploring developing partnerships with. Just like anything else, the key is finding the right partner who sees the same value in the partnership that we do, in turn creating a true win-win situation.
2.) Who will replace Ruiz as team captain?
Steve: I think that decision will become clear and will be made when we finish building the roster in the off-season. It is something that will be evaluated as we go through the preseason; at this time, we feel we have several options to be our captain next season.
3.) Are we bringing in any veterans to help mentor or young draft picks?
Steve: It’s our long-term plan to keep adding young talent to our roster, as seen through our recent draft. Its also in our plans to keep bringing in veterans to help the young guys along, as we saw with the addition of Davino who will be a big help for the young players. It’s definitely our target to add one or two more before the season starts.
Thanks for putting up a Q&A Post!!!
Anonymous said...
Many of my questions have already been asked, but I'll say them again anyway..
1) Any chance of getting FCD on the agenda of an EPL or SPL team during their pre-season friendlies? Loved it when Everton came a couple of years ago. Based upon how many people have asked this question, I think you see how popular this would be.
Blog Staff: Please see Hitch’s answer above….
Hitch: We'd love to play a European team this season - especially an EPL team.
2) Has the Denilson experience made the organization less likely to explore DP type players and their accompanying salaries. (Once bitten twice shy).
Steve: We feel that the Denilson deal was structured in such a way that FC Dallas had nothing to lose. It was a deal worth doing at the time and it hasn’t made it less likely to explore adding a DP in the future.
Hitch: We’ve said all along, that if it’s the right DP that we feel can help the team, then we’ll take a look at it. At the time last year, we had a unique opportunity based on the MLS structure to add Denilson simply with the salary space created by the departure of Ramon Nunez.
Steve: We saw glimpses of the player’s exceptional ability, though he didn’t have all that much time to settle in. Based on our assessment of his time here and his value in the league, we’ve sent a proposal to him to offer him the opportunity to come back this year with FC Dallas.
3) Are we going to strengthen our wing play this year either by acquiring a traditional winger or attacking outside back or perhaps both?
Steve: Yes, I think it’s certainly an area of our play that can improve from last year. I think if we can improve that side of our play, where we can get crosses from wide areas and deep positions, it is something that will open things up. We’re possibly looking at a formation that will encompass that.
4) What has been your favorite moment/experience/memory with the club to date?
Steve: Getting to the final of the Open Cup was a good experience. Even though we lost it, it gave us a taste of what we expect to achieve in the future.
Hitch: Our best days for this club are ahead of us. That said, I'm most proud of the fact that our front office staff has worked very, very hard to build the FC Dallas brand. As a result of everyone's dedication and commitment, we've increased our attendance, increased sponsorship revenue, increased merchandise sales, website traffic has increased exponentially, etc.
So my favorite experience is working with our staff on the FCD Playbook – which is our business plan and strategy – creating the plan, accomplishing the goals, and then celebrating our success - all while running a stadium and the 17-field complex. Great things are on the horizon for FCD, on and off the field.
Anonymous said...What is the anticipated formation for next season?
Steve: The formation is nothing we want to make public at this time, but it is something we’ll work on in the preseason.
Who will play left back?
Steve: Chris Gbandi at the moment has expressed his desire to pursue an opportunity overseas, and we have great options in Blake Wagner and David Wagenfuhr.
Will there be anymore international signings?
Steve: yes.
Anonymous said...It appears that FCD has not gotten great value for the last few players that it has traded because it was "known by all" in advance that they wanted out which minimized the value that we could get for them. Why does this keep happening? What is the team doing to ensure that this does not continue to happen?
Steve: We don’t think that is necessarily true.
Hitch: For example, a $300K house is only worth $300K if that’s what someone is willing to pay for it. There are a number of factors when selling a house that can change the value of what you can get for it.
And the ideal scenario to get in, comparing selling a house to trading a player, is having more than one team that is interested in that player. Then you're in a strong place to negotiate, and the player’s fair market value increases.
When we’re doing a trade, we talk to all the teams and find out who’s interested in the player, and sometimes you only get one team that is interested. If that’s the case, the fair market value for that player decreases. Then at that point, you make the decision if you want to move the player and if so, you attempt to get the most for the player that you can. And in our League, the more a player hits your salary cap, the fewer the teams that are interested in the player and teams are willing to give less for the player.
Steve: Believe us, a lot more goes on behind the scenes that one can imagine. For every deal that has been done recently, FC Dallas has explored every possibility.
Anonymous said...Who is the core of the FCD team? How do you think our core players stack up against the other teams in the league?
Steve: I think we have a core base of players now and for the next few years that will certainly match up against any team in the league – Juan, Kenny, Drew
Iggy said...What are the plans to get an English radio station that we can actually hear in most parts of Dallas (including right outside of the stadium)?
Hitch: We’re exploring some potentially very good partners. Our approach for 2008 is if we can’t find a station that we feel has great coverage and we can partner with, then we may not have English radio.
ben said...Will you continue to use the stage as a beer garden?
Hitch: We’re finalizing our plans for the stage for next year, but our plan is to have a bar there for every home game.
Anonymous said...congrats on re-singing arturo alvarez!!! is he going to be the key player for fc dallas this year? now that ruiz is gone... that guy is on fire right now and hopefully soon he will be called for the full national team!!!
Steve: Arturo had a fantastic year and we certainly expect him to be a key player for FC Dallas this year and beyond. Completely agree, he’s on fire and hope he continues to get better.
AHF said...Why does half of Dallas not even known that FC Dallas exists?
Hitch: Interesting, our latest research shows that 51 percent of Dallas knows we exist….kidding…We do have numbers that show that an increase in public awareness. What we continue working on - as we’re sure our passionate fans are also doing - is getting those people that know about us but have not been to game to come to Pizza Hut Park and experience a game in person. That’s where we know you can become real fans – as many of you posting here are. There is no magic secret – its hard work.
Anonymous said...What is the primary formation Coach Morrow is leaning towards for the upcoming season? Are you leaning towards three in the back now?
Steve: It’s definitely a consideration at the moment. I feel that with the players we have, especially in the midfield and forward positions, we’d be good in that formation. The important thing is that whatever formation you chose, that it’s something we stick with.
When FCD plays three in the back, do you see Wagner as a defender or an outside midfielder?
Steve: If we would use three in the back, I would see Wagner as an outside midfielder.
END PART I....
Blog Staff: we hope to get Part II (of 2) typed out and posted later tonight or Thursday morning..
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Q n A Update...
We thought we'd be able to be back here tonight with some of the typed out answers from the Inaugural Blog Q n A...however, we didn't realize how time consuming it would be to try to type out so much...our goal is to have at least half of these answers posted on Wednesday morning (at some point)...
Continue Reading...
We'll be posting the answers soon...
Continue Reading...
We'll be posting the answers soon...
FCD TV - Following Brek...
Thanks to those that submitted questions .jpg)
to Hitch and Steve on the QnA post...we're looking to get as many as possible answered and posted here ater today...
In the meantime....
Before we left for the MLS Combine, our coaching staff had told us that Brek was someone they rated highly and wanted to get a closer look at in Florida. So we went to combine and sneakily got some video of him playing and talking about becoming a pro...here's the latest FCD TV, which gives fans an opportunity to see and hear a little more from and about FCD's #2 overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft...
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to Hitch and Steve on the QnA post...we're looking to get as many as possible answered and posted here ater today...In the meantime....
Before we left for the MLS Combine, our coaching staff had told us that Brek was someone they rated highly and wanted to get a closer look at in Florida. So we went to combine and sneakily got some video of him playing and talking about becoming a pro...here's the latest FCD TV, which gives fans an opportunity to see and hear a little more from and about FCD's #2 overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft...
Monday, January 21, 2008
Quick Notes - players...
A few days back we told you that Chris Gbandi was close to going to Norway for some training. He's now over there, training with FK Haugesund of the Norwegian Second Division.
Also, Adrian joined the Canadian National Team for a camp in Florida...
Over the weekend, a couple of other players arrived back from break - this morning, Dario was outside running on the adidas Field and Pablo was downstairs in the gym...we've also seen Andrew in the gym here a few times over the past week...
Brek and Josh will be joined by Eric on the U.S. U-20 team that will be participating in the Chivas Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico through Feb. 3...next weekend, we could have up to four players joining another U-23 camp, this time at The Home Depot Center in California...
Also, Adrian joined the Canadian National Team for a camp in Florida...
Over the weekend, a couple of other players arrived back from break - this morning, Dario was outside running on the adidas Field and Pablo was downstairs in the gym...we've also seen Andrew in the gym here a few times over the past week...
Brek and Josh will be joined by Eric on the U.S. U-20 team that will be participating in the Chivas Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico through Feb. 3...next weekend, we could have up to four players joining another U-23 camp, this time at The Home Depot Center in California...
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Inaugural "Question and Answer" post...
As we've seen on other popular soccer blog sites, we're introducing the first "FCD Blog Question and Answer" session. We've had a busy first couple weeks of the year, and as we approach the start of preseason, we wanted to try to answer as many questions that fans may have about the team.
If you have a question for FCD General Manager Michael Hitchcock and / or FCD Head Coach Steve Morrow, please post them on the comments section here. We'll take questions through Tuesday morning at 10 am CT, and try to come back later that day with Hitch and Steve's answers. Begin...
If you have a question for FCD General Manager Michael Hitchcock and / or FCD Head Coach Steve Morrow, please post them on the comments section here. We'll take questions through Tuesday morning at 10 am CT, and try to come back later that day with Hitch and Steve's answers. Begin...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Drew Plays 90 for U.S. MNT vs. Sweden
Drew Moor tonight earned his third cap with the U.S. Men's National Team, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 win over Sweden in a game played at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. It was Drew's first game with the MNT played on U.S. soil, as his first two caps came last summer in the Copa America held in Venezuela. In the second half, Drew was joined on the backline by former teammate Clarence Goodson, who made his first appearance with the MNT.
Friday, January 18, 2008
FC Dallas at the SuperDraft
UPDATED: FCD selected three Generation adidas and U.S. youth national team players with their first three picks in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. The team traded a second and third round pick to the Crew in exchange for their same picks in the 2010 SuperDraft. Then, in the 4th Round, FCD selected Jamil Roberts and Ben Nason. Click here for the official press release. Click here for comments from the new FCD players and Steve Morrow:1st Round, 2nd overall: midfielder Brek Shea (left)
1st Round, 8th overall: goalkeeper Josh Lambo (right)
2nd Round, 19th overall: midfielder Eric Avila (below)
Couple quick hits...
Brek
DOB: 2-28-1990
HT: 6-3
WT: 180
Hometown: College Station, Texas
Was a member of the U.S. U17 Residency Program...played for Texas FC...will join the U.S. U-20 on Saturday...
Josh
DOB: 11-19-1990
HT: 6-0
WT: 206
Hometown: Middleton, Wisconsin
Was on the U.S. U-17 World Cup team in 2007 and is currently a member of the U.S. U-20 team...had also recently played for the club team, Chicago Magic.
Eric
DOB: 11-24-1987
HT: 5-8
WT: 150
Hometown: San Diego, California
Scored 15 goals and added 18 assist in three years at UC Santa Barbara...member of the U.S. U 17 team...currently with the U.S. U-23 national team in training camp in Florida (with Arturo)...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
In Baltimore for Friday's MLS SuperDraft...
We're all here in Baltimore now, some staff arriving earlier this afternoon despite some nasty weather...its a buzz of activity downstairs in lobby of the Marriott Inner Harbor, with coaching staffs checking in and pockets of people conversing throughout...
We went over to the room where the draft will be held, and it's looking like it could be quite an event. The SuperDraft is held in conjunction with the NSCAA convention, there there are hundreds if not thousands of soccer coaches from all over the country here, and admission to the annual MLS draft is free....
FC Dallas currently holds seven selections in the draft, including the 2nd and 8th overall picks. We acquired the second pick right before the 07 season from Toronto FC in exchange for Richard Mulrooney (this would have been Toronto's natural pick)...
FCD also holds two picks in the Second Round: the 19th overall (acquired in Jan. 2007 from Colorado in exchange for Greg Vanney)...the Rapids had previously acquired that pick from the Los Angeles Galaxy on Dec. 1, 2006 along with Galaxy forward Herculez Gomez and defender Ugo Ihemelu in exchange for goalkeeper Joe Cannon...
In the third round, FCD picks third (31st overall)...the was Real Salt Lake's original pick, which was surrendered to FCD when Jason Kreis retired (When Jason was traded to RSL, the trade included RSL's pick upon his retirement)...the team's natural selection in the third round goes to Colorado (per the Vanney trade, see above).
Finally, FCD has two picks in round four, the 45th overall (from RSL in trade of picks last year) and the natural 8th pick in the round (50th overall)...
Fans can watch the first hour of the SuperDraft live on ESPN2 (1 pm CT) and the rest live on MLSnet.com. Check back with us here on the blog on Friday, as we'll do our best to keep you up to speed on things as they happen from here...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Introducing Knuckles!
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The coaching staff took in the last day of the Combine today and were on a flight back to Dallas by around 3:30 pm...meantime, the adidas Field saw its own action today, for the first time since last November.
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As we headed out to get some lunch, we noticed a bunch guys having a pickup game on the FCD training field, which as most know, is typically reserved for FC Dallas only. As we approach the field, we see on the opposite end a long-haired guy running around with dog...and even closer, we start recognizing the guys.
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Bobby Rhine, Chris and Sandy Gbandi, Dominic Oduro, David Wagenfuhr, Aaron Pitchkolan, Anthony Wallace, and former FCD midfielder Ramon Nunez had organized their own pickup game...the guy running around - Adrian Serioux with his pet pitbull, Knuckles.
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One of us here at the blog is not really a big fan of pitbulls, regardless of how well trained Adrian tried to tell us Knuckles is...the guys didn't seem to mind Knuckles, that is, until he started chasing Chris...we have to admit that we couldn't stop laughing as we watched Chris run while yelling at Adrian to get Knuckles, and Adrian trying to tell Chris to stop running...you can see this at the end of the video below (Click here for higher-res video). Thankfully, Knuckles just wanted to play...
Ruiz Traded to Los Angeles
The news keeps coming...this morning, FC Dallas completed a trade with Los Angeles that sends Carlos to LA in exchange for an undisclosed amount of Allocation money and LA's natural second round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft...Official release...
Monday, January 14, 2008
Arturo Re-signs with FC Dallas
The combine is taking a day off today, meaning .jpg)
no games to watch in Florida today. However the coaches will be attending official league meetings, as well as their informal meetings with other MLS coaches, which is normal in the days leading to the SuperDraft. It's also a day they can get some other things ironed out...
So for the first bit of news today, Arturo Alvarez has been re-signed.
Arturo had arguably his best season in MLS last year, playing in 36 of the team's 39 games in all competitions, scoring 8 goals and adding four assists. He set new regular season career highs in games played, games started, and minutes. Some other notes:
* He converted the winning penalty kick in USOC victory over Atlanta Silverbacks on to help FCD advance to quarterfinals.
* Scored game-winning goal in U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals versus the Charleston Battery on 8/7…he set up Carlos' tying goal in the semifinals at Seattle (long ball to Abe Thompson), and he also scored in U.S. Open Cup Final vs. New England on 10/3.
* He scored the first goal SuperLiga history in the 56th minute of the first-ever game, a 1-1 tie vs. Guadalajara (Chivas) on 7/24...he finished with three SuperLiga goals, leading the team and finishing second in the tournament.
* And on 10/6 vs. CLB, scored a critical goal to tie the match just after the half, sparking FCD’s come-from-behind victory which clinched the team a playoff berth...
* He participated in a couple of the U.S. U-23 camps last year, and is currently at another camp with the team in Florida as they prepare for the Olympic Qualifying tournament in March...
Of course some may want to once again bring up his red card against Houston in the playoffs, so we thought if we brought it up, some of you may refrain from doing so...the team is moving on, and is excited to have Arturo back...
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no games to watch in Florida today. However the coaches will be attending official league meetings, as well as their informal meetings with other MLS coaches, which is normal in the days leading to the SuperDraft. It's also a day they can get some other things ironed out...So for the first bit of news today, Arturo Alvarez has been re-signed.
Arturo had arguably his best season in MLS last year, playing in 36 of the team's 39 games in all competitions, scoring 8 goals and adding four assists. He set new regular season career highs in games played, games started, and minutes. Some other notes:
* He converted the winning penalty kick in USOC victory over Atlanta Silverbacks on to help FCD advance to quarterfinals.
* Scored game-winning goal in U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals versus the Charleston Battery on 8/7…he set up Carlos' tying goal in the semifinals at Seattle (long ball to Abe Thompson), and he also scored in U.S. Open Cup Final vs. New England on 10/3.
* He scored the first goal SuperLiga history in the 56th minute of the first-ever game, a 1-1 tie vs. Guadalajara (Chivas) on 7/24...he finished with three SuperLiga goals, leading the team and finishing second in the tournament.
* And on 10/6 vs. CLB, scored a critical goal to tie the match just after the half, sparking FCD’s come-from-behind victory which clinched the team a playoff berth...
* He participated in a couple of the U.S. U-23 camps last year, and is currently at another camp with the team in Florida as they prepare for the Olympic Qualifying tournament in March...
Of course some may want to once again bring up his red card against Houston in the playoffs, so we thought if we brought it up, some of you may refrain from doing so...the team is moving on, and is excited to have Arturo back...
Saturday, January 12, 2008
At the Combine
Greetings from the MLS Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The Combine is held at Lockhart stadium, the home of Florida Atlantic University and the former home of the Miami Fusion. With temperatures around 80 degrees, clear skies and a nice breeze, it was a perfect day for soccer.Let’s start at about 9 am ET on Saturday when the blog staff was to meet Steve, Marco, Hitchcock, new assistant coach Jorge Alvial, and team administrator Bobby Hammond in the hotel lobby to catch a ride to the stadium. We get to the lobby and it’s quickly filling up with MLS coaches and officials, but the FCD staff is nowhere to be seen. A few minutes later we get a call from Bobby, and no need to worry, they’re all in the hotel restaurant having just finished breakfast and welcoming Jorge into the fold.
We get into our van at about 9:20am, and with Bobby behind the wheel, we arrive at Lockhart in about 15 minutes. The stadium is divided so only coaches and team personnel may sit on the side nearest the entrance and the general public is directed to the opposite side. Interestingly enough, most of the coaches decided to sit in the general public seating.For the Combine, the SuperDraft field is divided into four teams with adidas-branded names: adiPure, adiTunit, Predator PowerServe and Trofeo. Each team will have the opportunity to play each other from Saturday through Tuesday, when the Combine ends. Kicking things off on Saturday at 10 am, PowerServe and adiTunit played to a scoreless tie, and adiPure edged Trofeo for a 1-0 victory at Noon. Gonzaga’s George Josten notched the only goal of the day, a nice shot from the top of the box that hit underneath the crossbar and in.
With only one goal scored on Saturday and not many scoring chances created, most of the talk around the stadium amongst media and coaches was that everyone was hoping day two would be better. All four Combine teams will be in action on Sunday, again at 10am and Noon. The players will have Monday off before their final auditions on Tuesday morning. You can find the rosters of each Combine team here.
The games ended at about 2 pm and many MLS coaches and representatives mingled for a bit before leaving. It was impossible not to hear all of the chatter of teams setting up meetings with each other for the afternoon / evening. We’re in the van again at about 2:30 pm and by 2:45 we arrive back at the hotel.
Several players were missing from Saturday’s games, including Eric Avila (UCSB), Sean Franklin (Cal St. Northridge), Stephen King (Maryland), Chance Myers (UCLA) and Pat Phelan and Julian Valentin (both Wake Forest), who have all been in Bradenton, FL for the U-23 camp. They’ll participate in Sunday’s Combine games, and then rejoin Arturo, Dax, and the rest of the U-23’s on Sunday night.
The games ended at about 2 pm and many MLS coaches and representatives mingled for a bit before leaving. It was impossible not to hear all of the chatter of teams setting up meetings with each other for the afternoon / evening. We’re in the van again at about 2:30 pm and by 2:45 we arrive back at the hotel.
Several players were missing from Saturday’s games, including Eric Avila (UCSB), Sean Franklin (Cal St. Northridge), Stephen King (Maryland), Chance Myers (UCLA) and Pat Phelan and Julian Valentin (both Wake Forest), who have all been in Bradenton, FL for the U-23 camp. They’ll participate in Sunday’s Combine games, and then rejoin Arturo, Dax, and the rest of the U-23’s on Sunday night.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Catching up with some other players...
We've tried to keep in touch with as many of the guys as possible, respecting that many are still enjoying their time off...here are some updates, with more to come next week...
Drew is with the U.S. Men's National Team, and recently talked about his experience with ussoccer.com (click here for the podcast).
Arturo and Dax are back with the U.S. U-23's, this time in Florida. Arturo talks about the Dec.camp, and what's ahead...
Ray has been doing some traveling, but will be heading back tsoon...
Pablo says he feels better, and is looking for more in 08...
Dom knows what he wants to improve on...
Of course Kenny was out in England, training with Manchester United for a couple of weeks...
We've also received notice that Adrian will be joining the Canadian National team later this month and that Chris could possibly be heading to train in Europe...more details still to come on both...
Finally, for those that haven't heard, former FCD defender Clarence Goodson has signed with IK Start in Norway. He talked to the U.S. MNT Blog about this new opportunity...
Drew is with the U.S. Men's National Team, and recently talked about his experience with ussoccer.com (click here for the podcast).
Arturo and Dax are back with the U.S. U-23's, this time in Florida. Arturo talks about the Dec.camp, and what's ahead...
Ray has been doing some traveling, but will be heading back tsoon...
Pablo says he feels better, and is looking for more in 08...
Dom knows what he wants to improve on...
Of course Kenny was out in England, training with Manchester United for a couple of weeks...
We've also received notice that Adrian will be joining the Canadian National team later this month and that Chris could possibly be heading to train in Europe...more details still to come on both...
Finally, for those that haven't heard, former FCD defender Clarence Goodson has signed with IK Start in Norway. He talked to the U.S. MNT Blog about this new opportunity...
Off to the Combine
A busy week continues for our team staff... Steve Morrow, Marco Ferruzzi, Bobby Hammond, and Michael Hitchcock will be met by new assistant coach Jorge Alvial on Friday evening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the staff will be observing the over 60 players in the annual MLS Combine (click here for more on the combine). The League is also once again holding their medical staff meetings at Combine, so team trainers Josh and Robbie, along with Dr. Medlock and Dr. Cordray will also be there for the weekend...
The combine brings in invited players who no longer have college eligibility, as well as those that have signed with MLS through the Generation adidas program, to be seen by all the MLS coaches. These players are eligible to be selected in next week's MLS SuperDraft, so it gives them one weekend to make a final impression.
FC Dallas has seven picks in next week's draft, including the #2 and #8 overall selection, as well as two in the Second Round (19th and 22nd overall), one pick in the Third Round (31st overall), and two more in the Fourth Round (45th and 50th overall). Click here for the complete 2008 MLS SuperDraft order.
Unlike college football or basketball, which are covered through mainstream media on a regular basis, the top college soccer players are not typically household names. But if you want to get a good start on trying to get up to speed, Buzz over at ESPN.com gives his take on some of the players some teams may be looking at this and next weekend.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Alvial Joins FC Dallas Coaching Staff
Jorge has officially joined the team. He will be joining Steve, Marco, and Hitch on Friday in Fort Lauderdale for the MLS Combine. He'll then go with the group to Baltimore for the SuperDraft next week, before returning to Atlanta to gather his belonging for his move to the area. Welcome Jorge!
Duilio talks; jersey info
By now some have seen the video interview we did with Duilio before he left. If not you can see it below...you can also see and read more on his signing on www.fcdallas.com.
The past couple of days we received inquiries from fans (and media) asking how to purchase Duilio's FC Dallas jersey. Marcelo Saragosa currently wears the number 5, which is the number Duilio wore in his ten years with Club America. We expect Duilio to have a number later this month when he comes in to begin pre-season training. So for the time being, click here for more info on how to pre-order his jersey.
Click here for the official release on Duilio's signing.
Click here for the transcript of Steve and Hitch's teleconference call with the media.
The past couple of days we received inquiries from fans (and media) asking how to purchase Duilio's FC Dallas jersey. Marcelo Saragosa currently wears the number 5, which is the number Duilio wore in his ten years with Club America. We expect Duilio to have a number later this month when he comes in to begin pre-season training. So for the time being, click here for more info on how to pre-order his jersey.
Click here for the official release on Duilio's signing.
Click here for the transcript of Steve and Hitch's teleconference call with the media.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
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Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Duilio's Interview from Sunday
So since we brought it up the other day, we thought we'd give an update on where we stand with defender Duilio Davino.
On Monday, Hitch met with Duilio's agent here at the office in the morning and then Steve went to lunch with both Duilio and his representative. Steve tells us that both sides are interested in making something happen, that they made some progress on Monday and would be meeting again today.
In the meantime, you can watch his media session from Sunday below...
On Monday, Hitch met with Duilio's agent here at the office in the morning and then Steve went to lunch with both Duilio and his representative. Steve tells us that both sides are interested in making something happen, that they made some progress on Monday and would be meeting again today.
In the meantime, you can watch his media session from Sunday below...
Monday, January 7, 2008
Chelsea Scout Jorge Alvial to FCD?
The FC Dallas coaching staff will soon be adding a new member. The the team is in talks with Jorge Alvial - currently Chelsea's Chief Scout for North, Central, and South America. We're expecting to finalize a deal done with Jorge this week so that he can meet us in Florida for the MLS Combine this upcoming weekend...
Just a bit on Jorge.
His ties to our club began a few years ago, when he helped coordinate the team's preseason trips to Chile. He has served in various roles in international soccer, including as an assistant coach and National scout for Universidad Catolica in Chile, as head coach of the Puerto Rico Islanders, and of course recently as the main scout for the English Premier League's Chelsea for this hemisphere.
One interesting note, he told us about the most recent player he's helped identify for Chelsea: 18-year Argentine forward Franco di Santo who is expected to be moving from Audax Italiano in Chile's top division to Chelsea.
Just a bit on Jorge.
His ties to our club began a few years ago, when he helped coordinate the team's preseason trips to Chile. He has served in various roles in international soccer, including as an assistant coach and National scout for Universidad Catolica in Chile, as head coach of the Puerto Rico Islanders, and of course recently as the main scout for the English Premier League's Chelsea for this hemisphere.
One interesting note, he told us about the most recent player he's helped identify for Chelsea: 18-year Argentine forward Franco di Santo who is expected to be moving from Audax Italiano in Chile's top division to Chelsea.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
FCD Talking with Duilio Davino
As some may know by now, FC Dallas is planning on meeting with Mexican defender Duilio Davino, who a few weeks ago ended his 10-year career with Mexico's popular Club America, of which he served as their captain the past few years.
Posting news like this is a bit of a stretch for us, as it's not been our habit to mention who we're talking to. However, as you can see from the photos above and below - a lot of media became aware that he was here today.
We read the reports out of Mexico City last Friday that said he was coming here to be officially present as FCD's newest player. So when contacted for a clarification, Hitch explained to the media that it was a visit to get to know him, and him us...and that on Monday, both sides would meet to see what kind of interest exists between both parties.
Duilio flew in on Sunday morning with his agent and attended America's InterLiga game versus Toluca, watching from our suite.
Since up to the middle of December he was the captain of America, and since of course America was playing here, a lot of the media - both from Mexico and here - was looking to talk to him. We told Duilio of the media's request to talk to him, and he obliged by meeting the press up in the press box during halftime of the game (he knew some of the media that was here, since they were regulars that cover America). He'll sit down to talk with our staff on Monday.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
InterLiga at PHP Wraps Up on Sunday
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America, Morelia, Toluca, and Atlas trained at PHP today, all enjoying the mid-70 degree weather (very different than the 29 degree evening that Group B team endured last Wednesday)...Club America drew a huge crowd, with somewhere around 400 fans taking in their practice over on Field #12...
The players didn't disappoint the fans either, giving them a little entertainment by having fun driving around some teammates on one of our golf carts...
We here at the blog thought it was a funny (and so did our guy - good sport!)...it was neat to see the players having fun with their fans...the fans' support was obvious, and the players showed them a bit of their appreciation...then they tried to sign as many autographs as they could all along the fence...
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On Sunday, America faces Toluca at 4 pm and Atlas takes on Morelia at 6:30 here at Pizza Hut Park...on the left, fans watch new America captain German Villa, who was given the role formerly occupied by this guy, who served as the team's captain for the past few years...Friday, January 4, 2008
Mexico's Olympic Team coming to PHP
We told you earlier today that a lot has happened behind the scenes the past few weeks, and here's another bit of news...
Mexico's Olympic Team will be playing the Finland National Team here at Pizza Hut Park on March 6, 2008...tickets will start at $15 if purchased in advance...fans can call the office on Monday for more details on tickets - 214.705-6700.
Mexico was grouped with Guatemala, Canada, and Haiti for the 2008 CONCACAF Under-23 Championship, CONCACAF’s qualifier to the Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008. They begin their quest to make the 2008 Olympics on March 12 when they face Canada at The Home Depot Center...
Mexico's Olympic Team will be playing the Finland National Team here at Pizza Hut Park on March 6, 2008...tickets will start at $15 if purchased in advance...fans can call the office on Monday for more details on tickets - 214.705-6700.
Mexico was grouped with Guatemala, Canada, and Haiti for the 2008 CONCACAF Under-23 Championship, CONCACAF’s qualifier to the Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008. They begin their quest to make the 2008 Olympics on March 12 when they face Canada at The Home Depot Center...
Front Office Promotion...
First bit of news to give you is a change in the front office...
Our (now former) Director of Finance and Administration - Damon Boettcher - has been promoted to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Operations.
In his new role, Damon will oversee the operational side of both FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park, which includes: the complex and stadium fields, facility maintenance, finance and administration, human resources, business operations (concerts, the Verizon Wireless Club, suites, and team store, etc.), and stadium operations (security, parking, etc)....basically, the directors of each of these departments will now report to Damon, who will then report to Hitch...
Hitch will continue to oversee team administrations and player personnel, the FC Dallas Foundation, and the ticket sales, marketing, sponsorship, communications, soccer business development, and community relations departments...
Congrats to Damon!
Click here for the complete release.
Our (now former) Director of Finance and Administration - Damon Boettcher - has been promoted to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Operations.
In his new role, Damon will oversee the operational side of both FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park, which includes: the complex and stadium fields, facility maintenance, finance and administration, human resources, business operations (concerts, the Verizon Wireless Club, suites, and team store, etc.), and stadium operations (security, parking, etc)....basically, the directors of each of these departments will now report to Damon, who will then report to Hitch...
Hitch will continue to oversee team administrations and player personnel, the FC Dallas Foundation, and the ticket sales, marketing, sponsorship, communications, soccer business development, and community relations departments...
Congrats to Damon!
Click here for the complete release.
Starting to catch up...
We've heard some say they thought the past few weeks have been slow on the soccer / MLS news front, which we can agree that, at least publicly, that seems to be the case...however, we can also confirm that a lot has been going on behind the scenes, at least here, anyway...
Over the coming days and weeks, we'll try to bring you up to speed on some of the additions, changes, and adjustment to both the team and facility, and some of the events that we'll be involved with over the coming months (both FCD and PHP)...some things has been finalized, some have not...
We started the year off running, hosting an InterLiga doubleheader on Wednesday, and have one more on Sunday (with anticipated warmer weather)...
In the meantime, we continue to move along with FCD preparations for 2008...the coaches leave next week (Jan. 10) for Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the start of the MLS Combine, then head to Baltimore for the MLS SuperDraft...the international transfer window opens on Jan. 15 here, so we're thinking they'll be some names popping up around the media world over the coming days - some of which may or may not involve FCD...
So stay tuned....it looks like we'll be moving ahead with some news and bits for you, possibly even today...
Over the coming days and weeks, we'll try to bring you up to speed on some of the additions, changes, and adjustment to both the team and facility, and some of the events that we'll be involved with over the coming months (both FCD and PHP)...some things has been finalized, some have not...
We started the year off running, hosting an InterLiga doubleheader on Wednesday, and have one more on Sunday (with anticipated warmer weather)...
In the meantime, we continue to move along with FCD preparations for 2008...the coaches leave next week (Jan. 10) for Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the start of the MLS Combine, then head to Baltimore for the MLS SuperDraft...the international transfer window opens on Jan. 15 here, so we're thinking they'll be some names popping up around the media world over the coming days - some of which may or may not involve FCD...
So stay tuned....it looks like we'll be moving ahead with some news and bits for you, possibly even today...
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Trio Heading to National Team Camps
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On Dec. 31, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced two camps that begin this first week of January - and FCD will be represented at each...
Drew today flew to Los Angeles to meet up with 25 other players that have been called up for the first U.S. Men's National Team camp of the year, as they prepare for an international friendly at The Home Depot Center against Sweden on Jan. 19. For Drew, it's his second call up to the MNT, having made his debut in the Copa America last July...he'll be joined by former Dallas defender Clarence Goodson, who will be attending his first ever MNT camp...
Heading to the opposite side of the country are Arturo and Dax, as they will join 22 players for a camp with the U.S. U-23 team in Florida on Sunday...the duo are two of the eight players on this camp that also took part in the team's trip to China in December...Arturo, who is now out of contract, talked to MLSnet.com's Steve Hunt today, so look for that story on the MLSnet and FCD site soon...
And if you've been following the Dreaming of Beijing video series which follows Arturo and three other MLS players, two more episodes are now posted:Episode 4 and Episode 5
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
It's not Freddy or Ibee - it's Martin...
Cruz Azul training on Tuesday night at PHP...in the dark background (and below), about 200 fans braved the 30 degree temps to catch a glimpse of their favorite team (thanks to Michael Kolch for the photos)==================================================
In 2004, Freddy Adu became the youngest player ever selected by an MLS team in the SuperDraft, with D.C. United getting the then 14-year old with the first pick...then last year, FC Dallas selected the second youngest player, taking 15-year old Abdus (Ibee) Ibrahim in the second round of the 2007 SuperDraft...
Why do we bring this up?
Because InterLiga starts tonight here at Pizza Hut Park, and...Cruz Azul, which will play San Luis in the nightcap, has brought 14 year-old forward Martin Galvan with them (below, thanks to Jimmy Vanegas for the photo)...
In talking with the Cruz Azul PR rep at Tuesday evening's practice, we're told that Martin quickly impressed the club with the goals he scored on their youth teams, and then again when he was moved up to join other Cruz Azul teams in various tournaments...the first team coaches then decided that this would be a great opportunity to include the youngster with the big guys, giving Martin an idea and possibly a taste of what the top division is like...we'll keep an eye to see if he gets any minutes...
Couple other notes...
Jared Borgetti is here, having signed with Monterrey during the off-season after a one-year stint with Cruz Azul...two U.S.-born players will also be participating in the tourney...
In tonight's first game, San Luis defender Michael Orozco, born in Orange, Calif., is a consistent starter and defensive leader for his club. Although his name has not been written in the press as many times as some of the other Americans playing in Mexico, he is a dual citizen of Mexico and the US, and only missed three of his club’s matches last season. The 20 year-old appeared in 16 matches and was a starter in all but one.
Coming in for Sunday's game is Morelia's Sonny Guadarrama...Born in Austin, Texas to Mexican parents, he played one year at Campbell University in North Carolina and then signed a deal with Santos in Mexico in July 2006. He played key minutes with Santos in 2007, which was the top team in the regular season and reached the semifinals in the playoffs...last month, he was loaned to Morelia...he has also played on the Mexico U-20 team...his brother Wily (older) is on the KC Wizards after being drafted in 2007.
Happy Birthday to us / you!
It was a year ago today - January 2, 2007 - when we began this little blog of ours...after nearly 400 posts, thousands of comments from fans, and endless number of visitors (from all over the world) - we celebrate our first birthday...thanks to you for your support and feedback throughout year one...we hope to continue to improve in year two...
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year, 2008!
We hope everyone had a safe Holiday season and is ready for all the positive hopes that each new year presents...
...for us, we're not waiting around much to get things going up this year...with FCD on break (till the end of the month), Pizza Hut Park will open the year by kicking off the 2008 InterLiga tournament on Jan. 2, with a doubleheader that features Monterrey vs. Pumas at 7 p.m. and Cruz Azul vs. San Luis at 9:30 p.m...click here for more on the 5th edition of this Mexican First Division tourney, which is played exclusively in the United States, and decides the second and third teams that will represent Mexico in South America's club championship, the 2008 Copa Libertadores...
...for us, we're not waiting around much to get things going up this year...with FCD on break (till the end of the month), Pizza Hut Park will open the year by kicking off the 2008 InterLiga tournament on Jan. 2, with a doubleheader that features Monterrey vs. Pumas at 7 p.m. and Cruz Azul vs. San Luis at 9:30 p.m...click here for more on the 5th edition of this Mexican First Division tourney, which is played exclusively in the United States, and decides the second and third teams that will represent Mexico in South America's club championship, the 2008 Copa Libertadores...
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