Before preseason began, FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow knew that he would be without two starters, midfielder Arturo Alvarez and center back Drew Moor, for the regular season opener against Chivas USA. But more recently, Morrow has had to deal with another issue that will greatly impact the starting 11 that he will roll out for Sunday's match at Pizza Hut Park -- injuries.
Alvarez and Moor have long been ruled out of the Chivas game after both were sent off in FCD's loss to Houston in the second leg of the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals last fall. Yet they will likely be joined on the sideline by the biggest offseason addition for the Hoops, former Mexican international center back Duilio Davino.
Davino is suffering from a deep bone bruise on his right knee, seeing his last action on March 3, when he started and played 75 minutes for the Hoops in a 2-1 win against Brazilian side Malucelli during their 11-day trip to South America. He made an appearance on the training field on Tuesday morning for a bit before returning to the training room but didn't participate in the session.
"He was out early [Tuesday] morning and did quite a little bit of running," Morrow said. "We look to ... see how much progress he can make in the next couple of days. (Three full days of training) is ideally what we need. We need to get him in for Thursday so that he can get three good training sessions in. Then, we will make a decision about Sunday. It may end up being too much of a risk (to play him) but we'll see."
In Davino's absence, Aaron Pitchkolan has filled in well at the center back spot. Morrow especially liked what he saw from Pitchkolan in a 2-1 win against Brazilian side Clube Atletico Paranaense on Saturday.
"I think he did well," Morrow said. "He's done well all through the preseason and came into preseason in good shape. He's a very reliable player and an important part of our roster. He steps in, whether it's in the middle of the back three or on the right or in the midfield when it's needed and does a solid job. I think he's looked very comfortable in that position, in the middle of the back three. When he's called upon, he does a solid job on the team."
Should Davino be available and start on Sunday, Pitchkolan could still start on the right of the back three even though Alex Yi played there in Saturday's win.
"I thought he (Yi) had a good game," Morrow said. "He was consistent throughout and solid throughout the game. We know that we will be missing Drew (Moor) for that first game, so we wanted to get a look at Alex in that position. Him and Pitch are competing for those spots."
Another injury that just popped up involves David Wagenfuhr, who was slated to start at left wingback this weekend. He was absent from training on Tuesday.
"He suffered a little concussion again, which is a little concerning," Morrow said. "He actually did it in training last week and was feeling the effects of it in the game on Saturday. We had him tested and there's another concussion there. He's at home resting right now and we'll have to evaluate him in the next few days and see if he needs any further tests."
Unfortunately, Wagenfuhr has a history of concussions, with four in the last four seasons. Last season, he suffered one in a 3-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on April 15 that forced him to be hospitalized and wasn't able to return until June 3 against Houston. He suffered similar injuries that required hospitalization in both 2005 and 2006.
With Alvarez out, it looked like Morrow would plug in 19-year-old Brazilian forward Ricardinho, who has performed well in preseason. But that was before Ricardinho suffered a right ankle sprain and a foot contusion in the first half Saturday. Postgame x-rays were negative, but on Tuesday, Ricardinho was seen leaving the training field in a walking boot.
"He'll probably have an MRI," Morrow said. "It looks like a nasty ankle sprain. He's got a lot of swelling at the moment. He's going to be doubtful for Sunday's game."
One player who FCD should have available is midfielder Dax McCarty, who last year led the Hoops with seven assists. He just finished playing for the United States under-23 team in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament but will return to the Hoops later this week.
"He's flying back in (Wednesday) and we've given him a few days off," Morrow said. "It's been a hard stretch for him and we're looking forward to getting him back in. He'll be here for training on Thursday."
Morrow admits that having several suspensions and injuries to deal with can make his job a bit tougher but having a deep roster like FCD does ease things.
"That (our depth) is a positive," he said. "We do have a deep team and people ready to step in. But it's frustrating as well because you do want to have a settled lineup at the start of the season. But we have to make plans without players because of suspensions and injuries. It's not ideal but it's a chance for other guys to step up as well."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
