Moor reaches 100 start plateau
FC Dallas defender scores goal in milestone appearance
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On Saturday night against Los Angeles, the Dallas native reached the century mark in starts in his 115th league outing for the club. Moor made the night especially memorable when he headed home the equalizer in the first half, a tally that allowed FCD to get a point in the 1-1 draw.
"It's cool," Moor said. "I've said it a bunch of times, this is the club that I followed from the start. I was in the stands on their opening day back in the Cotton Bowl against the San Jose Clash. To be able to say I've had 100 starts now, it's a cool thing. At the same time, I'd love to have 200 or 300 but 300 would be pretty tough. It's definitely an honor and something I'm proud of but right now, I want to help get this team back on winning ways."
Moor's 100th appearance in the first 11 came almost four years to the day after he made his debut at the Cotton Bowl on June 18, 2005.
"I remember it was hotter than anything at the Cotton Bowl," he said. "I remember we were playing the Galaxy. I started at right back with Bobby Rhine in front of me at right midfield. Roberto Mina scored and we won 1-0. I really didn't know what to expect. I was very proud on that day, just as I am every time I walk on the field up here in Frisco. I always get a little nervous before games. It doesn't matter how many I've played, it still gets the blood flow going. I'd love to keep doing that for as many years I can."
Since Schellas Hyndman took over as FCD's head coach last June, Moor has been in the starting lineup for almost every game, a comforting thought to the club's manager.
"To carry a career as long as he has been in the league but for as short a period of time, I think it's a tribute to him," Hyndman said. "There are still issues we need to work on like consistency. Drew has some very good games and he has some poor games. What we need to do is get him to the level where he's consistent. I think the more pressure there is on Drew, the better he stays focused by being a ball-winner and playing to his strengths. But if there isn't pressure and he's got all the time in the world to make choices and distribution, sometimes he gives the ball away, makes a bad pass or has a bad first touch."
Hyndman has seen more consistency in the fast few weeks from his veteran defender.
"I think in the last few games, he's really stepped up his level," he said. "I think that he's picked up his play. He's taken it to heart and his play has improved. What a great goal for him to score a man down."
When asked to name the most memorable of his 100 starts, Moor admits he is at a bit of a loss.
"I don't think there's one in particular I can think of," Moor said. "There are several that were memorable like our games with Houston their first year. I think I scored my first goal down there in a 4-3 loss. I can think of a game up here (in 2006) where we were up on the Revolution 4-0 after 19 minutes and there are a couple of playoff games that were great. I've played in two Open Cup finals, which not a lot of people get to play in those, but unfortunately, we lost both. It was a great experience to be a part of and something that has helped me to grow.
"I'm still looking for that big one, where we go deep into the playoffs and into the MLS Cup. I still feel like I have plenty of years left to do that. That would be the greatest honor -- to win a cup title for this team."
Before the season, he and fellow defender Aaron Pitchkolan were the longest-tenured members of the FCD roster. However, Pitchkolan was traded to San Jose earlier this year, leaving Moor as the lone player with the club since the start of the '05 season
"I'm extremely loyal to this club and love being here," he said. "I have a smile on my face every day when I walk through the doors and go to work here. I've seen a lot of great players go through here. I've seen a lot of great characters and great professionals go through here. I can honestly say that I am playing with the best group of professionals now that I've seen up here. They're positive every day and although our record isn't where we want it to be, it's still such a hardworking roster, coaching staff and front office.
"Unfortunately, we're not where we want to be in the standings, but we've got 20 games to turn that around," Moor continued. "We have 10 games to go back on and see what we need to improve. I think this is a team that in the past has started quickly and maybe fizzled a bit, but we're looking to turn that around a little bit this year. We realize what needs to be fixed. We talk about it every single week and now it's time to turn things around. We're all positive and all looking forward to the challenge."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
