Soccer, like many sports, is a funny game. One or two strange bounces can change the course of a season. For FC Dallas a few strange bounces of the ball may change the course of what looked early on to be a championship season. There's still plenty of time to change the course of recent events, but FCD must continue to fight through every training session and every game until they get it right.
FC Dallas is currently on a 10-game winless streak, It started July 16th when New England striker Taylor Twellman hit the equalizer in the 90th minute and two minutes later got another goal in stoppage time to send the Revolution to a 3-2 win. Since then it has been all downhill for the boys who wear red and white hoops. Including the New England setback, Dallas has lost seven games during the 10-game winless run. Their current streak of futility is a Dallas club record and is only two games shy of the league mark set in 1999 by the MetroStars.
The two things Dallas has to do at this point is to push forward in the physical and mental part of the game. The physical part of the game means playing better defense and the mental part means staying persistent and continuing to fight through adversity. Playing defense in soccer doesn't just mean the back four and the goalie; it means all 11 players on the pitch. How do you play better defense? When you lose the ball every player must hustle back behind the ball and do whatever it takes to regain possession. Better defense also means not allowing opposing teams space to operate - especially when Dallas has fallen into their defensive third of the field. Players are too good at the professional level to give them more than a couple of yards of space and if you do get beaten you've got to recover. Defense is all about "want to". You have to "want to" stop your opponent no matter what it takes and that means working as hard as you can. There's no room for laziness!
The mental side may be the hardest part of the equation. Even the most talented of teams and athletes fail; they can't control outcomes. But persistence and perseverance are qualities you can control and develop. It's up to the players and coaches of FC Dallas, now more then ever, to commit to stay on track, to push through in the face of this hard adverse season.
All champions, bar none, have developed this trait, one perhaps more important than talent. It has been said by many sports people I know that talent accounts for a mere five percent of most achievements, and persistence and hard work fill out the rest.
Last Saturday night Dallas played with plenty of fight and improved their play in their 2-1 loss to D.C. United. After the game, FC Dallas defender Greg Vanney said, "In the last 10 minutes we dug down, fought hard and showed that we're not the kind of team that will give up." Dallas must keep this mindset to overcome the hurdle. FC Dallas midfielder Mark Wilson added, "We're all in this together and we have a good team spirit, and we showed that on the field tonight." This type of thinking and believing is essential to overcome their current predicament.
As fans and employees of the team, we need to stick with this squad. They need our help now more than ever and if we all keep fighting and stay persistent there's no doubt in my mind the tide will turn for FC Dallas.
Ray Canevari is the English-language radio voice of FC Dallas. He also hosts FC Dallas Weekly, a radio program that airs on KFCD 990 AM every Thursday from 6-7 p.m. CT. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
