Open Scrimmage

UPDATED (1 p.m.) - FCD split into two sides this morning for an intra-squad scrimmage held on the PHP stadium field. The red squad (home red uniforms) outscored the blue (blue road uniforms) 7-1 behind goals from Jamie Watson, Jeff Cunningham (2), Eric Avila, Jeff Rowland (2), and Ruben Luna. Newly signed forward Sean Bucknor tallied the lone goal for the blue side. Here's how they lined up...

Red: Ray Burse (GK) (Josh Lambo 46'), Blake Wagner, Drew Moor, Steve Purdy (Ruben Luna^ 65'), Adrian Chevannes*, Dave van den Bergh, Pablo Ricchetti, Eric Avila, Bruno Guarda, Jeff Cunningham (Jeff Rowland 46'), Jamie Watson*.

Blue: Josh Lambo (GK) (Ray Burse 46'), London Woodberry^ (Bradlee Baladez^ 65'), JD Binger*, Aaron Pitchkolan, Kevin Ouma*, Chase Wileman* (Victor Ulloa^ 65'), Brek Shea, Juan Guerra*, Dax McCarty, Peri Marosevic, Sean Bucknor.

*on trial
^FCD Juniors player

FCD Signs Sean Bucknor

The team today signed 24-year-old forward Sean Bucknor, who has quickly impressed the FCD coaching staff, after being invited to camp based on a recommendation.

Bucknor attended Owens Community College (Findlay, Ohio) from 2006-2007, where he scored 28 goals in each his freshman and sophomore years, setting the school’s all-time scoring record. In 2008, he transferred to the University of Tampa but did not play.

Bucknor was born in Brooklyn, NY, grew up in Jamaica, and has made appearances with the Jamaica U-17 national team.

FCD TV: Preseason Fitness Testing

On Tuesday, Jan. 27 we followed Kenny Cooper, Marcelo Saragosa and Brek Shea to the MJPC (with video cameras in tow) to catch them going through the same fitness testing that the rest of the guys had completed a week earlier. Check it out...


Preseason Fitness Testing from FC Dallas on Vimeo.

Dax McCarty Returns to FCD

You may have read that midfielder Dax McCarty had not been at preseason camp this year while the team was exploring other possibilities for him. While there were several options, the team did not feel there were any that they were comfortable in accepting - which will hopefully turn out for the best for both Dax and the team.

Dax arrived on Wednesday evening from Florida, and was at Pizza Hut Park this morning. We caught up with Dax to talk about the past few months:

Dax, walk us through last year, and what led you to ask to be traded…

DAX: Basically, last year was bittersweet in the sense that a lot of good things happened for me. I was on top of the world after getting called in to the Olympics, and that was probably one of the best moments I’ve had in my career.

But in the same year, I had a couple of injuries, and I decided to have the surgery on my groin. And that really kind of hampered my progress throughout the year in terms of staying and keeping fit. Luckily I was able to make the Olympics team.

Unfortunately, we had a couple of coaching changes here at Dallas, and it takes time for a player to adjust to that. When I got back from the Olympics, it took me a while to learn the new system. We had Schellas come in, and he’s implementing a new system, and it took me a longer than I would have liked, and that he would have liked. And it was frustrating.

It was a frustrating time for me at the end of the year. Sometimes a coach and player don’t see eye to eye. So in terms of asking for a trade, I felt that I was not going to fit in to his system here, and that’s what led me to ask them to explore other options for me. Continue reading...

How do you come, in knowing that they attempted to grant your request, and yet you’re still a member of the team?

DAX: There was definitely a sense of frustration last year, but now I look at it as being in the past. We had a real good meeting with the coaching staff and upper management this morning, and I really feel that last year is behind us. There was a frustration for all parties involved.

I think that last year, certain frustrations and emotions got the best of me. It was a situation where I think communication is probably the best way to go about doing things. And unfortunately we didn’t have the best communication, and that’s something that I learned from.

In terms of being back in Dallas, I couldn’t be happier. This is where I started my career. I love my teammates, the facilities, the fans. It’s just time to start working again, and I’m glad that I could come back in and try to win a spot on the team. Everyone wants to play, and I’m no different.

How important was the meeting with the coaches/staff?

DAX: I had a great off-season. I didn’t have any national team camps so I could relax and think. It gave me a lot of time to reflect on myself and my actions, and realize how much I really enjoy playing soccer.

When the draft was approaching and I had not been traded yet, I realized that I may be back in Dallas. I was even excited at the possibility, because like I said, I thought about how I could have handled things differently last year.

After the draft, I bought my ticket to return to the Dallas for the start of physicals. But I received a call to hold off on coming because there was a possibility of a trade. When that didn’t happen, I bought another ticket to come in to town. And again I was informed that I should hold on because there was still a chance of a trade. However at this point, I was mentally and physically ready to return to Dallas.

When that trade didn’t go down, I felt that it maybe was a blessing in disguise.

So it was very important for me to come in and discuss certain things about the upcoming year. From my point of view, I wanted to let them know that last year was frustrating, and I think that they knew that. And I wanted them to know that I think that I’ve learned from last year.

I think that the meeting was great. We had to clear the air, so to speak. I think that it takes two pretty good people to be able to meet like that and be ready to move forward. I really did appreciate that they were willing to meet with me and discuss what the expectations are, and what they want to see out of me. It was a chance for us to discuss openly and honestly the things that need to happen this year in order for myself and the team to be successful. And that’s ultimately the goal – to be successful as a team.

So I told them that even though it didn’t work out, me going to different team, that I look at it as a positive, because I couldn’t be happier that I’m here. And that I want to prove to the coaching staff, my teammates, and the fans that I want to be here and that I can help the team win.

Your thoughts on going through this?

DAX: Like I said before, it was a learning experience. I’ve learned a lot in my three years a professional, and learned a lot in this past situation.

It’s one thing to go in and say that I won’t be open minded to learn from this, but the reality is, is that I’ve had some time to reflect and to know that some things could have been handled differently, absolutely.

In the end, it’s all about the team, not about any individual. No individual is bigger than the team, and I firmly believe that. And I think that’s what our entire coaching staff and all of us at FC Dallas wants – we all want the team to be successful.

This has definitely helped me mature, not only as a person but as a player, as well. And now we move forward.

I feel this preseason is going to be the best one I’ve had since I’ve been here. I feel fully healthy, fully fit. I’ve been doing work on my own in the off-season to make sure that I come in fit and not behind. And now that I’m here, I’m trying to be really focused on the task at hand. I think it’s important for us to have a good preseason this year.

How do you see yourself coming in to this team this year?

DAX: I feel that it’s a situation that we as a team can move past. I gain more experience every day that I’m here, and am maturing every day that I’m here. I feel that this entire situation has allowed me learn. I think that everyone is happy to be back, and I’m happy to be back.

I look at it as being a new year, and a new set of results for our team and everyone involved. I ultimately want our team to win. I’ve been here for more than three years now, and we’ve had our ups and downs, but I think this is a special place. I really want to see us do well, and I really want to contribute, really want to help the team win as many games as possibly and ultimately – that ultimate goal is win that MLS Championship for FC Dallas, and I want to be a part of it.

How did the prospects of playing in the U-20 World Cup or the Olympics affect your last two seasons?

DAX: There’s always little distractions here and there when you’re a young player who’s been involved with some youth national teams. And I’ll admit that that definitely had an effect in terms of maturing as a pro on how I did because I wasn’t here all the time.

But it’s going to be my fourth year in the league, and the focus is 100 percent on FC Dallas. We have a new coach that has some experience under his belt and will be here for a full year; we’ve got some good players that have tons of experience that we’ve brought in to help improve our team; and we have a lot of good young players coming back.

What lies ahead?

DAX: For me personally it’s a very important year. First and foremost, I want the team to win; and secondly, I want to contribute to the team in any way that I can.

I don’t think that the past few years have been what they could have been, and I feel that we have all the right pieces in place. I just want to continue to grow as a person and player and start doing the little things right - start being a better teammate, and a player that can contribute to the team in any way that I can.

The Fog

With the adidas Field frosted over this morning, the team moved practice next door to the artificial turf Field 2. When training began at 10 a.m, the fog was pretty intense, making it difficult to see from one end of the field to the other. But the fog lifted nearly an hour later, and as the sun beamed down it seemed like a completely different day by the time training was over.
Some notes from today:

Kenny Cooper was absent from training, as he has rejoined the USMNT for camp in Carson, CA ahead of the Feb. 11 WCQ against Mexico.

Peri Marosevic made his first appearance on the FCD training field after arriving to Dallas on Tuesday night. JD Binger, the undrafted defender from Messiah College, also joined the team today as a trialist

Lastly, Dax McCarty was in this morning to take the first part of his physical. He'll complete the second portion this afternoon, which means he could be ready to participate in tonight's training session at 6 p.m.

Bobby Rhine joins the Front Office

Some fans may remember that guy in the photo - that is Bobby Rhine, who retired from the team after last season - his 10th with the club.

Bobby has joined the FC Dallas front office as the Manager of Community Development. His role as an ambassador will be wide-spread, and include public speaking appearances, working with the sales, sponsorship, and community relations departments, and ultimately being another connection between the team and the public.

He told is it's ok to let fans know that he can be reached with ideas, suggestions, comments, etc at brhine @ fcdallas.net or 214.705.6778.

Preseason Games and Scrimmages...

We've started finalizing the schedule of preseason games / scrimmages. Please check the right hand side of The FCD Blog for updates and / or changes.

The first chance fans have to see the team is on Sat, Jan. 31 in an intra-squad scrimmage on the stadium field here at Pizza Hut Park (10 am). Fans can also talk to our tickets reps and select seats for the 2009 season.

FCD players will also be in the club following the scrimmage to interact with fans.

2009 FCD Regular Season Schedule

We've known since last December that FC Dallas will open the '09 season on March 21 against the Chicago Fire (7:30 p.m. CT). Today, MLS announced the rest of the 2009 regular season schedule....take a look at FCD's schedule and the official press release.

Some notes on the 2009 Schedule:

• Twenty-five of the 30 games will be played on either Saturday or Sunday.
  20 Saturday games
  5 Sunday games
  3 Wednesday night games
  1 Thursday night game
  1 Friday night game
• Thirteen of the 15 regular season home games are on weekends.
  10 Saturday nights
  3 Sundays
  1 Wednesday night
  1 Thursday night
• FC Dallas will face two different Western Conference opponents on three occasions: Houston Dynamo (two home, one away) and the Colorado Rapids (one home, two away).
• Ten of FCD’s 30 regular season games will be featured on national TV.
  4 games on TeleFutura on Sunday afternoons.
  3 games on ESPN2 (most games offered in high definition).
  3 games on Fox Soccer Channel / Fox Sports en Español in the “MLS Saturday on FSC” slot.
• Of the 10 national broadcasts, 5 will be aired from Pizza Hut Park and 5 on the road.
• The season-opener against the Chicago Fire on March 21 will be followed by a post-game fireworks show.
• Dallas will face the New York Red Bulls on the 4th of July at Pizza Hut Park, with the game followed by the biggest fireworks show in the Metroplex. This is the fourth consecutive year in which FCD will play a game on July 4th.
• The local TV schedule will be announced at a later date.

Practice Cancelled

The team had plans to practice indoors this morning, but coach Hyndman decided to cancel due to icy road conditions, which also caused many area school districts and businesses to shut down for the day. The FCD front office itself delayed opening until 11 a.m.

The team will reconvene on Thursday for two sessions, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. For those that have traveled the treacherous roads today, tell us, how was your experience?

Weather Permitting

This morning the team went through its third straight practice with temperatures in the 30's, and with freezing rain expected later this afternoon, Schellas has decided to cancel tonight's session (originally scheduled for 6 p.m.). If the weather continues to be a factor tomorrow morning, the team plans to head just down the road from PHP to Blue Sky Sports Center for an indoor session.

Couple of quick notes: Peri Marosevich arrived today just as the team returned to the locker room after practice. He'll need to complete his physical before he can train.

Steve Purdy, Brek Shea and Kenny Cooper will go through fitness testing this afternoon at the MJPC. Purdy will be doing the speed and agility portion, while Brek and Kenny will be doing power and explosion.

And finally, today we officially announced the signing of Daniel Torres, which we initially told you about last week. Torres played 90 in Costa Rica's 3-1 win over Guatemala in the UNCAF Nations Cup on Sunday, qualifying for a semi-final matchup with El Salvador this Friday.

Monday notes...

Kenny Cooper (USMNT), Marcelo Saragosa (Green Card), and Brek Shea and Anthony Wallace (US U-20’s) all joined the team today for preseason camp. Kenny and Marcelo did some work in the weight room while Brek and Wally warmed up with the team on the field before finishing with some light work inside. All will need to complete their physicals before going through full training for the first time, which could be as early as Tuesday.

Last week, each MLS team was allowed to put Discovery claims on two undrafted college players. FCD selected Juan Guerra (Florida International University) and JD Binger (Messiah College), and have invited both to camp. Guerra participated in today’s practice and Binger will be in on Wednesday. In addition, Sean Bucknor (University of Tampa), is another trialist who has joined the team for preseason.

Jackets and hats...

The equipment staff brought out the jackets, hats, and gloves out for today's practice - since it was a nice 32 degrees at the start.

A few weekend notes: A new trailist joined the team today - defender Adrian Chevannes, who was drafted by Colorado last season...Michael Dello-Russo had his broken nose treated on Friday, and now will need to wait at least two weeks before resuming training...draftee George John will likely be sidelined for around six weeks with a right knee injury...Marcelo Saragosa will be arriving on Sunday morning from Brazil...The players that were with the U.S. U-20 team will be returning from Trinidad today; Anthony Wallace and Brek Shea will be in on Monday, while rookie Peri Marosevic, who joined the U-20s right after the draft, will return home to get some of his belongings before joining FCD on Tuesday or Wednesday...and finally, Kenny Cooper, who is with the U.S. Men's National Team for tonight's friendly versus Sweden (7:30 pm CT, Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision), will be joining the team on Monday.

The Week in Photos

This morning FCD completed its fifth training in three days. The team will be in again Saturday morning at 10 a.m., but with the first week of preseason practically done, we thought it'd be a good idea to recap the week by sharing some unused photos.

Before we get into that we'll leave you with one quick note. Mike Sambursky, who came in on trial Wednesday night, has pulled himself out of training camp due to a pre-existing back injury and will not return.

Now, onto the pictures...

BREAKING: Torres set to join FCD

We received the ok to inform you that FCD and Costa Rican center back Danny Torres have agreed to terms. We're in the process of finalizing the paperwork with the League office, and hope to make a more formal announcement soon.

Torres, who joins FCD from Norway's Bryne FK, is currently with the Costa Rica national team in Honduras for the UNCAF Nations Cup from Jan. 22-Feb. 1.

The 31-year-old began his professional career with Costa Rican-side Deportiva Saprissa in 1996 and has played for the Columbus Crew (01-03), Saprissa again in '03, with Tromso IL (Norway) and Bodens BK (Sweden) in 2005, and with Real Salt Lake from '06-07 before heading to Norway last year.

In between sessions...

The team trained for two hours on Wednesday evening in what at least this blog staffer viewed as a pretty hard session, especially since it was the first day with the ball. While they train again this morning again, here are a couple of notes...

GREEN: We received an email from Marcelo Saragosa early this morning informing us that he has received his U.S. Residency card (green card). We congratulate Marcelo and his family. He had hoped it would get done next week, so he scheduled his flight for then. He's now trying to move his flight up to arrive this weekend and in time for Monday's workouts.

NUMBERS: We told you last week that Dario was changing his number from 44 to 1 - that was incorrect. He decided to keep his # 44.

The new players will wear: Dave van den Bergh - #7, Steve Purdy - #25, George John - # 14, and Peri Marosevich - #18.

FITNESS: As you know, the group of players that arrived early had two days of fitness tests before their first practice session, included the always popular beep test on day two. When we saw Steve Purdy at the evening practice, we thought that maybe since he arrived after the group that he would not have to do the test. We were then corrected.

Purdy took his physical on Wednesday morning, his EKG test in the afternoon, and then went to the MJPC to do 'day 1' of the fitness test. He was then at the evening practice, initially working on the one-on-one drills the group worked in the morning, and then slowly getting involved in the evening drills. On Friday, Steve will go back to the MJPC to do the beep test. The goal is to have all the players take the same tests when they arrive, though they'll work them in around the practice sessions as much as possible.

EXTRA: Another players training with the team is Mike Sambursky, who some may recall was also called up for a reserve game last year.

NOSE: Michael Dello-Russo broke his nose during the morning practice on Wednesday. He was at the evening practice, but in pain and not cleared to train. He'll have to see a specialist on Friday to determine if he'll need surgery, which could keep him out for a couple of weeks.

First Practice of 2009

Lasting about two hours this morning, the team’s first practice of the 2009 season touched mainly on technical work, with a focus on 1 v 1 and 1 v 2 defending. Eric Avila, Bruno Guarda, Blake Wagner, Dave van den Bergh and the group of 10 players that arrived last Friday all participated, with the exception of Adrian Serioux , who did rehab work off to the side to recover from offseason hernia surgery.

A few guys picked up knocks today with Michael Dello-Russo receiving the worst...a broken nose after an accidental elbow from Jeff Cunningham. Also, Drew Moor and Pablo Ricchetti both had blood running down their legs from apparent cleats to the shins.

Schellas Hyndman did tell us that Dax McCarty will not be reporting to preseason camp.

Steve Purdy and George John arrived last night and took their physicals this morning. Purdy has been cleared to participate in tonight's session at 6 p.m. (Field 4), but John will instead undergo an MRI on his right knee, which he injured during his senior year at Washington.

Of the preseason invitees, Jamie Watson and Jeff Rowland practiced, while Chase Wileman didn't due to a left knee injury. In addition, Kevin Ouma, who you may remember from last November, also took part today. Houston-area native Mike Sambursky, who played in one reserve game last year as a guest, will be in starting with tonight's practice.

Video: Schellas, Dave, Drew

After this morning’s practice we caught up with Schellas Hyndman, Dave van den Bergh, and Drew Moor to talk about the addition of Dave as well as overall thoughts on the upcoming season…

Fitness Testing Completed

Over the last two days, the guys went through fitness testing at the MJPC. These tests will not only help gauge individual players’ level of fitness as a way to determine what each needs to work on during the season, but will also set fitness standards within the club.

Monday’s session focused on power and explosion through measured jumps (vertical, long, etc.) and a functional movement screening. Today’s focus switched to speed and agility, beginning with timed sprinting / cutting, and ending with the infamous beep test. After reading about the beep test here, you’ll have an idea of why today’s session was the more strenuous of the two.

With testing now completed, the team will hit the field for the first official practice(s) of the season on Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Two-a-days will continue on Thursday, followed by single morning sessions on Friday and Saturday.

Three Players with the U.S. U-20s

Brek Shea, Anthony Wallace and rookie Peri Marosevic have joined up with the U.S. U-20 team for a camp in Trinidad and Tobago from Jan. 18-24 as the team prepares for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship (March 6-15).

Also, FCD Juniors defender London Woodberry and the U.S. U-18 yesterday took the gold at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. The U.S. defeated Australia 5-0, China 14-0 (seriously), and drew 1-1 to Chile to win the four-team round robin tournament.

The first group to arrive...

Thirteen players completed their paperwork and entrance physicals downstairs at the Baylor Center here at Pizza Hut Park today, kicking off the start of the 2009 MLS preseason.

• Let's go over the current roster: Ten players were in today - Pablo Ricchetti, Adrian Serioux, Dario Sala, Ray Burse, Josh Lambo, Drew Moor, Aaron Pitchkolan, Michael Dello-Russo, Anthony Wallace and Jeff Cunningham.
• Blake Wagner, Bruno Guarda and Eric Avila will return from Brazil this weekend and join Dax McCarty and Dave van den Bergh for physicals early Monday morning.
• Rookie Peri Marosevic will be joining Brek Shea (and Wallace) in Trinidad & Tobago for a U.S. U-20 national team camp from Jan. 18-24, therefore they won't be in until that camp ends.
• Steve Purdy will be in next Wednesday.
• Three players' arrivals are still to be determined: Kenny Cooper is still in USMNT camp in Carson, CA through at least Jan. 25...Marcelo Saragosa is still awaiting his green card...and Andre Rocha is waiting for his visa.
• Non-contracted players Jamie Watson, Chase Wileman and Jeff Rowland also took their physicals today, as they’ll be participating in preseason camp.
• Rookie George John will be here next Wednesday, and we're waiting to confirm if Brian Shriver will report now or remain in school and come in later in the spring.
• Finally, we have a few number changes this season…Dario Sala switches to #1 (was 44), Drew Moor will now wear 3 (was 14), Eric Avila will wear 12 (was 24), Blake Wagner changes to 19 (was 23).
• On Monday afternoon, the players are scheduled to head over to the MJPC for fitness testing.

Draft Recap

FCD SuperDraft 2009 from FC Dallas on Vimeo.

2009 MLS SuperDraft

FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman, FCD first round selection Peri Marosevic, FCD GM Michael Hitchcock
================================

UPDATE: With the fifth overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, FCD selected Generation adidas forward Peri Marosevic from the University of Michigan. The 19-year-old (corrected) scored 24 goals and added seven assists in 55 games at Michigan.

And with the 14th overall selection, Dallas picked up George John out of the University of Washington. The 6'3 defender made 65 appearances in four years at Washington, scoring nine goals and eight assists.

FCD's draft ended after selecting University of North Carolina forward Brian Shriver in the second round (27th overall pick). As a member of the 2008 College Cup runner-up, Shriver earned both All-ACC and College Cup All-Tournament Team honors in his final season.

FCD Adds Defender Steve Purdy

In another move today, FC Dallas picked up 23-year-old defender Steve Purdy. Purdy comes to FCD from 1860 Munich of Germany's Bundesliga 2. The central defender signed with 1860 Munich in January 2007 after playing four years at the University of California (2003-2006).

FC Dallas Trades for Dave van den Bergh

FCD has acquired Dutch left-sided midfielder Dave van den Bergh from the New York Red Bulls in exchange for exchange for forward Dominic Oduro and the 18th overall pick of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. In addition, the teams will swap first round picks, with FCD moving to the 14th overall selection and the Red Bulls receiving the 11th pick.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Saragosa update

Last week we told you that Marcelo was scheduled to go to the U.S. Embassy to get U.S. residency papers. At that appointment, they informed him that there was yet another document that needed to be submitted before they could give him the green card.

The final docs are now being processed, but he'll likely have to wait another week or so before getting his passport back. He'll report to Frisco as soon as that's all settled.

Four Picks in the '09 SuperDraft

FCD has four picks in the first two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft, which takes place on Thursday, Jan. 15 in St. Louis. Fans will be gathering at the Verizon Wireless Club here at Pizza Hut Park to watch. If you plan on attending the viewing party, please RSVP through this link.

Right now, FCD holds two picks in the First Round: the #5 and #11 overall selections; and we also hold two picks in the Second Round: the 3rd and 12th picks (#18 and #27 overall).

Here's how we have the picks we have (and the ones we no longer have):

Because of our 2008 finish, we would naturally pick 5th in each round.

We acquired the #11 overall selection from San Jose last year in the Arturo Alvarez trade (SJ had acquired the pick from Houston earlier in the year).

In the second round, we acquired the 3rd pick from LA last January in the Carlos Ruiz trade.

Colorado has what would have been our natural 5th picks in the second and third rounds (Bruno Guarda trade).

Our second selection in the 2nd Round (#27 overall) was acquired in an agreement with Real Salt Lake when former FCD goalkeeper coach Jeff Cassar joined their coaching staff in '07.

In the third round, we used to also hold Chivas USA's natural pick (39th overall), which we had acquired back in August 2007 in the Ramon Nunez exchange. Then last summer, we traded that pick to Toronto in the Jeff Cunningham trade.

Finally, our natural fourth round pick was traded to Kansas City last summer.

We should note that MLS has eliminated the Supplemental Draft, so each team will only select from the SuperDraft.

Kenny Chesney Returns to PHP in May

Allow us this short break from MLS news to inform you that country music superstar Kenny Chesney will return to Pizza Hut Park for the fourth consecutive year when his Sun City Carnival 2009 Tour hits Frisco on May 2.

Tickets are not on sale yet, but check back here in the coming weeks for more details.

Photo: Seth Weaver / Pizza Hut Park.

FCD 2009 Preseason Plan

FCD 09 Season Opener - Promo from FC Dallas on Vimeo.

Today we announced that preseason training for the 2009 MLS campaign will begin on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at Pizza Hut Park. Players will start arriving for entrance physicals and fitness testing from Jan. 16-20. The first full team training sessions are scheduled for Jan. 21 at 10 am and 6 pm CT on the adidas Field.

Between Jan. 19 and Feb. 15, FC Dallas will train at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco while also working out regularly at the Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney, Texas.

The second phase of preseason training will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Feb. 16-22. FCD then moves on to Curitiba, Brazil, where they will train at the complex of Clube Atletico Paranaense from Feb. 25 to March 6.

We're finalizing preseason games for all three phases of the preseason.

Back to FCD notes

Some FCD notes to start the year:

• The MLS Player Combine will take place in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida starting this weekend, however, four of our coaches are already in the Sunshine State.
• Schellas is in Sunrise, Florida as an instructor for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Premier Diploma course. The 50-hour residential program is an advanced course for NSCAA members who already have their “A” coaching license but want to continue their education.
• John Ellinger and Marco Ferruzzi are in Bradenton, Florida for the “A”-Audit course, which is for coaches who need to renew their “A” license (coaches must renew every four years). John is instructing a group that includes Marco, among other coaches.
• In addition, FC Dallas Academy Director Chris Clarke is in Tampa, Florida where he is taking a course to receive his “A” license.
• Meanwhile, goalkeeper coach Drew Keeshan recently returned from England where he shadowed the goalkeeper coaches of a couple EPL teams. Drew will meet the rest of the coaching staff in Ft. Lauderdale on Friday.
• Midfielder Marcelo Saragosa today had an appointment at the U.S. Embassy where he was to receive his U.S. Residency status (green card). He won't count as an international player moving forward. That will leave FCD with three open international slots (Serioux, Oduro, Guarda, Ricchetti, and Rocha are the internationals).
• Brek Shea will be leaving on Sunday to join the U.S. U-17 program for his first bit of soccer in a while.
• Kenny Cooper has joined the U.S. Men's National Team in California for the annual January camp.
• And finally, Blake Wagner and Eric Avila arrived in Curitiba, Brazil, today. They'll join Bruno Guarda and take part in session with Atletico Paranaense until Jan. 16.

Woodberry to U.S. U-18 Team

Tonight we're hosting another InterLiga 2009 doubleheader here at Pizza Hut Park: America vs. Tigres and Chivas vs. Atlas. Tomorrow we'll be getting back in FCD mode.

For the time being, we give you these two notes: FCD Juniors defender London Woodberry impressed the U.S. Under-18 National Team coaches at a recent camp that included 72 players. Today, London was named to the 18-man U.S. U-18 roster that will travel to Australia on Friday for the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.

We also expect U-16 midfielder Jose Perez to join the Bradenton class (U.S. U-17s) for the upcoming semester (should know later this week). Both of the FCD Juniors players were spotted by the U.S. coaches at the Development Academy Winter Showcase last month in California.

InterLiga Update

InterLiga 2009 kicked off here at Pizza Hut Park tonight, Morelia's Fernando Salazar and Toluca's Sergio Santana scoring as the teams tied 1-1. Pachuca then defeated Tecos 4-0 in the nightcap, with goals from Edgar Benitez, Marco Perez, Edy Brambila, and Victor Manon.

Happy Birthday to us...

The FCD Blog was born on January 2, 2007, with this first post.

Fast forward two years, to today, and we're celebrating our second birthday, and hopefully still going strong heading into 2009.

Since the start, we've made over 900 posts, received thousands of comments, posted hundreds of photos, and provided over 150 videos.

In a way, we've brought fans with us to places like Brazil (a few times), Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and all over the United States. Often times, we've been able to bring you updates directly from players while with their respective national teams in other countries.

While we've avoided, for the most part, being an editorial platform (meaning we typically don't provide our opinions), we've been able to use this medium to provide FC Dallas fans behind the scenes access and frequent updates on all aspects of the team and stadium.

So, on our birthday, we'd like to hear from you. Tell us what you like / dislike about the blog. What you'd like to see more / less of. And, if you have any favorite posts, let us know.

InterLiga 2009 Starts on Friday

While many sports fans are spending today watching college football, or maybe outdoor hockey, we're getting ready for soccer games.

Pizza Hut Park is the site of tomorrow's Group A matches that kickoff InterLiga 2009, the Mexican First Division tourney that decides the second and third teams that will represent Mexico in South America's club championship, the 2008 Copa Libertadores.

The 6th edition of tournament kicks off in Frisco on Friday, Jan. 2 with Mexican Champion Toluca taking on Morelia at 7 pm CT, followed by Tecos vs. Pachuca (which just returned from Japan where they finished 4th in the FIFA World Club Championships). General Admission tickets for Friday's doubleheader are $20.

Group B starts in Houston on Saturday, then comes to town on Tuesday, Jan. 6 with a doubleheader featuring Tigres vs. America and Chivas vs. Atlas.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2009! Hopefully everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. 

We're excited and looking forward to the start of a new season.