Brazil Update: Saturday

FCD has gone through two straight days of intense two-a-day training sessions, but the guys will get a break on Sunday, with only a morning practice scheduled. At night, the team will head away from the CAP training grounds for the first time since arriving to watch our Brazilian partner take on Iraty SC in a state tournament game played at Arena da Baixada (formerly Kyocera Arena). Looking forward to that!

We'll leave you with a couple of notes from today...

• Although it has rained everyday here in Curitiba since we arrived, the weather hasn't gotten in our way yet. In fact, the storm that was brewing during this afternoon's practice (see photo above) helped clear the air of the heat and humidity that many of the guys were commenting about during the morning session.
• The four FCD Juniors players who have accompanied the team on this trip (Victor Ulloa [right], Cody Adams, Chris Figueroa, and Darin Kruzich) have been training with the CAP U-17s and U-15s. This morning, all four played on the U-15 side in a scrimmage against the older group. On Sunday, they'll play with the U-17 U-15 team in a scrimmage against an outside club.
• Aaron Pitchkolan became the second FCD player to suffer a broken nose this preseason after an accidental elbow from Kenny Cooper during this morning's practice. You may recall that Michael Dello-Russo was the first, when he broke his nose on the first day of training. Pitchkolan will hold out for surgery at a later date, and is expected to return to the field on Sunday.
• Daniel Torres did not participate in either session today. He took a hit to his left quad in the game vs. BK Hacken in Florida (Feb. 21), which has started to bother him again after the last few days of training. He too, should be ready to go again on Sunday.
• Lastly, George John is progressing in his rehabilitation work with the training staff. We're told he may be ready to start training before the team heads back to Dallas.

Ferreira Getting Familiar

Meeting David Ferreira from FC Dallas on Vimeo.

UPDATED (video added): Special thanks to the CAP communications crew who helped shoot the interviews / footage in the above video...

CAP training field 8 was the location of this morning’s practice (another session will take place this afternoon), which was David Ferreira’s first practice as a member of FC Dallas. While he was meeting many of the guys for the first time, there are a few FCD players he is already familiar with.

Obviously, he knows Andre Rocha well from their time spent together at CAP. But, Ferreira also had the opportunity to meet Eric Avila, Bruno Guarda and Blake Wagner back in January when the trio trained with CAP for week and half before the start of preseason. In addition, we learned today that Ferreira actually played against Dario Sala in Colombia, when he was playing at America de Cali and Sala was with Deportivo Cali (2002-2003).

Welcome to Curitiba

CAP's video crew had the cameras rolling when FCD landed in Curitiba and put together this nicely done video about our arrival / stay. Included is some footage of Thursday evening's jog & stretch, and interviews with Schellas Hyndman and Andre Rocha (in Portuguese). If you don't understand the language, it at least gives you a glimpse of FCD's first day in Brazil.

Jog & Stretch

The team met briefly as a group around 5 pm local time tonight, at which point Schellas Hyndman introduced recent signing David Ferreira to the squad. The original plan called for the team to get outside for a jog and stretch afterward, but wet fields (it has been raining on and off since we stepped off the bus) called for a change of plans.

Instead, the group (minus Ferreira) then went through a light jog & stretch in an area off to the side of CAP's indoor pool, while the Colombian worked with our training staff to get started on the physical process (he's on track to participate with the team on Friday morning).

By 5:45 pm, the guys were on their own...Kenny Cooper, Blake Wagner, Bruno Guarda, and equip. manager Marcus Owens took turns taking jump shots on the outdoor basketball court just a few steps away from the weight room. Most of the guys took a dip in the pool. Assistant coach Marco Ferruzzi and GK coach Drew Keeshan led George John, Jeff Cunningham and Ray Burse on a run around the complex, until it started to rain again...

We're Here (in Brazil)

We last touched base with you late Wednesday afternoon, and we're pleased to inform you that FCD has arrived safely and have settled into the on-site hotel at the Clube Atletico Paranaense training facility in Curitiba, Brazil. To give you an idea of how exhausted this blogger is feeling while typing, the last 24 hours went something like this...

Wednesday
4:45 pm CT - bus leaves PHP for DFW airport
5:30 pm - check-in for flight to Sao Paulo
6:00 pm - dinner in Terminal D
7:00 pm - board flight to Sao Paulo
7:45 pm - and we're off

Thursday (+3 hour time difference)
8:00 am local - land in Sao Paulo
8:25 am - clear customs
8:45 am - everyone grabs bags from baggage claim
9:30 am - check in for connecting flight to Curitiba
10:00 am -grab a bite to eat in the airport
11:45 am - take off for Curitiba
12:45 am - land in Curitba / greeted by CAP officials
1:15 am - buses depart from airport
1:35 pm - buses arrive at CAP training grounds
2:00 pm - lunch in CAP cafeteria

We can hear the guys out in the hallway getting ready to head downstairs for a 5 pm local time practice session, which means it's time to get going. While he's not expected to train until he completes his physical, the guys will be meeting David Ferreira for the first time.

Off to Brazil

The team regrouped this morning with a two-hour session on the adidas Field at PHP, after having the last two days off following a week of training in Florida. FCD is now heading off for its final trip of the preseason -- this time to Curitiba, Brazil, where the team will train and play three games at the home of Clube Atletico Paranaense through March 6.

Here's the travel roster...

GOALKEEPERS (4): Ray Burse, Josh Lambo, Dario Sala, Bryant Rueckner%
DEFENDERS (8): Michael Dello-Russo, George John, Marcelo Saragosa, Drew Moor, Aaron Pitchkolan, Steve Purdy, Daniel Torres, Blake Wagner.
MIDFIELDERS (7): Eric Avila, David Ferreira^, Bruno Guarda, Dax McCarty, Pablo Ricchetti, Andre Rocha, Dave van den Bergh.
FORWARDS (3): Kenny Cooper, Jeff Cunningham, Jamie Watson*

^ meeting the team in Brazil
% League Pool Goalkeeper
* on trial

Continue reading...

Four additional trialists will join the team in Brazil: Alvaro Sanchez, Gaspar Paez, Rafael Abrao, Jonathan Artura.

Remember, Josh Lambo, Peri Marosevic, Brek Shea and Anthony Wallace will not travel to Brazil, as all four players have joined the U.S. U-20 team for the 2009 CONCACAF U-20 Championship (March 6-15) in Trinidad & Tobago.

In addition to the first team, FCD Juniors players Chris Figueroa, Darin Kruzich, and Cody Adams, along with Juniors co-head coach / FCD Youth Director of Coaching, Chris Hayden, will be making the trip. The youngsters will be training with Atletico Paranaense's youth teams while we're there.

George John's paperwork is currently being processed and we expect to be able to announce that he has signed shortly. Also, Sean Bucknor will be waived, and he came in today to take his exit physical. Formal announcements will come once all paperwork is finalized with MLS.

We'll be flying through the night and arriving Thursday morning, and will of course, be providing frequent updates while in Brazil.

The Ball Machine

A few weeks ago, the coaching staff integrated the SideKick ball machine into training, and we let you know that we'd tell you more about it sooner than later. Since it will primarily be used for goalkeeper training, we'll let 'keeper coach Drew Keeshan and Dario Sala speak about the machine's laser shot...


A Brand New Toy from FC Dallas on Vimeo.

BREAKING NEWS: FCD Signs David Ferreira

From GM Michael Hitchcock

Dear FC Dallas Fans:

I hope you’re having a great start to your week. I’m very excited to announce that we’ve signed our #10 (attacking center midfielder)!

This morning, we officially announced that we’ve signed Colombian international David Ferreira. David is a member of the Colombian national team and one of the top players for Clube Atletico Paranaense in the Brazilian First Division. He is an outstanding player who brings a great deal of experience at the highest level to FC Dallas.

Ferreira has been a winner on every team that he’s been with and we hope that FCD is no different. He will start training with the team in Brazil later this week, and will come to Dallas as soon as he receives his work visa.

Throughout the history of the League, the majority of teams who have won the MLS Cup had a strong attacking center midfielder, who was a game changer. In Ferreira, we feel that we’ve added that same type of player.

If you remember, we entered the offseason with three primary goals for this team. We felt we had a strong foundation of players but needed to upgrade the team in the following areas…

Continue reading...

• Add a left-sided midfielder. We accomplished this with the acquisition of one of the top left mids in MLS, Dave van den Bergh, in a trade with New York Red Bulls. Dave has already proven to be a great addition to the team.
• Improve our defense. We’ve added three players who have brought significant depth to our back line; Steve Purdy from 1860 Munich in Germany, Costa Rican international Daniel Torres, and George John with a 1st Round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.
• Bring in an experienced international #10. The final piece of the puzzle is finally here. We identified Ferreira as our top choice for the attacking center mid position (although he can also play withdrawn striker, as needed). And we’re overjoyed to have been able to get the deal finalized.

We worked very hard on this and want to thank our great partners, Clube Atletico Paranaense and President Marcos Malucelli, for agreeing to the deal and sharing one of their top players with us. A special thank you to CAP Board Member, Frank Romanoski, for all of his hard work, commitment and professionalism throughout this process. We know all of our fans are going to enjoy seeing Ferreira play with the rest of your team.

Thanks for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you at Pizza Hut Park this season. Less than four weeks until the home opener on Saturday, March 21st against the Chicago Fire. It’s going to be a fun one!

Sincerely,

Hitch
General Manager
FC Dallas & Pizza Hut Park

Dallas Acquires 1st Rd Draft Pick and Allocation Money from Toronto

In another move today, FCD has acquired a 1st Round 2010 draft pick (natural selection) and allocation money from Toronto FC in exchange for defender Adrian Serioux.

The 29-year-old started all 34 regular season games he appeared in during his two years in Dallas, including all four positions across the back line and as a holding midfielder. He posted a career-high four assists last season, good for second on the team behind Andre Rocha's eight.

Dallas also holds TFC's natural second round* pick in the 2010 Draft, from a 2008 trade that sent Abdus Ibrahim to Toronto. Clarification below...

*The original Abdus Ibrahim trade agreement stated that FCD would receive a conditional 2010 draft pick from Toronto in exchange for Ibrahim. The teams have now agreed to erase that condition, which means that FCD receives TFC's natural second round selection in next year's draft.

Youngsters Named to U-20 Roster

While FCD is making final preparations before heading off to Brazil Wednesday night for its final preseason trip, four players will not be accompanying the team. Anthony Wallace, Brek Shea, Peri Marosevic and Josh Lambo have been named to the U.S. U-20 roster that will compete in the 2009 CONCACAF Championship, March 6-15 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Wallace is the veteran of the group with 17 U-20 caps, while Marosevic led the U.S. team with four goals in 2008. The U.S. squad will meet in Bradenton, FL on Feb. 24 for five days of training before traveling to Bacolet, Tobago on March 2, where the team will play its three group games.

Back in Dallas

The team returned to DFW on Sunday afternoon and will have Monday and Tuesday off to recuperate and spend time with their families.

The guys will be back in Wednesday morning for a 9:30 am practice and then it's off to Curitiba, Brazil that evening, where the team will continue preseason preparations at the home of Clube Atletico Paranaense (Feb. 26 - March 6).

We've known that FCD will play CAP in the first leg of the USA-Brazil Challenge on Wed. March 4 (time TBD). We have also learned that the team will face the CAP U-20 team (likely March 2) and J Malucelli, a team FCD has played in past preseason trips to Brazil (March 6). We should be able to confirm those dates and times shortly.

Preseason Game 6: FCD 1, BK Hacken 1

UPDATE (FULL TIME): Jeff Cunningham's early goal was erased when BK Hacken notched one of their own in the 67th minute, as the two clubs played to a 1-1 tie tonight in Florida. With the tie, Dallas is now 3-1-2 in 2009 preseason play. FCD returns to Dallas on Sunday and will have the next two days off before departing for Curitiba, Brazil on Feb. 25, where the team will continue preseason training at the home of partner Clube Atletico Paranaense through March 6.

Scoring Summary:
FCD – Jeff Cunningham (Pablo Ricchetti) 7
BK – Tom Soderburg (Vinícius Lopes) 67

FCD: Dario Sala (GK), Blake Wagner (Anthony Wallace 74), Daniel Torres (Adrian Serioux 58), Steve Purdy, Drew Moor (Aaron Pitchkolan 67), Dave van den Bergh (Jamie Watson 77), Pablo Ricchetti, Dax McCarty, Brek Shea (Andre Rocha 57), Jeff Cunningham (Sean Bucknor 77), Kenny Cooper (Peri Marosevic 64).

=====================================
Some info on Hacken:

Hacken is preparing for the 2009 Allsvenskan (Sweden's top division) season, following a second-place finish in the Superatten (second division) last year. The Swedish schedule is similar to that of MLS, with games played from April to October. On Monday, when FCD is back in Dallas, Hacken will face Toronto FC, who are also staying at our hotel and practiced on the field next to FCD this morning.

Last Florida Training

The final training session in Florida took place this morning from 8:30-10 am CT. The guys will enjoy some downtime in between lunch and a pre-game snack in the afternoon, before wrapping up this trip with a preseason game against BK Hacken tonight. FYI - tonight's game, which has already seen one time/venue change, has again been pushed back. We'll now kick off at 7 pm CT due to a football camp taking place on the Cricket Stadium field beforehand.

Recovery Session / Meeting...

This morning's practice was of the light recovery variety, with the structured portion lasting only about an hour. For the next 45 minutes, the goalkeepers split off to play a few rounds of goalie wars (right), and Schellas Hyndman worked with Kenny Cooper and Steve Purdy on free kicks (below).

The rest of the team was free to work on their own: While a large group played soccer tennis, Andre Rocha, Daniel Torres, Adrian Serioux, and George John worked on fitness. On another part of the field, Jeff Cunningham and Michael Dello-Russo worked together to get some extra touches on the ball.

As we're typing this at 11:45 am CT, MLS representatives are conducting an annual mandatory players-only meeting downstairs in one of the conference rooms. Following the meeting, the guys will have the rest of the day to themselves. On tap for tomorrow is a morning practice, and then the team's final preseason game in Florida against BK Hacken (6 pm CT).

Preseason Game 5: FCD 9, FIU 0

UPDATE (FULL TIME): Kenny Cooper scored four of six second half goals to lead FCD to a 9-0 win over Florida International University today at the Cricket Stadium in Sunrise, FL. Scoring summary and 1st and 2nd half lineups are below. You can check FCDallas.com for a full recap later.

Scoring Summary:
FCD – Dax McCarty (Jeff Cunningham) 17
FCD – Peri Marosevic (Pablo Ricchetti) 24
FCD – Steve Purdy (Dax McCarty) 43
FCD – Kenny Cooper (Jamie Watson) 58
FCD – Kenny Cooper (Andre Rocha) 59
FCD – Jamie Watson (unassisted) 61
FCD – Kenny Cooper (Blake Wagner) 73
FCD – Kenny Cooper (Sean Bucknor) 83
FCD – Brek Shea (Jamie Watson) 88

FCD 1st Half – Ray Burse (GK), Anthony Wallace, Steve Purdy, Aaron Pitchkolan, Marcelo Saragosa, Dave van den Bergh, Pablo Ricchetti, Dax McCarty, Eric Avila (Andre Rocha 27), Peri Marosevic, Jeff Cunningham (Jamie Watson* 37).

FCD 2nd Half – Josh Lambo (GK), Blake Wagner, Daniel Torres, Drew Moor, Michael Dello-Russo, Brek Shea, Marcelo Saragosa (Aaron Pitchkolan 62), Dax McCarty (Juan Guerra* 62), Andre Rocha (Sean Bucknor 62), Jamie Watson*, Kenny Cooper.

*on trial

Sched. Changes...

No practice for the boys this morning. They'll instead meet together as a team at the hotel for a bit and will then have a few hours of downtime to prepare for this afternoon's game against Florida International University at 2 pm CT.

As we mentioned Tuesday evening, today's game has been moved from the hotel field to the Central Broward Regional Park Cricket Stadium just down the road. We have also confirmed that Saturday's game versus Swedish side BK Hacken will also be played at the Cricket Stadium, with kickoff time moved to 6 pm CT due to an event conflict at the venue.

After playing Tuesday's game there, the coaching staff felt it was a much better playing surface for competitive games. The team will continue to practice here at the hotel field for the remainder of the week.

FCD Juniors Update

While the first team is currently in Florida for preseason training, the FC Dallas Juniors U-16 and U-18 teams have been busy back in Frisco....

• The U-16's have added four new players in Matthew Dunn (U.S. U-15 boy's national team), Marco Carrizales (formerly with Dallas Texans), Jose Gamino (formerly with Solar Soccer Club), and Daniel Garcia (formerly with Longhorns Soccer Club).
• Dunn is one of 36 players currently in Bradenton, FL for U.S. U-15 national team camp through Sunday, Feb. 22.
• FC Dallas Youth player Matt Bonano has impressed the Juniors coaches and has moved up to the the U-18 team.
• Four Juniors players will join the FCD first team on an upcoming trip to Curitiba, Brazil for preseason training at CAP training facility from Feb. 26 – March 6. Making the trip are U-16 players Victor Ulloa, Chris Figueroa, and Darin Kruzich; and Cody Adams from the U-18 team.
• This Saturday, Feb. 21 the U-18 team will face an Hispanic Independent Leagues all-star team on PHP Field 2 at 2:30 p.m. CT. Immediately following, the U-16's will square off against Andromeda Soccer Club at 4:30 p.m. CT, also on Field 2.
• The FCD Juniors teams will participate in Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXX , Sunday April 5-12, at PHP.
• The Juniors will resume the U.S. Soccer Development Academy schedule on Saturday, March 21 vs. the Real Colorado U-16 (2 p.m. CT) and U-18 (4 p.m. CT) teams at PHP prior to the professional team's home opener versus the Chicago Fire at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Beware of Frogs

Updated after the afternoon practice...

Ray Burse had a nice surprise waiting for him at the end of this morning's practice. When he went into his bag to grab his sneakers and hotel room key, the frog pictured above jumped out and caused Ray to react in such a way that will cause his teammates to goof on him for at least the rest of this trip. Of course the frog didn't find his own way into the bag -- this one was served up by the training staff, with several of the guys also in on it.

Notes from the morning practice:

• The first 30 min of training were spent working on team defending, and then the team split off into separate groups...
• The starters from yesterday's game then went through a light recovery mainly consisting of soccer tennis, while the rest of the players worked on attack buildup and finishing.
• Bruno Guarda, who left Tuesday's game with a sprained left ankle, did not participate.
• The guys were free for the last 20 min to work on their own...
• After Peri Marosevic and Jamie Watson took shots on Josh Lambo for 15 min, Peri then put the gloves on and stepped in goal himself.

Notes from the afternoon practice:

• The team worked almost exclusively on complete attack buildup from the back line all the way up to the forwards for about 90 minutes.
• After sitting out the morning session, Bruno worked out at a nearby gym with head athletic trainer Joshua Watts and George John.
• A Thursday morning practice was originally on the schedule, but the guys were informed at the end of today's training that they'll get a break from the field and attend a team meeting instead.

Preseason Game 4: FCD 1, Colorado 0

Kenny Cooper's free kick goal in the 57th minute holds up and FCD posts a 1-0 shutout over the Colorado Rapids. Cooper's right-footed strike from 20 yards out curled up and over Colorado's wall and just inside the left post to beat Colorado 'keeper Matt Pickens. The Rapids had their share of chances late in the game, but Ray Burse was able to make some key saves to preserve the win.

Dallas is now 2-1-1 this preseason and will next face Florida International University on Thurs. Feb. 19 at 2 pm CT on the Sunrise Holiday Inn & Suites soccer field. UPDATE 5:20 pm: Thursday's game has been moved to the Central Broward Regional Park Cricket Stadium (same as today).

FCD -- Dario Sala (GK) (Ray Burse 46), Blake Wagner (Daniel Torres 60), Steve Purdy, Drew Moor (Aaron Pitchkolan 65), Marcelo Saragosa (Anthony Wallace 70), Dave van den Bergh (Brek Shea 70), Pablo Ricchetti, Dax McCarty (Andre Rocha 70), Eric Avila (Bruno Guarda 46) (Juan Guerra* 75), Jeff Cunningham (Sean Bucknor 60), Kenny Cooper (Peri Marosevic 60).

*on trial

Light Practice / This Afternoon's Game

FCD broke out the new training gear for a light practice this morning on the main soccer field here at the hotel. This was the team's first opportunity to get some touches on the ball since arriving to Florida yesterday. The real test comes at 2 pm CT when FCD faces Colorado in its fourth preseason game of the year just 10 minutes down the road at a nearby cricket stadium.

Speaking of Colorado, the Rapids this morning held a practice of their own on the adjacent hotel soccer field, and coaches from both sides took time to chat with one another afterward. For the FCD players, it's now time to grab a team lunch together and relax before we head off for the game.

Change of Scenery - Florida

We've arrived safely in Sunrise, Florida, about a 30-minute drive from Miami International Airport. The team is staying at the Sunrise Holiday Inn & Suites, and the advantage of staying at this particular hotel is the fact that it has a full-size soccer field and a smaller training field just steps away from the main entrance.

Less than an hour after getting to the hotel, the team went through a light jog and stretch and afterward Schellas informed the guys about how the week will shape up. The team will train twice each day Tuesday through Saturday at 8:30 am CT and 2 pm CT, with the afternoon sessions replaced by games on Tuesday (Colorado Rapids), Thursday (Florida International University), and Saturday (BK Hacken).

All of the practices and games will take place here at the hotel field, with the exception of Tuesday's game vs. Colorado, which will be played at the Central Broward Regional Park Cricket Field. We'll do our best to keep you updated throughout the trip.

Individual Game Tickets Now Available

Looking for a belated Valentine's Day gift for that special someone? Or perhaps you're doing a little President's Day shopping? Then you've come to the right place because individual game tickets for the 2009 FC Dallas regular season are now available at FCDallas.com and Ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $20-$75 and group discounts are also available. Want to attend several games throughout the season and save money doing so? Then check out the variety of plans FCD has to offer.

Heading to Florida

FCD this morning heads to Sunrise, Florida for a week of preseason training which will include two-a-day practice sessions and games versus the Colorado Rapids, Florida International University, and Swedish side BK Hacken (dates / times listed to the right).

The travel party includes all 23 players on the current roster, trialists Jamie Watson and Juan Guerra (meeting the team in Florida), league pool GK Bryant Rueckner, 1st Rd. SuperDraft selection George John, all four coaches, two trainers, and five team staff members.

We're scheduled to land at Miami Int'l Airport at 2 p.m. CT, and after settling in at the hotel, the team will hold a light practice session at 4 p.m. It'll be a busy week, so be sure to check back here often for updates...

Scrimmage: FCD 5, Memphis 1

Sean Bucknor runs on to a through ball played by Dax McCarty.

FCD this morning defeated the University of Memphis 5-1 in a preseason scrimmage played on the adidas Field. Jeff Cunningham opened the scoring in the the 44th minute, heading home a cross from Dave van den Bergh, and then followed up with an unassisted finish just a minute later. The second half saw Sean Bucknor, Dax McCarty, and Jamie Watson all get on the board and put the game out of reach.

Scoring:
Jeff Cunningham (Dave van den Bergh) 44
Jeff Cunningham (unassisted) 45
Sean Bucknor (Dax McCarty) 71
Dax McCarty (Dave van den Bergh) 80
Jamie Watson (Dax McCarty) 84

FCD: Dario Sala (Ray Burse 46), Blake Wagner (Daniel Torres 46), Steve Purdy, Drew Moor (Aaron Pitchkolan 46), Marcelo Saragosa, Dave van den Bergh, Pablo Ricchetti, Dax McCarty (Bruno Guarda 46), Eric Avila (Dax McCarty 60), Kenny Cooper (Sean Bucknor 60), Jeff Cunningham (Jamie Watson 60).

Be sure to check FCDallas.com this afternoon for a full recap. The guys will have Sunday off before they head to Florida Monday morning for a week of preseason training / games for which we'll keep you updated all week long.

Hitchcock: 2009 USA-Brazil Challenge...

From General Manager Michael Hitchcock...

We're excited to announce details for the 3rd Annual USA-Brazil Challenge, the two-leg aggregate goal series between FCD and our Brazilian-partner Clube Atletico Paranaense. The first game will be played on March 4th at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, with the second leg at PHP on March 14th at 7:30 p.m. CT. We plan to webcast the March 14th game and we're working with CAP on webcast options for March 4th. If we can do it, we will!

The March 14th game will be a great end to our preseason. CAP won the Inaugural USA-Brazil Challenge in 2007 and we were able to claim the title last year. CAP always have great players so it's a good test for us at the perfect time since the season starts the following week.

Tickets for the March 14 game vs. CAP will go on sale next Thursday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. at FCDallas.com and Ticketmaster. But if you're an FCD season ticket holder (full season, 10-game, or 5-game plan holder), you'll receive free tickets (your seats) to the FCD vs CAP game.

For full season seat holders, this will NOT count as one of your five bonus games. Also, fans who reserve tickets to the home opener on March 21st vs. the Chicago Fire (by March 13 at 5 p.m.) will receive that same number of tickets for FREE to the March 14th game vs CAP. Consider it an FCD preseason "Freeview" for our wonderful supporters.

Continue reading...

Clube Atletico Paranaense are amazing partners. They're one of the top clubs (on and off the field) in Brazil. We look forward to training at their world-class facilities, playing in their state-of-the-art stadium, and meeting with their executive management team to share best practices in the areas of player development and business operations. Not to mention, we hope to win the USA-Brazil Front Office Challenge in Curitiba, where we'll (FCD staff and coaches) take on CAP Board of Directors Frank Romanowski and his team in a backyard game (you may remember from last year – Frank has a soccer field under lights in his back yard.) Paging Oscar Pareja (who will be joining us in Brazil)...

We're also taking four of our FCD Juniors players to train with CAP’s youth teams which will be an incredible experience for them. In addition, our Academy and Juniors coaches will meet with CAP to learn more about their youth development system, which is one of the best in South America. All in all, it'll be a great two weeks that culminates with the return leg on March 14th at Pizza Hut Park. We hope you can join us for the "Freeview" for what promises to be a great night of soccer.

Sincerely,
Hitch
General Manager
FC Dallas & Pizza Hut Park

Thursday Update...

FC Dallas continues preseason training in the final days before the team moves camp to Sunrise, FL. The team practiced for two hours this morning and will be back here at PHP for a second session at 4:30 pm, before returning for one Friday practice at 9:30 am. FCD will then face the University of Memphis this Saturday at 10 am on the adidas Field (#1).

On Monday, the team will depart for Florida where they'll train from Feb. 16-22, playing games against the Colorado Rapids (Feb. 17), Florida International University (Feb. 19) and Swedish first division club BK Hacken (Feb. 21). All games will be played at the Sunrise Holiday Inn soccer field at 2 p.m. CT.

After returning from Florida, the guys will have a few days off before the team heads to Curitiba, Brazil (Feb. 25-March 7) to train at the home of Atletico Paranaense. More details on the Brazil trip, including the third annual USA-Brazil Challenge, to come later...

USA vs. Mexico

We're going to go with the assumption that you haven't been living under a rock for the past few weeks and you are fully aware that the U.S. faces Mexico tonight in a World Cup Qualifier in Columbus, OH (6 p.m. CT live on ESPN2). So let's hear it. Predictions? Where will you be watching? Feel free to discuss anything and everything involving tonight's game right here.

Wednesday's "Firsts"

Although it lasted about two hours, this morning's practice was relatively light. The majority was spent working on attacking principles, before applying them in some full speed exercises for the final 30 minutes. The team will be back in this afternoon for a second practice at 4:30 p.m. A few "firsts" from this morning's practice...

• Michael Dello-Russo participated in full training for the first time since Jan. 21, when he suffered a broken nose in the team's first preseason practice.
• Andre Rocha joined the team on the practice field for the first time this preseason, after completing his physical earlier this week.
• Bryant Rueckner, who trained with FCD quite a bit in 2008, practiced for the first time this season. He is now a League pool goalkeeper and will be with us for the rest of the year as FCD is his host club.
• And finally, the Sidekick ball machine made its first appearance in practice. This new piece of equipment, which can fire a ball at speeds up to 70 mph, will be used on a regular basis from here on out.

2009 Kick-Off Luncheon

Want to ring in the start of the season with FC Dallas players and coaches? Then join us for the 2009 FC Dallas Kick-Off Luncheon on Monday, March 9 at the Westin Stonebriar Hotel in Frisco (11:30 a.m.)!

Three different levels of sponsorship for this event are currently available. Associate level and full table reservations give the sponsor the opportunity to choose which FCD player sits at your table. All proceeds from will benefit the FC Dallas Foundation and its programs. Contact foundation@fcdallas.net for more information.

Torres Arrives Today...

Daniel Torres has received his visa and is schedule to arrive in Dallas this afternoon. Torres will need to complete a physical before he can practice with the team. This means he'll likely miss Wednesday morning's practice, but could join the team on the field for the 4:30 pm session.

With the team off-site this morning (they went to the MJPC for a recovery session), it allows us the opportunity to share with you some quick notes that we weren't able to provide you with over the last couple of days...

• Following yesterday's scrimmage, Brek Shea, Anthony Wallace, Josh Lambo, and Peri Marosevic joined U.S. U-20 camp in Bradenton, FL. They'll return to Dallas on Feb. 15.
• Over the weekend, the FCD Juniors teams had a good showing in the Texas Blue Chip Showcase in Houston. The U16's defeated Texas Rush 2-1 and tied 0-0 against Austin Lonestar. The U-18's beat Texas Rush 1-0 and defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0.
• The Juniors resume Development Academy play at PHP on March 21 against Real Colorado.

Hitchcock - Preseason Update...

We’re three weeks into our preseason and everything is going well in preparation for the 2009 Major League Soccer season. With 39 days until the March 21 home opener versus the Chicago Fire, I thought it would be a good time to share with you an update from Pizza Hut Park…

We feel that we have a strong foundation of players this year including four U.S. U-20 national team players; two prolific goal scorers in Kenny Cooper and Jeff Cunningham; solid international players like Pablo Ricchetti, Andre Rocha, Dario Sala, and Adrian Serioux; plus we’ve added what we think will be key players to our success in 2009 and beyond. We’ve added Dave van den Bergh, who is arguably the best left-sided midfielder in MLS. He brings a great deal of experience and something special to the team.

We’ve also strengthened the backline with the addition of Costa Rican international Danny Torres and Steve Purdy, who was playing in Germany with 1860 Munich. We drafted central defender George John with one of our first round SuperDraft picks. We’re continuing to look for a #10 (attacking center midfielder), who can be a game-changer. Although it would be great to get this type of top-tier player, we have a number of young players who can do a great job in that role and will continue to develop throughout the season.

Continue reading...

As I’m sure you’ve seen, we announced our 2009 MLS schedule. It’s the best schedule we’ve had since moving to Pizza Hut Park. With 10 home games on Saturday nights, three Sunday games and only two weeknight games, it’s a great schedule for the team and our fans, and we’re looking forward to providing a home-field advantage for the team. We’re also finalizing our local broadcast schedule (10 games are nationally broadcast). In addition, we’re working on the details for the USA-Brazil Challenge game vs. Atletico Paranaense at PHP. We’ll share info as soon as it’s finalized.

Thanks to everyone who attended our Open House/Intra-Squad Scrimmage on Jan. 31. This “Red & Blue Game” will become an annual event that will feature an open house and a chance for fans to meet the new players in the VIP club after the scrimmage. This was a successful inaugural event as we received a lot of positive feedback from fans and the players. Thanks also to the fans who either attended or watched yesterday’s scrimmage online against our southern rivals, the Houston Dynamo. We were excited about being able to provide a live webstream for those that couldn’t make it out to PHP, and if you missed the game, we’ve provided a full video archive so you can check out the scrimmage in its entirety.

Throughout the year, we ask you our loyal fans for your input through a variety of surveys and focus groups. You tell us what you think and we listen. Last season, the #1 concern our fans had was the concessions experience at Pizza Hut Park. We heard you and as a result, we’ve made a change in the management company of our food & beverage operation, bringing on Centerplate as our new concessionaire. We trust that you’ll have a better experience this year; including better food and improved service when you attend games at Pizza Hut Park this season.

So, we’re 39 days away from the home opener. If you have not reserved your season seats, call your rep or the front office at 888-FCD-GOAL and get more info on our different programs, such as 10-game and 5-game season seat plans which provide a chance for fans to reserve the same great seat for 5 or 10 games while saving money over the game day price. Plus we're offering a 3-month payment plan option to spread out the payments for your 5 and 10-game plans. Just yesterday, we started a special individual ticket pre-sale for our sponsors, Hoops Nation members and plan holders (who want to order additional tickets at the plan holder discount). Individual game tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, February 16th at 10am.

Thanks for your support. Keep coming back to the blog for all the behind-the-scenes access and info about your team. We hope you share our excitement for the 2009 MLS Season.

Sincerely,

Hitch
General Manager
FC Dallas & Pizza Hut Park

Scrimmage: FCD 0 , HOU O

Although both teams had their share of good scoring opportunities throughout, today's scrimmage ended in a scoreless tie. We appreciate all of the fans who came out to PHP this morning, as well as those who caught the game on the live webstream. A full video archive has been posted for those who were unable to watch earlier.

Here's how the boys lined up...

FCD: Dario Sala (Ray Burse 73), Blake Wagner (Anthony Wallace 55), Steve Purdy, Drew Moor (Aaron Pitchkolan 67), Marcelo Saragosa (Adrian Chevannes 79), Dave van den Bergh (Jamie Watson 79), Pablo Ricchetti, Dax McCarty (Bruno Guarda 61), Eric Avila (Brek Shea 72), Jeff Cunningham (Peri Marosevic 61), Kenny Cooper (Sean Bucknor 71).

Back in Dallas

After returning from Houston early Friday evening, the team was back out on the adidas field Saturday morning for a two-hour practice session. The guys will have Sunday off, but will be back in Monday for another scrimmage against the Dynamo on the PHP stadium field (10 a.m.).

Notes: Kenny Cooper has returned to Dallas after spending the past week in USMNT camp, and participated in full training with the team today.  Andre Rocha, who arrived in Dallas this morning, was at the PHP facilities but did not practice. 

Schellas Hyndman informed us that we can expect to see Kenny in Monday's scrimmage, but it will be at least a few days before Rocha is cleared to participate. 

Rocha Arrives Saturday

Midfielder Andre Rocha has received his visa and will arrive in Dallas by Saturday morning. While he won't participate in Saturday's practice (must complete a physical first), we could see him out on the FCD training field early next week.

Photo: Rick Yeatts / FC Dallas

1st Scrimmage: FCD 0, HOU 3

The final whistle has blown, and it was clearly not the result we had wished for. Houston wins 3-0 on goals from Chris Wondolowski (6th min), Craig Waibel (14th min), and Julius James (34th min).

The good news is that there is plenty of preseason left, and the FCD coaching staff used this opportunity to evaluate all 20 players who traveled. These sides will meet again on Monday on the PHP stadium field (10 a.m.). We hope you can join us, but if you can't make it you can tune into the live webstream at FCDallas.com.

FCD: Ray Burse (GK) (Dario Sala 45), Blake Wagner (Anthony Wallace 30) (Brek Shea 60) (Blake Wagner 66) (Anthony Wallace 76), Steve Purdy, Drew Moor (Aaron Pitchkolan 30), JP Rodrigues* (Adrian Chevannes* 30) (Drew Moor 60), Dave van den Bergh, Pablo Ricchetti (Bruno Guarda 78), Bruno Guarda (Dax McCarty 30) (Eric Avila 78), Eric Avila (Marcelo Saragosa 30), Jeff Cunningham (Sean Bucknor 30), Jamie Watson* (Peri Marosevic 30) (Jeff Cunningham 60)

*on trial

FCD Heads South...

A short session this morning was followed by lunch in the player lounge consisting of rigatoni, salad, chicken with mushroom sauce, and a blogger favorite - cheesecake!

Twenty players, four coaches, and our equipment and training staff then boarded the bus which departed for Houston at 1 pm.

On Friday, we'll face the Dynamo at 10 am in the first preseason game of the year. We'll do our best to keep you updated on how the game goes here on the FCD Blog.

The traveling roster:

Dario Sala, Ray Burse, Drew Moor, Aaron Pitchkolan, Steve Purdy, Adrian Chevannes, Blake Wagner, JP Rodriguez, Anthony Wallace, Brek Shea, Pablo Ricchetti, Marcelo Saragosa, Dax McCarty, Bruno Guarda, Eric Avila, Dave van den Bergh, Jeff Cunningham, Jamie Watson, Peri Marosevic, and Sean Bucknor.

Pablo Ricchetti named FCD Captain

With the team departing today for Houston ahead of Friday's first preseason game (vs. the Dynamo), Schellas felt it was important to inform the team who the team captain would be for the year.

Earlier this week, Schellas had a meeting with a group of senior players to talk about his expectations from the leadership of the team. Then at Wednesday's evening practice, Schellas brought the entire team together and made the announcement that Pablo Ricchetti would be the team's captain for 2009.

Monday's scrimmage to be web-streamed

We're excited to inform you that we will be web-streaming Monday's preseason game vs. Houston live on fcdallas.com. The game, which will be played in three 30 minute periods, is scheduled to kick off at 10 am CT on Feb. 9 here at Pizza Hut Park. Fans are welcome to attend (enter through the West Gate).

This will be the first time we'll be testing out a new video machine that let's us 'produce' an event with different cameras, add graphics to the video, and stream it online. And, we'll be using our own blog and video staff (with the assistance of the staff at MLSnet in NYC). We have a lot of confidence in our crew and are looking forward to providing soccer fans a chance to watch MLS soccer this early in the year.

Tweaking the Practice Schedule

Since the beginning of preseason, the team has been holding morning practices at 10 am and adding in a 6 pm practice a couple of times each week. While that schedule gave the players plenty of time in between practices for their bodies to rest, it left little time at night to eat dinner and spend time with their families.

Several players suggested a change to Schellas Hyndman, who had no problem adjusting the schedule. Beginning today, the morning practices will now start at 9:30 pm and the evening sessions willl start at 4:30 pm.

As for the rest of this week, the guys will be back in today at 4:30 and have one final practice Thursday morning before departing for Houston in the afternoon. Friday's scrimmage against the Dynamo will kick off at 10 am on the Robertson Stadium field.

Quick note: Right-sided defender JP Rodrigues has joined preseason camp on trial. He'll remain in camp at least through Friday's scrimmage.

FCD Sends Four to U-20 Camp

U.S. U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen has called in Josh Lambo, Brek Shea, Anthony Wallace, and Peri Marosevic for a camp in Bradenton, FL from Feb. 4-15 as part of final preparations for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.

All four will report to camp on Feb. 9, allowing them the opportunity to play in the upcoming scrimmages versus the Houston Dynamo (2/6 at HOU, 2/9 at PHP). They'll return to Dallas in time to travel with FCD to Fort Lauderdale, FL for the second phase of preseason training from Feb. 16-22.

Buffett Returns to PHP in April

Last month, we announced that Kenny Chesney will return to PHP this coming May. Now, we can confirm that Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band will return to PHP on April 18, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. as part of Buffett’s “Summerzcool” Tour 2009.

FCD Full Season Ticket holders will have a chance to order tickets to the April 18 concert during a special pre-sale beginning Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. Please contact the FCD front office for more information (888-FCD-GOAL).

Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Monday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. and can only be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 1-800-754-3000. There is a six ticket limit per customer. Tickets are not available through the Pizza Hut Park box office.

Check pizzahutpark.com in the coming weeks for more information regarding the opening of gates, parking costs, hours, and tailgating policies for this event.

This will be Buffett’s third concert at Pizza Hut Park, as he previously played at PHP on April 28, 2007 and April 26, 2008.

First of Two

Monday morning's training session lasted just under two hours, with the bulk of the focus on team defensive shape / strategy. The guys will be back in tonight for a second training session at 6 p.m. A few notes from this morning...

Marcelo Saragosa participated in full practice for the first time this preseason. Remember, he spent the offseason recovering from knee surgery late last year. Michael Dello-Russo (nose) and Adrian Serioux (hernia) continued to work off to the side recovering from their respective injuries.

Practice ended just before noon, but that didn't stop several players from getting in an extra 30 minutes of work. Jeff Cunningham took some free kicks with assistant coach Marco Ferruzzi, while the trio of Brek Shea, Anthony Wallace and Peri Marosevic also got some extra touches in.

Trialists Kevin Ouma, Jeff Rowland, Juan Guerra and JD Binger are no longer in preseason camp. Jamie Watson, Adrian Chevannes and Chase Wileman are still here, except Chase could not practice today due to a left knee injury.

Scrimmage Highlights

Highlights from Saturday's intra-squad scrimmage...