After a long, playoff-less 2012 season, FC Dallas will attempt to turn around their end-of-season playoff spurning into a stronger 2013 run, with a deeper, but fluctuating squad. It may be (at least on paper) the strongest team fielded yet in Frisco.
2012 Season Stats:
Record (9-13-12; 6th in Western Conference)
Goals Scored: 42
Goals Against: 47
Top Goalscorer: Blas Perez (9)
Top Assists: David Ferreira (9)
Shutouts: 6 (Home to NER, Home to CUSA, Home to SJE, Home to POR, Away to VAN, Home to VAN)
2013 Transactions:
In: Raul Fernandez (GK – signed from OGC Nice), Kenny Cooper (F – Trade with RBNY), Eric Hassli (F – Trade with TFC), Michel (D – Free), Peter Luccin (M – Free), London Woodberry (D – FCD academy), Preston Zimmerman (D – Superdraft), Bradlee Baladez (M/F – Superdraft), JeVaughn Watson (M – Trade with Houston), Stephen Keel (D – Re-entry draft), Ryan Hollingshead (M – Superdraft), Ryuta Sasaki (F – Trialist), Ramon Nunez (M – Free)
Out: James Marcelin (Option declined), Ruben Luna (Option declined), Bryan Leyva (Option declined), Kevin Hartman (Option declined), Julian de Guzman (Option declined), Hernan Pertuz (Returned after loan), Scott Sealy (Option declined), Bruno Guarda (Option declined), Matias Jara (Option declined), Daniel Hernandez (Retired), Brek Shea (Sold to Stoke City FC)
More Questions Than Answers Following 2012 Season
The end of the 2012 calendar year did not end on the highest of notes or most auspicious of circumstances for Dallas. Bryan Leyva and Ruben Luna, both graduates from the storied and successful FCD academy were both cut.
To prolong the agony, Doug Quinn, CEO of FCD, was arrested on suspicion of domestic assault (and has now resigned).
A bright light even was the retirement of Daniel Hernandez, at least in the sense that he would be guiding the 2013 squad from the sidelines. Yet his abrupt resignation (and/or firing) from his coaching position (rumored to be triggered after the signing of Peter Luccin – little is confirmed, however), left even more questions about what exactly was happening in Frisco.
Even Pipico, the somewhat-intriguing Brazilian striker, turned out to be a bust and went home before FCD set foot in Mexico.
Issue after issue seemed add up. Quinn had been instrumental in boosting attendance and coordinating new sponsorships (Advocare, namely). As the dust settled after the waiving of Luna and Leyva, questions abounded: is the academy properly equipping the FCD youth enough to break into the first team? Is this more a problem of the FCD academy, or the league’s reserve league structure, or even the lack of loan opportunities to lower US divisions? What will be the new direction of the squad and organization, given both their respective changes?
Regardless, FCD, even in the first month of the 2012-2013 offseason, had a different, albeit dour, look to the side.
Brek the Benefactor
If Dallas had any face of the club that remained, it was certainly Brek Shea. Bust ups with Hyndman, constant niggling injuries, and perhaps the public pressure of being a rising, young American soccer prodigy had added to a dismal 2012 campaign for the winger. But at least he was the face of the club and he was still in Texas. Bets and hopes could easily be hedged upon the winger, especially with a healthy David Ferreira, Blas Perez, Fabian Castillo, and stable defense within the ranks. He was only one of five FCD players that remained from the 2010 MLS Cup squad.
But the back-and-forth, daytime-soap-opera-like nature of his transfer to Stoke City confounded the mind. Why didn’t FCD take the alleged 3.8 million pound offer to begin with, only to capitulate for a lesser offer later? Even with an emptier wallet, however, the team immediately benefitted from the departure of the club’s prodigal son.
Kenny Cooper’s signing followed; as did that of Raul Fernandez and Eric Hassli. Suddenly, the question turned from, “Who will replace Brek on the flank?” to, “Which pair of three class forwards start on March 2nd?” It was a clever bit of business from the FCD front office, reinforcing Hyndman’s desire, even addressed in 2012, to actually field a 4-4-2. Should FCD achieve higher heights than 2012, the sale of Shea could be the most positive moment of the entire FCD offseason.
Into the Depth
Brek’s sale gave Dallas depth unforeseen in seasons past. Here is how:
Between the pipes, the FCD keeping situation never looked more competitive. Fernandez is the Peruvian national team number one, Seitz looks hungrier than ever to obtain minutes after backing Kevin Hartman all of 2012, and Richard Sanchez (still academy aged) is still a promising talent. Fernandez and Seitz both performed well in FCD’s preseason. At the moment, Fernandez seems to have the upper hand – his match against AIK was stellar. Do not be surprised, however, if there is a little bit of interchange between Seitz and Fernandez as the season moves forward.
Defensively, the back line finished on a high in 2012 and remains relatively unchanged. A majority of the team’s shutouts were in the second half of the season, and newcomer Matt Hedges had settled in nicely by that point, even garnering a few votes and support for MLS Rookie of the Year for his defensive exploits. The additions of Stephen Keel and London Woodberry brought needed veteran depth and rookie athleticism, respectively, to back up a solid paring between John and Hedges. The addition of Michel may also spell the end of Jair Benitez’s dominance at left back, as he has shown exceptionally well throughout FCD’s trips to Mexico and the Pacific Northwest.
Fluctuation is the story throughout the midfield. Two strikers up top prompts a 4-4-2 formation. But do the four through the midfield play flat, or as a diamond, or perhaps even condensed in the center of the pitch in a 4-3-1-2? Will David Ferreira be placed out on the wing, as he was against Portland, with Jacobson holding the defensive role in the midfield, squeezing Jackson into the attacking CM role? Nothing remains concrete at this point. Bobby Warshaw, injured for all of 2012, could even fit well into this mix, as he performed superbly in FCD’s offseason bouts with Portland, AIK, and San Jose.
Once again, these are more options to be weighed. Newfound dynamism would be supremely dangerous for opposing squads if FCD could consistently rotate positions amongst Ferreira, Jackson, Castillo, Jacobson, and Warshaw. No one questions Ferreira’s service, even if it is from the flanks. Doubts remain, however, on whether or not Jacobson (or Warshaw) could handle the extra two-way load of a two-man central midfield (as opposed to three). In addition, will we actually see Fabian Castillo stay healthy and mature into the brilliant, pacey, threatening winger he has been touted to be?
Most of the offseason alterations occurred up top. Brek’s sale brought on the purchase of Cooper and Hassli. Cooper is good to go, but still trying to find common ground with the supporting cast. The Frenchman, Hassli, seems to be about a month off readiness for the 2013 season, according to reports out of Frisco. Blas Perez will also serve a one match ban (from the end of 2012), missing the home opener, and then eventually matches due to Panama’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
What is important to consider is that Dallas now has three quality forwards, a sight unseen in recent, if not all of, FCD history. Perez proved, despite bans, injuries, and family woes, that he was a consistently positive threat in 2012. Kenny Cooper finished with eighteen goals in 2012. Combined, the three forwards have 91 goals and 20 assists between them across nine MLS seasons. This isn’t even taking into account the production from Castillo and Ferreira that we are bound to see in 2013.
This team, simply put, isn’t what it used to be; it’s better. It is different in look, in tactical approach, and in depth, and all in positive ways. Despite the resignation of Quinn, the cutting of academy hopefuls, and missing the 2012 playoffs, FCD ended the offseason on a high. What remains to be seen is that if the product on the field will match the product on paper (the print version reads excellently).
Current depth chart:
(image courtesy of Jason Minnick)
