If all goes according to plan this week, when FC Dallas face the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday, the Hoops will have a familiar face in goal. That is when Dario Sala, the starter for the majority of last season, should make his 2007 debut. The Argentinean 'keeper missed the first six games of the season due to suspension, but is clearly ready to return to his post.
"I feel awesome," Sala said after a training session on Monday afternoon. "I have to prove to the coach that I'm ready. That's what I have to show this week to the coaches and to my teammates. It's been a long time since my last game, almost six months. It's been too long."
Sala's last appearance for FCD came on Oct. 28, 2006, when the Hoops fell in a penalty kick shootout to Colorado in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. After the loss, he was involved in an altercation with one of the Rapids players and received a suspension from the league for his actions.
Last season, Sala was a stalwart between the posts for his side. He started the first 28 games of the year and amassed a 14-10-4 mark with five clean sheets. Sala's 14 wins as a goalkeeper were the second-most in MLS. After suffering a calf injury late in the season and missing the final four matches, he returned in the playoffs and again performed well.
But Sala isn't the only one coming off a break. FCD last played on April 29, when they fell 1-0 to New England at Pizza Hut Park. With the Wizards currently leading the league with 12 points, Sala knows that Saturday's affair will be a good test for his club.
"Last year, they (Kansas City) started the season off the same way," he said. "They had a lot of wins early and came here and we beat them. Hopefully, that is what is going to happen again. We have to go there and beat them. There is no other way for us. We lost our last two at home. For me, any other result other than a win is disappointing."
In Sala's absence, Shaka Hislop, a veteran of the English Premier League, took his spot. In nine games this year, he allowed a total of six goals but failed to keep a single clean sheet.
Even though FCD head coach Steve Morrow has yet to name his starter for Saturday, it seems almost certain he will go with Sala. One of Sala's biggest strengths is how well he communicates with the FCD back four.
"What I can give the team is communication," Sala said. "I am like a radio on the field all the time. The defenders will all tell you that. We would always talk at halftime about the first half and what we did right and what we did wrong. I don't know if they have been missing that with me out, but I can bring that to them."
Yet another of his strong points is the fire and toughness than he can bring to the defensive end of the field.
"I told the defenders that we have to be tougher," Sala said. "We can't let the other forwards be able to play comfortably with the ball. If they feel that they can dribble and think with the ball, then we have problems. We have to work so hard this week so that we can get the job done in Kansas City. Our goal is to keep a clean sheet. They have a good team and have gotten off to a good start."
During his suspension, Sala continued training during the week, playing in reserve games and scrimmages, and for several games served as a color analyst for the club's Spanish radio broadcasts. But one thing is for sure: the always-confident Sala isn't expecting to show any rust.
"I didn't take any breaks," he said. "The only break I took was the 90 minutes that other people played in the reserve game. Besides the six games off, I have trained normally with the team and have also worked with the goalkeeper coach Jeff Cassar more than normal during this time."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
