FRISCO, Texas – There weren’t many positives for FC Dallas to take from Saturday night’s shutout loss at home to the LA Galaxy, but one piece of good news emerged: the return of center back George John.
John had been sidelined since the May 26 game against Real Salt Lake with concussion issues. He was cleared to return to the bench last week, and when Matt Hedges picked up a minor hamstring tweak, head coach Schellas Hyndman called upon his veteran defender. John replaced Hedges at halftime for his first appearance in eight games.
WATCH: Magee's quick strike beats Dallas defense
“It feels good,” John said about returning to action. “It’s nice to be back out there with the first team and get some experience on the field.”
Unfortunately for George and the Dallas defense, the scoreless draw was broken on Mike Magee’s 62nd-minute strike. John was not directly at fault on the goal, but was critical of his own performance after the game.
“You guys could probably tell I was a bit rusty out there,” he said. “I’m a bit embarrassed with myself right now, but there’s next week and next game.”
The Galaxy's high-pressure style of defense frustrated Dallas' backline all game and did not allow any passing lanes out of the back.
“They’re working tremendously hard and it showed that we had a difficult time dealing with it,” John said of the Galaxy’s defensive performance.
With John’s contract up at the end of this season, getting back on the pitch and contributing will certainly be a major point of emphasis as both the player and team will be left with big decisions.
Daniel Robertson covers FC Dallas for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by e-mail at DanielRobertson27@gmail.com.
