FRISCO, Texas — On Monday, FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman will depart for Spain, where he will coach the Generation adidas team during its almost 10 days there. That club will face the reserve sides from such La Liga giants as Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid while also getting to catch several first-team matches in person, including one between Real Madrid and Valencia.
“It’s a terrific honor,” Hyndman told MLSsoccer.com by phone on Friday. “They contacted me six weeks ago and asked me if I’d be interested in doing that. Of course, it’s great to be thought about and it’s definitely something I wanted to do.”
He will have at least three familiar faces on the trip as three FCD players – forward Peri Marosevic, midfielder Brek Shea and forward Andrew Wiedeman – will represent the Texas side on the trip.
Shea, who had five goals and four assists for FCD in 2010, was slated to go last year but was unable to make it because of an injury.
“He had to miss it last year because he had knee surgery,” Hyndman said. “We had a few players who weren’t able to go because they had previous engagements; they had to take care of surgery, down time or whatever. I asked Brek if he would be interested in coming with us and he said absolutely. So, we’re glad to have him with us.”
The junket will be invaluable for Marosevic and Wiedeman – neither player saw the field for FCD this year. Marosevic was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 SuperDraft while Wiedeman was a second-round choice in the in 2010.
But the players won’t be the only familiar faces coming to Spain with Hyndman. Goalkeeping coach Drew Keeshan will also make the trip along with equipment manager Marcus Owens and head athletic trainer Josh Watts.
“It’s fantastic,” Hyndman said. “They’re busy guys setting schedules up. When I went to them, they were both very appreciative but also very anxious to do it.”
The trip is set to conclude on Dec. 9 when the contingent is set to depart Spain and return stateside. But that won’t be the end of the FCD manager’s travels as the following day, he plans on being in Santa Barbara, Calif., for the final game of the 2010 NCAA Men’s College Cup.
“It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks for me,” Hyndman said.
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