FC Dallas: The big questions
WHAT DOES FCD NEED TO DO TO REACH THE MLS CUP FINAL IN '07?
After FCD lost to Colorado in the opening round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year, the questions began. The first answer came in the week leading up to MLS Cup when Colin Clarke was relieved of his duties as head coach. Whether there needs to be new approach or not, whether it is time to look at possibly overhauling the roster and bringing in some new blood, those and many other questions can't be answered until there is a new coach in place.
Club president and general manager Michael Hitchcock said the process has begun, and that he would like to create a list of 10 candidates for the position. That list will then be whittled to three before a final decision is made. In the meantime, assistant coach Steve Morrow is in charge in an interim basis.
Check out the best of 2006But the biggest single need could be more offensive consistency. On two different occasions this season, FCD slogged through three-game losing streaks. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Hoops also failed to find the back of the net in those six matches. A scoreless game here and there can be expected but three back-to-back-to-back is a problem. The primary playmaker, Ronnie O'Brien, was injured for a big part of the first streak and returned to form after the all-star break but they still had problems making things happen at times.
WHAT WAS THE TEAM'S BEST MOMENT IN '06?
"There are a few things that we can be proud of and take from the season," right back Bobby Rhine said. "For the first time, we won a conference crown by finishing first in the West. We set a record for points this club has had. We won against Tigres in the Rio Grande Plate and also won the Brimstone Cup against Chicago. Those were two of the more thrilling series of the year. There were a few highlights."
WHO MADE THE MOST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON?
The player who made the most improvement would likely be left back Chris Gbandi. He benefited greatly from his first injury-free offseason and was the top performer for FCD in the back, justly rewarded as the team's Defender of the Year.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 SuperDraft, Gbandi played in a career-high 28 games, starting 27, and missed just one match from mid-May to the end of the season. Unfortunately, however, his season is likely to be remembered for the red card he earned in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals against Colorado.
WHAT RESERVES ARE MOST READY TO MOVE INTO THE TEAM?
FCD had several players have breakout performances in 2006 like Kenny Cooper, Drew Moor, Dario Sala and Abe Thompson, among others. Who could be the next name on this list? There are a couple of solid candidates.
One could be midfielder Dax McCarty, the Hoops' No. 1 pick in the 2006 SuperDraft. The former North Carolina standout played well in the reserve games and can clearly deliver some offensive punch in the central midfield but can also play on the flanks. He is definitely one to watch for 2007 and should Simo Valakari not return, McCarty could step right into his spot.
Also worth watching is fellow 2006 draftee Justin Moore. The right back out of Clemson was expected to push Rhine for playing time this year but didn't. Moore did start the Sept. 2 match against Houston and played pretty well in his MLS debut. This fellow ACC product could also become a starter as early as next season.
Dominic Oduro, who is yet another 2006 FCD draft choice, played in 16 games, including three starts and had a goal in his first MLS start against New York on July 8. The native of Ghana has incredible pace and with more experience, could make a serious push to start up top.
WHAT AREA OF THE TEAM NEEDS THE MOST IMPROVEMENT?
Position by position, here's a look at where the Hoops stand:
Who will be odd man out at forward? Abe Thompson's emergence late in the season was a great story and clouded the picture up top a bit. Talented Ecuadorian Roberto Mina was injured for the entire second half of the season but played well while healthy. And the great potential of rookie Dominic Oduro also figures into the mix as to who will be Carlos Ruiz's primary strike partner next season. Kenny Cooper also saw his share of time at forward before shifting back to midfield late in the year.
What, if any changes, will there be in the midfield? Will the mercurial but talented Ronnie O'Brien, who earlier in the season expressed a desire to be traded, return or will he play elsewhere? Also, there is the question of whether captain Simo Valakari, who is now 33, will be back. Left-sided midfielder Ramon Nunez is a bit of a head scratcher. The Dallas native played well at times this season, setting career highs with six goals and four assists but was relegated to the bench late in the year when Cooper moved down from forward to take his spot. He was also obviously unhappy when he didn't play in the Hoops' season-ending loss to Colorado and showed his displeasure on the sideline.
Are changes imminent in the back? At times, the FCD defense was solid and at other times, it could be pretty porous. Along those lines, will veteran center back Greg Vanney return for 2007? He did have one goal and two assists this year for FCD but was exposed in several losses and figured in on several bad goals throughout the year. Should he not return, it could mean a chance for Alex Yi to start. Yi played in 11 games, six of them starts. Another candidate is Clarence Goodson who began 2006 as the starter and was supplanted by Drew Moor. Goodson had his share of bad luck, scoring two own goals and giving up a PK at Colorado but scored his first playoff goal in FCD's season finale and could get a shot at starting should Vanney not return. Justin Moore played well as a rookie and made one start with the first team. Is he ready to push Bobby Rhine for a starting role as early as next season?
Who will start in goal? Dario Sala was rock-solid as the starter but after an incident following their season-ending playoff loss to Colorado, he will miss the first six games of 2006, meaning that Shaka Hislop will likely be the starter to start 2007. Hislop played well in two home starts but not so well against the league's two worst teams on the road. Unlike Sala, Hislop has a guaranteed contract and that could figure heavily into whom FCD keeps. Rookie 'keeper Ray Burse Jr. was solid as a backup and could also return.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
