FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas returned to the win column in preseason with a 4-0 win against West Texas A&M University on Saturday morning at Pizza Hut Park. The Hoops got all four of their goals from their starting front line, two from Abe Thompson and one each from fellow strikers Roberto Mina and Dominic Oduro.
It was Oduro who opened the scoring in the 10th minute. The Ghanaian forward found considerable room to the left of the goal and caught the 'keeper napping, chipping a ball from about 12 yards out that sailed into the back of the net.
Six minutes later, it was Thompson's turn. After getting a nice feed from Bobby Rhine, the FCD striker hit a great, curling shot to the right of the goal with an opposing defender closing in and saw his effort streak into the far side of the net.
In the 23rd minute, Oduro sent a great cross from the left flank into the middle of the six-yard box, where Mina was waiting. The Ecuadorian international hit a great half-volley to give the Hoops a 3-0 edge.
After a West Texas A&M player was whistled for a handball inside the box early in the second half, Thompson converted a penalty kick in the 51st minute for the final scoreline.
Overall, FCD head coach Steve Morrow was pleased with his side's performance.
"I thought we started the game very well and it was a useful workout overall," Morrow said. "The first-half performance was lively for the first 20-30 minutes. We got some good goals but got a little sloppy towards the end (of the first half), which was disappointing."
FCD played in a 4-3-3 formation for the entire day. The Hoops' first-half lineup featured rookie Josh Lambo in goal, a backline of Michael Dello-Russo on the right, Aaron Pitchkolan in the middle and Andrew Daniels on the left. The midfield consisted of Rhine on the right, Dax McCarty and Anthony Wallace in the middle with Dave Wagenfuhr on the left. Up top, it was Thompson, Mina and Oduro.
Morrow made a few changes at the break with trialist Dan Kennedy taking over in goal, Blake Wagner in at left midfield and Chase Wileman in the center of midfield. Then, in the 60th minute, rookie Brek Shea came in and played up top alongside fellow substitute Abdus Ibrahim, who played right wing, Eric Avila, who took Rhine's spot on the right and all-star Juan Toja, who came on for Wallace.
In the 62nd minute, FCD changed their whole back line. Morrow went with Alex Yi on the right, Duilio Davino in the middle and Adrian Serioux on the left. Not playing for the Hoops were Arturo Alvarez, Ray Burse, Kenny Cooper, Drew Moor, Ricardinho, Pablo Ricchetti, Andre Rocha and Marcelo Saragosa.
Morrow was pleased with the work of his forward line, especially two-goal man Thompson.
"He had a very good finish on the first goal and took the penalty well," he said. "That's what we expect from Abe. He always works hard, has a great attitude and when he gets his opportunities, he picks his spot and finishes very well."
The FCD coach also liked what he saw from Mina, who continues to play for a new contract. "He did reasonably well," Morrow said. "His fitness isn't at 100 percent yet but he showed some good moments."
Thompson said he felt very comfortable playing alongside Mina and Oduro, something that showed with four goals between them.
"This is our third and fourth year together," he said. "I know Roberto (Mina) is just getting back but he's been here for a while. We're comfortable together. We're interchanging and have played that formation many times. It was just a matter of making the runs, timing and playing the balls through. We did that with ease."
For the ultra-speedy Oduro, the question has always been about his touch but the FCD forward feels that it has greatly improved.
"I think that I'm seeing great improvement and that the coaches are also seeing it," Oduro said. "Most of the guys around me also see it. I wouldn't say that I'm right there but I am seeing improvement. I'm very happy with that."
Another bright spot for the Hoops was the play of Avila, who came on in the 60th minute. "I thought he did well in the second half," Morrow said. "He's a very accomplished player and very good on the ball with good skills. He can play some different positions for us and did well today."
Lambo also performed well in his first start, coming off his line nicely to kill a scoring chance and making a great diving save during the first half.
"He (Lambo) didn't have too much to do," Morrow said. "He was called upon three times and with what he had to do, he did very well. He came off his line well on one occasion and made one other good save. He impressed me in the things he had to do."
For Thompson, the result also illustrated what FCD can do when it controls possession.
"We wanted to work on keeping the ball and getting something good and positive out of it (this game)," he said. "It's fairly easy for us to keep the ball. We established that early on and then, the focus was to attack the goal and get some good results. We were able to do that early on and that made it much easier for us the rest of the game."
However, there were a couple of down notes. In the 72nd minute, Toja collided with an opposing player and looked to have injured his knee, forcing the FCD training staff to come over from the sidelines. However, the Colombian all-star was walking without issue after the match.
But the news might not be so good for Shea. During a postgame cooldown on the far side of the field, he injured his right Achilles tendon and had to leave the stadium field on a cart. The FCD rookie left the facility later in a walking boot and his status will be evaluated further on Monday.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
