Change the byword for FC Dallas

When FC Dallas lost in last fall's MLS Western Conference Semifinals to underdog Colorado, it was inevitable that changes were coming for the Hoops, who finished the regular season atop the West standings but inexplicably fell to the Rapids in the opening round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

The first casualty was head coach Colin Clarke, who was relieved of his duties in early November. Top assistant Steve Morrow took over on an interim basis and it became a permanent gig when he was named head coach in early December.

Following that, the club traded all-star midfielder Ronnie O'Brien, veteran center back Greg Vanney and did not renew the contract of captain and central midfielder Simo Valakari. New to the club is Adrian Serioux, a member of Houston's 2006 MLS Cup championship team who came over in the O'Brien trade, as well as Colombian midfielder Juan Carlos Toja, who was signed in late February.

But the changes haven't stopped there. Morrow has installed a 4-2-3-1 formation that will give his team more attacking options than they had in 2006, when FCD had a tendency to sit back when they had a lead, often with less-than-favorable consequences. The FCD boss still has also yet to name a new captain, although starting striker and last year's leading scorer Carlos Ruiz is considered the front-runner.

Despite all of the changes he has made, Morrow isn't about to temper his expectations for the 2007 campaign.

"I'm not one of those coaches who is going to come out and say they're going to win the championship because every coach believes that," Morrow said. "I believe that we're going to be able to put all those elements in place that will allow us to do that. We're going to do that through the course of a season.

"I want this team to grow stronger as the season goes on and reach a peak at the end of the season, when it's most important. I think that's what is important. We have to be able to reach a peak at that time of year," Morrow continued. "I believe in these guys. We're making the adjustments that I want them to make. The team spirit is all coming together and will continue to build through the year. I think we have everything here to be successful."

His players also enter the season with lofty goals.

"I think everyone knows that we have the guys to go all the way," said Arturo Alvarez. "We have to come in and start off well from day one and set the tone for the rest of the season. We have to come together on and off the field to reach our goal, which is MLS Cup. Preseason has been good. Things look good right now and we can't wait for the season to start."

"It's a lot different team, which makes the expectation level even higher," said Drew Moor, who will start at one of the center back spots. "Steve (Morrow) has brought in players who he feels need to be brought in. We have some holes to fill in the back and midfield and are doing that so far."

Moor feels that last year's playoff meltdown raises the bar even higher for FCD this season.

"We won the (Western) Conference last year but performed poorly in the playoffs," he said. "That means the expectation level is that much higher this year because we've made changes and have come a long way since last year. We're setting the bar high for ourselves that's for sure. Whether the league, fans or general population sets our standards high or not, we have set our own personal standards high."

A noted defender during his playing days, Morrow has put emphasis on adding steel to the back four. Last season, the FCD back line was much maligned for a lack of toughness, but the addition of Serioux, even though he won't return from knee surgery until the middle of the summer, will help that. But Moor knows that it is up to him and his fellow defenders to toughen up in the meantime.

Along with Moor, Clarence Goodson will likely start in the center, with Chris Gbandi, the team's 2006 Defender of the Year, on the left and Bobby Rhine on the right. All four were starters last year but Rhine could be heavily pushed by Alex Yi for playing time and Gbandi could get some serious competition from second-year player Blake Wagner.

"The guys who play in the back have talked about it in preseason and doing what it takes," Moor said. "If that means taking fouls, taking cards or whatever, we have to do that. We have plenty of guys who can fill in. I think that's one reason Steve brought Adrian in. ... We want to have toughness where other teams coming into our place know it's not going to be easy. They know they're going to get kicked, elbowed and that we're going to take cards and fouls that need to be taken. Hopefully that will translate into the entire squad."

Behind them, Dario Sala, who started for virtually the entire 2006 season, will again be the man in goal. The Argentinian 'keeper will miss the first six games of 2007 through suspension but once he returns, the starting job will likely be his. Shaka Hislop, a veteran of the English Premier League who has been largely inconsistent since coming to FCD last summer, is the top backup, but athletic second-year 'keeper Ray Burse, Jr., a former Ohio State standout, has impressed Morrow during the preseason and could push for playing time in Sala's absence.

In the midfield, fourth-year player Ramon Nunez, who comes off a career-high six goals and four assists in 2006, should man the attacking spot. Even though last season ended on a down note for the Dallas native after he showed his displeasure with not playing in the Hoops' season-ending playoff loss to the Rapids, Morrow has wiped the slate clean and Nunez has come into 2007 more focused and healthy than ever before.

Toja will likely join Nunez in one of the central spots and Brazilian international Marcelo Saragosa could start the year playing alongside him but should FCD sign Pablo Richetti, he could step right into Saragosa's spot and into the starting 11. Also in the in the central midfield mix could be first-round draft pick Anthony Wallace, who has impressed Morrow since FCD selected him in January.

On the wings, Morrow has several options. First and foremost is Kenny Cooper, who in his first season with FCD scored 11 goals, including a team-leading six game-winners, and emerged as one of the team's top offensive players. The Dallas product played at both forward and midfield last year, but Morrow will keep him strictly up top.

Alvarez is another viable option. The fifth-year Houston native scored FCD's first and last goals of the regular season last season but after starting the year in the starting 11, suffered from injury problems and left the starting lineup only to return later in the year. Much is expected of the one-time San Jose Earthquakes player in 2007, especially considering that Morrow's new system is one that should allow FCD to finally get the most out of Alvarez's immense potential.

"It's a big change from last year," Alvarez said. "I personally like the formation that Steve has us playing right now. We're working on it and trying to master it so that when the season starts, each and every one of us knows what our role is. I think it's good and is more of an attacking formation.

"We have a good group of guys up front and in the back to get it done. It gives me more freedom attacking-wise and allows me to go at people more. We're looking forward to it and are playing well. We need to keep working hard every day and keep doing that throughout the season."

Second-year striker Dominic Oduro, now known as the "Bird Man" for his unique post-goal celebration, has been another bright spot for FCD this preseason. The speedy former Virginia Commonwealth star could very well force his way onto the field this season and become a solid contributor for the Hoops attack.

Also a candidate is Ecuadorian international Roberto Mina, who missed the second half of 2006 because of a knee injury. Mina had three goals and one assist a year ago and shows every reason to believe that he is again at 100 percent, making him a valuable offensive option for Morrow.

Yet another option is third-year forward Abe Thompson, who finished 2006 on a high note with two goals and six assists despite missing much of the early part of the season because of injury. The former Maryland standout is another player who has impressed Morrow this preseason and could again be a solid option off the bench or in spot starts.

But any talk about the FCD offense has to start and end with one name - Ruiz. The Guatemalan international came into his first full preseason with the Hoops more focused and committed than ever before and Morrow took notice. Ruiz missed part of 2006 with a hamstring injury but still ranked as one of the league's top scorers. A full season in 2007 could mean even more goals for the talented "Fish".

Another problem for the Hoops last season was that in two separate three-game stretches, they failed to score. Morrow sees his new system as helping to alleviate those issues.

"I think there are a couple of things with the way that we play that will help us in that department," Morrow said. "I think we have enough strength and depth up top as well. Look at all the forward talent that we have in Carlos, Kenny, Roberto plus Abe Thompson and Dominic.

"Those last two guys are two guys who have matured a lot since last year. I can see it in both of their games. Dominic has matured as a player and I think he's ready to make a bigger contribution this year. It's my job to find the winning formula. If we go through a stretch where we're not scoring goals, we have enough options to be able to change things around and give guys a fair chance."

As they continue getting acclimated to Morrow's new system, the 2007 Hoops could experience some growing pains. But once they get acclimated, the talent is definitely there for them to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season. After that, who knows? Maybe they could even get past the first round for the first time since 2002, in the days before the club was known as FC Dallas.

Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.