As FC Dallas put an end to a two-game losing skid on Saturday night at Kansas City, a significant key to the team's victory was three players who were making their first starts of the season: midfielder Pablo Ricchetti, goalkeeper Dario Sala and striker Abe Thompson.
Ricchetti, a 30-year-old native of Argentina, finally was added to the FCD roster last week after training with the club since early April. He played well in his MLS debut, breaking up a number of plays in a role as a defensive midfielder just in front of the FCD back four. The veteran also was great in possession, much as advertised, despite not being match fit.
"I thought he did a great job and he's a long way from full fitness," said FCD head coach Steve Morrow after Saturday's match. "It's his first game for us and he hasn't played in a couple of months. I think he showed what a good player he's going to be."
Even before Ricchetti was added to the roster, Morrow raved about the qualities he would bring to FCD on the field. Those attributes were clearly evident on Saturday.
"He's very good in possession, passed the ball well at times for us, and I think he's only going to get better as he gets more fit," Morrow said. "I think he held his own. I didn't expect him to play 90 minutes in his first game, and I even questioned whether I would start him or leave him on the bench tonight. He's a naturally fit guy and wanted to play 90 minutes and I thought he got through it well."
Sala was FCD's starting goalkeeper for the majority of the 2006 season but had to sit out the first six games of this season because of an altercation following the Hoops' loss to Colorado in last year's MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Argentinean 'keeper came up big on Saturday with nine saves, including three in rapid succession in the 55th minute. The only thing keeping him from FCD's first clean sheet of 2007 was a 91st-minute goal by Michael Harrington off a set piece.
"He (Sala) came up with some great saves," Morrow said. "That's what we've come to expect of Dario. At times when you need your goalkeeper to come up big and make big saves, he did it for us tonight. I thought he made three or four really, really big saves and kept us in the game."
Thompson also got his first start up top on Saturday because normal starter Carlos Ruiz was held out of the starting 11 after missing two practices unexcused earlier in the week.
In the 19th minute, the ex-University of Maryland standout flicked the ball to teammate Dax McCarty, who sent a looping cross toward the Kansas City goal. Kenny Cooper met the ball in midair and headed it over Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman's head to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.
While the assist was Thompson's first of the year, it continued a good run for the third-year striker dating to last year. He started six of their final eight matches and contributed five assists in that time. In the playoffs, he started both legs of the Western Conference semifinals against Colorado and scored in his first MLS postseason start in the first leg in Denver.
"A lot of credit to Abe Thompson," said Morrow. "We know what he gives us and he's deserved his chance because he's worked very, very hard at practice and in reserve games as well.
"Every time we play him we know what we're going to get. He's very reliable. He works very, very hard for the team, and he holds the ball up very well for us. I'm just very pleased for him because he deserved his chance and he took it well."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
